Letter Arts Review Annual Competetion

I subscribe to the periodical “Letter Arts Review” that specifically features articles and work about the Art of Calligraphy. Every year it features an Annual Juried Competition that draws a wide range of work from around the world. This year, one of the pieces that I submitted was among the work that was selected for their annual competition. Although it is always nice to have one’s work selected from so many great pieces, it is also an honor to see my own piece of work printed along side the work of people that I have admired and that have inspired me to continue to strive to use the Calligraphic Arts as a means of communication as well as a form of self expression.

What is most interesting about the annual, and especially true this year, is the amount of work that is showcased from around the world. Most of the Calligraphy that is seen from other countries are examples of work whose cultures have long recognized the art as being on the same level as music and poetry as a form of expression. In the United States, although we certainly have many excellent Calligraphers within our borders, the wide spread public recognition and appreciation just isn’t there… yet.

Representing the United Arab Emirates, Wissam Shawkat submitted several beautiful examples of Arabic Calligraphy. One example is extremely complex and displayed as a wall graphic. While another is a simple, intimate Quranic verse written on paper. Both are extraordinary.

 Denis Brown, from Ireland, shared large format panels that were a kaleidoscope of color and energy. The line value of his writing is definitely at master level. Calligraphers from the countries of Germany, Japan, England, Mexico, South Africa to name a few, also submitted wonderful examples of this art form done in a myriad of mediums and forms.

From the United States, Glen Epstein, seems to always have something dramatic to write about. While Georgia Deaver, the peach of American Calligraphy, had a piece that seemed to float unhindered above the page. The contemporary beauty of the American version of this artistic expression was well represented from coast to coast.

I was also fasinated by all the languages that were represented in the annual. I found pieces written in Greek, Batarde, Dutch, German, English, Old Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic. My own piece was written in Gaelic.

Being chosen for this annual competition issue was a delight to me. To be considered among a group of peers representing this art form from around the globe was at best, a humble experience. I recognize it as a chance to share my love of letter crafting with an audience that extends well beyond my studio walls and I thank the jurors and all the people associated with the publication for this opportunity.

If you would like more information about Letter Arts Review, you can contact John Neal Booksellers

 

 

Poetry of Life

Isn’t this a lovely quote? A friend of mine commissioned it for a wedding present. To my delight, it was to go with her to Japan, where the wedding is to take place in the near future. We worked together to find just the right words and colors for such a special gift.

After much consideration, I chose the pen as my tool of choice for this particular project. Although I have a long history of using brushes in my Calligraphic work, I thought the choice of pen would be indicative to the Western history of writing of which I am akin to.

It was my intent to have the letters express vitality and spontaneity in this piece. I hope the quote articulates the beauty that a close friend can add to one’s life.

Spring Celebrations

March has brought us the Spring Celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day and Easter.

For a short while, had the pleasure of living in the beautiful country of Ireland. I stayed in the small town of Wexford in the south of Ireland, where I developed a keen appreciation for the Irish culture.

The illustrative lettering is an Irish proverb written in Gaelic, the national language of the Irish people. The exercise of writing in a language that I am not familiar with allowed me to see the letters purely as a design element. I wanted the lettering to dance across the page. For me, every stroke in this piece represents the pure joy I felt in the writing process.

Here’s the translation:

Maireann croi e a drom I bhfad.
A light heart lives long.

This little rabbit, illustrated in oil pastels, is getting ready for his Easter feast by bringing in potatoes and corn from his garden. Skipping along the garden path, he looks pretty happy with his bounty!

I hope you have enjoyed the Spring Celebrations as much as I have!

Thanks for checking in!

Janey

My Chocolate Labrador

This is my chocolate Labrador retriever, Jetta Nuit (new-eee). At 8-weeks old, the question was “who was going to training whom?” She is all grown up now, but if the truth were told, she has been a joy and inspiration in my life and my artwork.

Because the Labrador is such an intelligent and active breed, my husband and I studied and participated in obedience and field training events from the time she was just 16-weeks old. All the obedience training was meant to turn a hyper little puppy into a well-mannered part of our family, which worked very well. The field events that we continue to participate in, ensures that she lives a healthy and active live.

These activities not only meet their objectives but also give us a deeper understanding of what it takes to turn a cute puppy into an AKC Master-level working dog. A “working dog” is classified as any dog that is trained for a specific task.

There are many kinds of dogs that are trained for a variety of tasks. The most commonly recognized working dogs are Guide dogs trained to offer support for people that are sight or hearing impaired. Some dogs are trained to search for specific items like drugs or explosives, while others become efficient at search and rescue. There are many breeds trained to assist in a variety of tasks that help out on cattle, sheep and horse ranches.

I was approached by the Labrador Retriever Club of Southern California to design a new logo that would grace their apparel and boost their fund raising efforts to support their various activities. To capture the spirit of this particular breed, I choose loose brush marks to compose the image. The bouncy script, made with the same tool, was a nice complement that kept the entire logo light-hearted and fun, perfect for all of the events that the hats and T-shirts would most likely be worn.

The new logo was a huge success for this group. It also won a coveted place in a national juried show for the lettering arts conducted by Lettering Arts Review, a periodical that supports and showcases hand lettering and Calligraphy around the world. To see more logos that I have designed for the dog world please visit my website and look under “Icons”.

Thanks to our wonderful experience of having trained a working dog, my husband and I made organizations that train dogs for sight and hearing assistance as well as search and rescue activities a part of our charitable efforts. Our Jetta Nuit has become an example for many pet owners that make an effort to give their pets a healthy and productive life.

My first blog

Welcome to my blog!
This is a new adventure for me. I plan to post interesting comments about my work here. One of the most common questions I get, right after "when are you going to get a real job?", is "what inspires you?" I will be showing some of my Calligraphic pieces along with a comment that answers just that. So come back and visit sometime real soon. I will welcome all comments about my work as well.

Janey