Italic Boost with Barbara Close

Last weekend, our local calligraphy guild held a 2-day workshop with Barbara Close from California.  And if you know Barbara, you know how much FuN we had!!  ♥

The title of the workshop was “Italic Boost”, a refresher-type class, but with Barbara you always get more:  embossing, Diamond Glaze, metallic powders, chopsticks, new sparkly gel pens to hunt down (Wink of Stella)…   It’s all so fun and colorful!

And besides studying the Italic hand, we also made sample pieces of all the techniques she demo’d (each done in Italic, of course).  Then Barbara taught us how to make a portfolio to place them in.  It was made out of Arches Black Cover paper.  Very cool.

So I get home and want to emboss some more pages, and lo and behold, what new light table did I see????   My new light therapy device that I ordered from Amazon!

They didn’t know to market it as a light table, too!  Hahaha

I placed a white paper towel over it to diffuse the bright light, and went to town.  How funny.  Who knew I was getting a two-fer?

And by having us create pieces that illustrate each technique, Barbara planted a seed in my brain.  One that I hope grows.  I would like to make more piecelets on my own demonstrating all sorts of things.  Wouldn’t that be a cool binder?  Or art journal?

You see, I enjoy practicing and writing a LOT.  I am a very happy camper with a pen in my hand.  But when it comes to designing and brainstorming and trying to come up with yet another amazing and unique expression….  Sometimes I just don’t feel like I have the juice needed.  (maybe the light therapy will help?)

And there are even days when Creating A Piece seems like The Impossible Assignment.  Like I have to try to create incredible masterpieces.  (AS IF!)  But making a lot of small pieces kind of diffuses those expectations and you’re just busy making a series.

And, if you’re making pieces that are just “samples”, well, that would really take the pressure off.  It’s not capital A-Art, it’s just an illustration of writing in a circle, for example.

Then you can busy yourself with that, and who knows? 
You may create a little Art along the way after all.  :)

So!  By writing about it on my blog, maybe I will remember all this.  Thanks, Barbara!  It was a wonderful workshop!  Hopefully I will continue and make more.  I really like having the samples a lot.

XOXO,

Lucky Dog 
♥