"Fountains and Flowers"

(unavailable....in the collection of dee day)


"Fountains and flowers are natural companions for any celebration." Not all Christmas Eve celebrations happen with snow falling. Many happen in tropical climates which can also be very special even without the snow and evergreens. I was drawn to this image in the same context of Christmas because most of my teen years was spent in the Rio Grande Valley. This would have been a typical scene in a hotel or town square. In fact, I was in bermuda shorts on many of those Christmas celebrations. So whether you are enjoying snow or tropical plants, may your Christmas Eve be festive.

This photo was actually taken in a public square in Sedona, Az. I enjoyed zooming in at many different angles to get the best composition. This one happens to be my favorite because of the interesting division of space and the flower contrasted against the neutral color of the fountain.

If you like pointed pen techniques and like to frame a piece with some simple flourishing, one of the things I think about is allowing the flourish to begin from one edge...go off of the edge and reappear from another edge as though it were one continuous line. It is a wonderful way to practice your "press / release" technique and enjoy the process at the same time. I think all of us could learn lettering a lot quicker by just playing with the pen and enjoying the tactile sensations rather than always focusing on forming the letters immediately. Once you understand what the pen will do, it is much easier to learn the letters. It also helps to learn the form of the letter with pencil first because it is very difficult to struggle with the pen, ink, and form at the same time. If you absolutely know what the letter looks like (after much pencil practice and even tracing), it will be so much easier to then deal with the pen and ink (or gouache).

As you can see (or read), I have my "teacher hat" on today. I just have a tremendous desire for those of you who want to do well with your lettering to have success and be encouraged to pick up the pen often....like everyday. It takes courage and you have my full support. I do not despise "small beginnings" because everyone has to start somewhere. Just some more things to try or think about as we quickly approach a new year and new beginnings.