Flourish Friday - How to Make A Calligrapher Cry

Waaaaah! I had been saving this envelope for years. (Since 1999 or so!!) The cattail and bird were done with a flat brush by my calligraphy instructor and mentor, Ellen Simon.  With my son, Matt, participating in his wildlife practicum up in the U.P. of Michigan this past summer, I thought it would be a good time to use it.   I added the lettering with ZIG Calligraphy Markers.  Evidently, it didn't arrive before the practicum ended.

This is an exercise in how to make a calligrapher cry.

But, I did get the envelope back - so -

I guess I got to have my cake and eat it too.

(Shouldn't it be "eat my cake and have it too"?  That makes more sense to me...)

Happy weekend everyone.

Go forth and flourish!

xo

Jane

Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Zanerian Manual of Alphabets

Pictured above are some envelopes I did recently with the help of my trusty "Zanerian Manual of Alphabets and Engrossing" and Kuretake markers (ZIG Millenniums and ZIG Calligraphy).  You can find the markers and the Zanerian Manual at Paper and Ink Arts: CLICK HERE

I am way behind on my blog reading, but I hope you all have been busy elves in your studios.

Enjoy your weekend!

(Happy 1st Birthday, Isabella Grace!!)

xo

Jane

Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Kuretake ZIG Pens

I recently received a new batch of ZIG pens from Kuretake. 

(Definitely, a good mail day!)

I was most interested to try the Cocoiro Letter Pen. 

This is the information for the Cocoiro Letter Pen as provided to me by Kuretake.

For a fiber tip pen, I was amazed at the thinness of line the Cocoiro could produce. Although it is a flexible, brush tip, it is a FIRM tip.   Anyone that struggles to control a brush pen, may enjoy using the Cocoiro.  I am able to write much smaller with the Cocoiro than with other flexible, fiber pens.

The ergonomic pen body gives a comfortable grip.

All the envelopes pictured are A2 (4 3/8" x 5 3/4").

The Cocoiro also writes quite nicely at a larger size. The page above is standard letter size, 8 1/2" x 11". 

I also had a chance to play with the ZIG Metallic Colours calligraphy pens, which I love. Kuretake has added a couple of new colors.  

In addition to the calligraphy tip, the metallics also come in a bullet tip. (ZIG Writer).

I've learned that Kuretake has introduced 4 new comic nibs, one of which is a G nib.   I look forward to trying them.

Update for USA Residents:
The ZIG Cocoiro Lettering Pen body and refills are available from Paper & Ink Arts here:

 Thank you Jennifer Allen of Paper & Ink for this information! 

For the Kuretake website, click here.

Calligraphy Flourish Friday - Poem for Anniversary

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

 Two years ago I did a piece similar to this as an anniversary gift for my husband. (You can see it by clicking here.)  A client recently commissioned me to do one for her husband, and as most of you know, I love working white on black!

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

In the past, I have used a soapstone pencil to line black stock, but I used this Fons & Porter Mechanical Fabric Pencil to line this piece. I purchased the pencil from Paper & Ink Arts while at the IAMPETH convention.  The last day of the convention, Paper & Ink reduced the prices on everything in the store.....

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

 ....so I also purchased this rolling ruler (Parallel Glider) that I had seen Jake Weidmann use during the IAMPETH round robin.

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

It made lining the paper a breeze.  The tip of the fabric pencil fits into the holes of the rolling ruler and made marking the vertical, side margins easy as well.

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

All lined and ready to go!

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

I used Dr. Martin's Pen White and a Zebra G nib.  Once finished and dry, the pencils lines were erased with a Factis Black eraser.  The client loved the piece and so did her husband! :)

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

On another note-

Buffy, with Kuretake UK, conducted an interview with me for the Kuretake ZIG blog. If you're interested, I'd be delighted if you read it by clicking here.

Thank you for your visit to A Place to Flourish!

I appreciate your support.  Have a great weekend!!

xo

Jane

Calligraphy Flourish Good Friday

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

Wishing you all a Good Friday!

We have been studying Isaiah 53 at my church in preparation for Holy Week, so I thought I'd share this verse with you. Wishing you all a blessed Easter.

Random.org did its random number generation thing, and the winning numbers for the Kuretake ZIG marker bundles are 22, 2, 8, 21, 19

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

Lori was comment 22!

©Jane Farr Calligraphy Design LLC

Jenny was was comment 2!

©Jane Farr Calligraphy Design LLC

Rebecca (neddgirl) was comment 8!

©Jane Farr Calligraphy Design LLC

Joy was comment 21!

©Jane Farr Calligraphy Design LLC

Ann was comment 19!

Congratulations winners!

Please email me your full name and mailing address.  I will get your markers out to you the first of next week. (You can find my email address by clicking on the "View My Complete Profile" under the "About Me" section on the top right of this page.) 

To all those that participated- thank you! I apologize to those wanting to participate but were unsuccessful in leaving a comment.  I'm not the most tech-savvy person myself.  I think the easiest way to leave comments is to create a Google account at Google's website, log in and access A Place to Flourish through your Google - Blogger Dashboard. (It's free.)

Wishing you a contemplative Good Friday and a victorious Easter Sunday!

Go forth and flourish!

Flourish Friday - Kuretake ZIG Calligraphy Markers

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

I was contacted by a representative of Kuretake, the makers of ZIG Calligraphy markers, asking if they could post some of my work on their website.  As a thank you for granting permission, Kuretake sent me a wonderful assortment of their markers.

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

Woohoo!! I have been using ZIG Calligraphy and Brushables markers for years, but included in the package were some pens that were new to me.  The representative told me they are getting ready to launch a new range of sparkly pens called "Wink of Stella." Sounds wonderful!

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

I really like the new "Journal & Title" markers. They have a 3.5mm broad edge on one end and a .5mm bullet tip on the other.  The size is perfect for me. I like the combination of broad edge and bullet tip on one pen too. 

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

On the "Calligraphy" markers, there's a 5mm on one end and a 2mm on the other.  I like the 5mm for decorating, but it's usually too large for the lettering I want to do.  

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

The 3.5mm size on this new "Journal & Title" marker is great.

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

According to the Paper & Ink Arts catalog, they're available in a variety of colors.  I think ZIG markers are a great option for beginning calligraphers.  My guild's president, Cathy Arnold, organized a service project with an Indianapolis area school.  Guild members spent several weeks teaching calligraphy to students using ZIG Calligraphy markers.  See photos from the project by clicking here.  The kids loved it, and the project was a huge success. 

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

Another new marker from ZIG I'm lovin' is the "Calligraphy Metallic Colours."  

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

I love working on dark paper, and I really like these markers for that.

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

There is a 3.5mm broad edge on one end and a 2mm broad edge on the other. It's nice to letter with the 3.5mm size and then go back with the 2mm in a different color to add shadows - or to add a stroke within a stroke.

©Jane Farr Calligraphy & Design LLC

I haven't been able to play with the rest of the markers yet. There's Brushables (which I use regularly), Art & Graphic Twin, Fine & Chisel, Millennium, Kurecolor, Artist Sketching Pen, Vellum Writer...a smorgasbord of marker goodness! I think the Millenniums will be nice for monoline lettering, ruling, and Zentangles. Do you use ZIG markers? Leave a comment and let me know your favorites and in what ways you use them.  I'm especially unfamiliar with the Kurecolor.  

Kuretake is a Japanese company. (For the Japanese website, click here. There's an English button at the top.)   Kuretake UK Limited handles all the distribution for western markets.  You can view the Kuretake UK website by clicking here, and the gallery of artists' work by clicking here.  My page is here.

Hasn't your heart been broken for the people of Japan?  The events of this past week have been overwhelming. A few of you have asked about the family my son, Matt, stayed with when he participated in a student exchange. They are fine. Although they felt the earthquake, there was no significant damage in their area.  They are shocked and overcome with sadness for their countrymen. They are very worried about the nuclear plant and the efforts to keep water in the spent fuel storage pools. 

Calligraphy by my son, Matt.  (The Kanji for "Japan")

The Japanese are a big part of the calligraphy community. Even here in middle-America, many times there will be Japanese students enrolled in a calligraphy class.  Certainly, the Internet has made our world a smaller place.  We realize how connected we are.  I've been thinking of John Donne's Meditation No.17 from "Devotions upon Emergent Occasions" (No man is an island/For whom the bell tolls) I've lettered it in the past, but I want to do it again:

No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if aPromontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.

I'm sorry to be so wordy this week. 

For the people of Japan, let's all continue to pray and give.