First Timer

Hello fellow ALaWeekers

This is my first blog to this site and as such I am a little apprehensive about what I am doing. I have begun my own blog too and am just beginning to get the hang of it.  (trace-marks.blogspot.com.au)

I have joined this project and have been looking back over the last couple of years of blogging - loving all the creative alphabets I have seen, coveting many of the ideas and envious of those with obvious calligraphy talent! As you will see from my alphabet (I have begun with the spotty one), I have no calligraphic talent though I absolutely have a deep love of language and its place in our artwork.

For some years in my art practice as a painter and etcher and over the last dozen years an artist's bookmaker, I have used the theme 'The Art of Language' - using ideas such as interpretations and reinterpretations, the concept of telling and retelling stories in various ways by leaving some of my books unbound.  I even use language in my artwork though it is by no means recognisable as such ....... scribble would be more accurate.

I am attaching a couple of images rather than an image of each letter alphabetically.  Over the course of the year I am certain I will enjoy this project more and more - not just delighting in it as a voyeur but with practice, enjoying it as a participant.

As you can see, there is little coherent in my letters other than the dots ....... well, thank goodness for them. I will try to make my next alphabet more cohesive ..........

Happy lettering.  Glad to be part of this fun group.

Susan

Fiona's four for February

I have found a bit of time to keep on making my little letters.  I love the pin prick outlines and love the gentleness of them. They feel like snowflakes falling or something when I hold them in my hand.

So here are February's four - E, F, G and H. I like the contrast against the black; but won't be using black in the finished piece.

Here is where I have gotten to so far - the first eight letters sitting on a table in the shed.

A couple of close-ups of them nestled together - I like them close up to each other for some reason.

And an update on the backing sheet that is turning out to be so interesting!

I posted this same post over at my blog. We are away for work-work again, so I just need to find ways to stay online, on the road...

The paper dot letters continue and I'm really enjoying playing with the circle and triangle shapes to see how I can piece the letters together.

I didn't realize until after I had already decided my palette that my 'e' would be yellow. Remind you of any 80s video game characters??

I'm still so impressed with all of the creative ideas I've been seeing here. Wonderful jobs fellow ALAWers!!

Here are my February letters, I've now run out of the beautiful handmade paper with the confetti type spots going through it. I got it a couple of years ago so I'm hoping my paper supply shop will still have it.

Nearly up to date! Have been a little slow as I had not completed last years letters into a book form That's now done and was posted in ALAW 2011 yeasterday. Valerie