I hope you Dance!

I am getting ready to take a weekend workshop with Kristen Doty tomorrow and Sunday. I am really looking forward to it as it's called "Drawing for Calligraphers". Whatever that means... I guess I will find out tomorrow. I hope to come out of it a little bit better artist than I already am. I know that you just don't take a class and "become an artist"... and that it takes a long time to develop skills in different media's but I am looking to get from this class only another facet to what I already do and love. I am sure that I will learn some new technique, to see or to paint or color, draw or enhance the work that I already create! It's waiting to get out of me and is just looking for an avenue. Although this piece was not drawn--as an illustration, I still had to paint the background (paste paper), determine the layout and design, the feel and the flow I wanted to portray as well as the personal taste of the recipient to whom it was eventually going to. Each LETTER, although it's called CALLIGRAPHY and most think it's just "writing", was drawn from the strokes that I have learned, memorized and practiced repeatedly.

My sister had a BIG birthday a few years back ('07) and she loves to dance... she also LOVES purple, so I took the Lee Ann Womack song, "I Hope You Dance" and used some of Mike Kecseg inspired pointed pen letters to document and create this "work of art", hand made from the heart.. for my sister! These words have a certain meaning to how I am feeling with this upcoming workshop.... "I hope you never lose that sense of wonder.... when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.... DANCE!" That is how I like to live life! Jump in with two feet and really LIVE!!!!