New Work -- Reggie Homework

This canvas came together this week, just before class. It's about 20 X 30", acrylic and inkjet transfer with calligraphy. The text is from a poem of mine, the images are random ones from the internet.

detail:

detail:
detail:

This is a smaller canvas, a companion piece, to the one above. Same materials, with gesso used for the transfer of the group of marines.


This piece, about 9 X 12", has the gesso transfer technique for the image of Michelangelo's David, and the text is lettered with Speedball nibs, gouache and mica powders. The gilding at the bottom is done with instacoll and gold leaf.
It's available in my Etsy shop

Photos of Studio Half Unpacked

This is the progress so far:

This is not about calligraphy

If you read the OC, then this is for you:

Twinkling H2Os

The topic of these watercolors came up again on Cyberscribes yesterday and since it they are one of my favorite tools I want to share some samples. It also is relevent since I had students use them in the Neuland class last weekend. Here are some pages from various journals using the twinkling H2Os for lettering and abstract designs:

New Studio!

Last week I moved my art studio into a new space. This will be the second time that I have had my studio outside of our home and I will actually go to work like a "real" person.* The space is twice a big as my above-the-garage studio, with great hardwood floors and room for teaching classes. Here are some moving day photos:

Main Room:

Other Room:

*For the rest of you real people who have really been working at home all along, no offense intended, because I know what it feels like when you mention that you work at home and you are met with those polite but condescending looks by real professionals who are secretly thinking that you have no idea what the real world is like, and oh, isn't it nice to work in your sweats until noon, catch the latest dish on The View and check out Matt Lauer's newest crew cut? Well, yeah, those things are great perks of working at home and I will miss them, but already just mentioning to friends that I am moving into a studio has made them take me more seriously as an artist.

More than half of my things are unpacked and put away. It's great to have so much space to spread out in. More photos next week when I am settled in.

Neuland Workshop in New Orleans

The workshop in New Orleans was great! It was so good to see everyone again. Here are some of the beautiful lettering samples they came up with in only two days:

New Work

Here are two new books I just finished for the advanced calligraphy class. If you want to see more photos of these, I put them on the Reggie Year blog. Thanks for looking!

Front cover of book, about 4 X 5"

Detail of front cover, showing silver foil and cut out opening:

Detail of inside front cover:

This book is 4.5" X 10". The text is from Annie Dillard's book, The Writing Life, which was brought back to my attention by my favorite writer and pal, Brent Diggs. Dillard's comments about writing are always relevant and so appropriate for calligraphy, even though that's not what she was really writing about. Here are a few photos:

Front cover of book:

Detail of text, actual size, Dr. Martin's BleedProof White on Paste Paper:

Gesso Transfers

After hearing about this method on the inkjet transfer Yahoo Group, I decided to try it. My experiments have turned out really well and I am very excited about this new possibility. The gesso "takes" the transfer so well. Because it is white, it can be used to cover up a previous layer of writing, or background that you don't like or need. Here are some of the transfers that I have tried:


Above: Ink jet transfer using Apollo transparancies, Golden gesso onto Fabriano 300 lb. hot press watercolor paper. The actual size of the image transferred is 4" X 8".

Above: a detail of the first image, showing the texture of the gesso.

The substrate on this one (above) is Arches Text Wove, which seems to be one of the only texutred papers that work well for transfers. Original size -- 2" X 3".

Above: A smaller image transferred onto the same Fabriano paper.

Below: this is a close-up detail showing the gesso's texture.

Above: This is an even smaller image transferred onto Fabriano black paper. It is only about 1.5" X 1.75. I love the way the gesso looks on the black background.

More photos from show and share

From Annie Cicale's class



From Jean Formo's class



From Judy Melvin's class



From Martin Jackson's class



Also from Judy Melvin's class