It is easy to forget that kindness can help to ease difference of opinion and lessen hatred. In these days of political discord at best and outright terror at worst, I can’t pretend that a little calligraphy will do anything to change that. Sometimes all we can do is try to add a little beauty to the world.
I begin with black ink on white paper, very old-school. I do the line work on an overlay – a translucent sheet of paper – and then scan it all into my MacBook Pro and composite the final artwork in Photoshop. This kind of flourishing is sometimes called “cabbage” by scribes. It is very fun to do but very easy to overdo. As decorated as this word is, I started out with more “cabbage” and pared it down. Each letter’s line work references the letter.
I created this as my contribution for the 2017 Heart to Heart calendar. You can read a little more about this long-running project here, or see some of my other work for it here.
May we all have a bit more of the magic of kindness in our lives and share it with those around us.
Thank you Cari. I love the reminder of the power of kindness. I haven’t ever heard of “cabbage”– it is enlivening to see your process here.
Yes, the world could use all the kindness it can get right now. Are the calendars for sale anywhere? I would love to have one.
Hi Michele, nice to hear from you. No, the Heart to Heart calendars are not for sale as they are a labour of love by the publisher. I have long thought about producing one of my own with some of my favorite quotes from years past but so far have not managed to pull that particular project together.