Calligraphy Galleries

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O' Holy Night, penned in Copperplate hand, background entitled "Star Rise" suggesting the Christmas star as it rises above Beth L'hem

Oh Holy Night

Copperplate “hand” penned on Arches watercolor paper from Paris, McCaffery’s Ivory Penman Ink, Nikko G pen nib, Holbein professional gouache paints for background along with Dr. Ph. Martin’s Spectralite 18k gold ink.

Background artwork is entitled "Star Rise" suggesting the Christmas star as it rises above Bethlehem.

Panis Angelicus

Panis angelicus (Latin for "Bread of Angels”) is a beautiful liturgical writing by Saint Thomas Aquinas. Although put to music many times since written, it was in 1872 when French Romantic composer and organist, Cesar Frank put a music to the words, that to this day is breathtakingly beautiful and moving. I for one, am reminded of my few years as a high soprano, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Plainfield, New Jersey USA. Singing this amazing piece at midnight mass, alongside my brother Mark. We were probably 9 and 10 years old.

Custom Pirate Maps

This is an example of one of many Pirate Maps I made for kids, typically at the request of a parent.

Most enjoyable for me, is when I get to use invisible ink to put secret messages on the map. Revealed only with a UV flashlight.

This particular one, I made for my daughter Sofia. If you look closely, you’ll see the customization of names and places.

Moral Compass

I made this piece after an attack on the gay and lesbian

patrons of the Pulse night club in Florida. The message

was very clear, “When hatred targets one American,

it targets every American.” The ribbon in the

talons were not complete until I heard

Hillary Clinton’s presidential acceptance

speech. She spoke of “e pluribus unum “

out of many, one. At that moment I knew two

things. First, what to put on the eagle’s ribbon and

secondly, who the final original art piece would be

given to. The original artwork was handed off to the

Vermont Democratic Party headquarters with a promise to get it to her. To this day, I don’t know if it ever arrived. If so, I truly hope she appreciates the motivation and depth of impact her words carried.

‍Sea Fever by John Masefield

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‍A longtime favorite of mine. So, it’s no surprise to friends and family that the watercolor background is from a sketch I made of my son, Asher. We were visiting the Maine coast with friends, John and Sam Hinckley. The scene was perfect in its pairing with Mr. Masefield’s poetry.

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‍Ornamental copperplate “hand”, using Nikko G pen nib, Moon Palace sumi ink, Arches watercolor paper (hot press) and Holbein professional gouache paints.

‍Another art piece, using Panis angelicus. However this time, taking full advantage of large paper and the pleasure of penning ornamental copperplate and “off-hand flourishing.”

‍Postal Sunshine and

‍ Surprising Sundries!

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‍In a desire to bring penmanship to kids throughout Vermont, I created an art exhibit entitled “Postal Sunshine and Surprising Sundries.” This display toured Librarys and schools throughout the state. It is still available for schools and public venues upon request.

‍Postal Sunshine and

‍ Surprising Sundries!

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‍A wider photo of the display.

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‍The idea here was to invite kids to perform some magic. Write a letter and see what happens. It doesn’t have to be beautiful - just by hand. That will be enough to make the person on the other end delighted - to get a real letter instead of a bill.

‍The Nac Mac Feegles

‍or Wee Free Men are a creation from the mind of the late author Terry Pratchett. These irreverent six inch high monsters are Pixies. But, not sweet Pixies of flowers and butterflies, no these are the pixies of thorns rather than the roses. Eatin’ and Drinkin’ and Stealin’ and Fightin’…repeat. And, endearing and hilarious. I love

‍ing these characters. You’ll find them in the Tiffany Akin series of young adult books.

More Feegles!

Our beloved Feegles show up all over our home and in our art. This is my version of Rob Anybody. Rob is yellin’ “Wailie wailie wailie, we’rrrr in traabl’ nuu”. Which is a hilarious exclamation of woe. He’s making the cry on my behalf as I move into wedding season and the hundreds of envelopes I soon will be addressing. And indeed, I had this turned into a US postage stamp.

More Feegles!

One of the most feared of the Feegles is the “Gonnagle.” A war poet who, with his bad bagpipe playin’ and terrible poetry can explode the ears of an enemy. I sent a copy of this to Terry Pratchett’s office in the UK. They thought it was hilarious and loved it. By the way, Mr. Pratchett’s sense of humor is delightfully twisted in this character…

William McGonagall is often referred to as the worst poet in British history, known for his poor poetic skills and lack of understanding of poetic form. He gained notoriety for his awkward rhymes and jarring meter, making his work unintentionally humorous. …Wikipedia

Envelopes!!

All year long, whether for a contest, like the US Postal Services “Elegant Envelope”, the envelope sharing event each Spring by the IAMPETH (look it up!) or holiday correspondence at year’s end, I have a great time creating mini-masterpieces. Here’s one utilizing the bioluminescence of a deep water creature as inspiration.

Dogwood Aikikai

Back around 1991 my wife Karen and I met while practicing an amazing martial art called Aikido. We became part of a group that started Dogwood Aikikai in Atlanta. While traveling to Montreal for an international seminar, Dale, Blue, Karen and I hatched the plan to open Dogwood. While on that flight, my cocktail napkin sketch came home with me and eventually flushed out to this corporate logo.