Colour burst

During the Open Studios back in August I did some demonstrating of large pen italics, layering letters over each other and creating a pattern.

I am finding myself drawn more and more to lettering as pattern - the indecipherable nature of the letters or words; the mystery contained within and the beautiful layout or design they create.  When letters appear like this, they don't immediately engage my left brain and make me want to read them left to right and interpret or decipher them. I am more likely to respond to the image, and then go in and see if I can make some other sort of sense out of them.

The 'reading' of them becomes secondary to the design, whereas with straight calligraphy, the reading is often the primary element and purpose.

When I have been able to grab a free moment here and there for the studio, I have found it really relaxing to go back to that sheet of letters, and fill in the negative spaces with watercolour pencils and watercolour.

It's like a jumble of colour, a kaleidoscope, a starburst of confetti.

I also love the pen-strokes where the ink didn't go all the way thru; the wash-outs or bleed-outs.

I don't know how I will use this - whether I will cut it up into smaller pieces, whether I will do some fine lettering over the top, or whether I'll over print it with some negative spaces leaving the colour coming thru? Who knows...but it's been a delightful and relaxing way to do something creative when I haven't had time for a real piece of work.