When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.

John F. Kennedy said that, and I was reminded of it in the most recent Brain Pickings weekly post. Go here for details, but...yes. Yes.

Words to live by...part 1

Reflections appropriate on my birthday, this from a present from my friend Carol, a little journal I shall use and love soon!

Daily amazing and a thought for the day

        There's a new Daily Amazing on the web home page. Meanwhile....

                   Capitol Hill on a recent walk...

A bit of soapbox and a lot of gorgeous lettering

I am subbing in a 6th grade classroom for awhile, so trying to keep my head afloat in my art life. And gym life. And blog life. And personal life.

Teaching is all-consuming, even at the subbing level; so many things to put into place to start a classroom on a good track. I suspect I am preaching to the choir  here, but don't ever, ever fall for the line that teaching is an easy way to make some money, the 3-month vacation storyline included. I have learned to dismiss without argument those people who spout that falsehood. I know for a fact they have not spent a week or a month or a year in an elementary classroom either as a teacher, para-educator, or volunteer. Or they have no teacher who lives under the same roof. They can't have. The only thing that could change that tune would be to take on the job in any of those roles themselves. Even worse - those in power who speak in glowing terms of teachers as heroes and education as the motor that moves our democracy, but refuse to fund at the level that makes a difference, argue that classroom size has no effect, and establish the latest and greatest systems that require teacher buy-in, set up teachers to take the blame for failure of the systems to work, ignore solid research and teacher input, and change at the next whim of politics.

Off my soapbox.  Thank you to my friend Claudia for sending me over to this lettering artist. Beautiful calligraphy. Enjoy.

A collection of beautiful lettering

...that I couldn't resist.



http://kck.st/1HtD9n8

Friday Finds and Buried Treasure

1. I still enjoy visiting Carol at Tall Tales from Kansas. I check her blog often.

wallpaper page Carol painted

Lawrence, Kansas

Hi, my name is Carol. I live in Lawrence KS. I write Tall Tales. I tell about stuff that happened to me. Most of it is true.   

Her blog is funny (she's the sister of Mary Ann Moss, Dispatch from LA, so it apparently runs in the family!), full of photos, insights, recipes, and cool links,

"A working knowledge of the location of the best coffee hang outs in my geographical area is something I consider my duty to possess.  So whenever I hear about a spot that I haven't been to, I make it my business to get there.  What follows is a thorough report on two places that have recently been brought to my attention..."  From her latest post. 


2. such as her friend, Jeannette Sclar, whose fresh watercolors you'll find on her Flickr page. She does flowers and leaves deliciously - I find painting leaves very challenging meself - but I enjoy her urban sketching as much.

Jeannette Sclar

3. And one link leading to another as it happens, I got to this video, Maira Kalman Explores Art and Existence. I spoke of her before. And probably will again. Love her.

If you can't get enough of her, find a whole slew of Kalman videos here.

4. I discovered Nate Williams this week, although I cannot remember what path I took to get there. Such is the bramblebush highway of the internet,  yes?  Love the lettering he does. 

Nate Williams

5. I am playing with lettering styles through Skillshare.

Do you know about Skillshare? It's an online course site.  It's a pretty inexpensive way to get quick courses on lettering, calligraphy, mapmaking, photoshop, and other such treats. I signed up for the monthly subscription so I can get anything that comes down the pike (and there are regular additions to the "catalog") with no additional charge (the fees are small for those who want to taste one or two.) They are set up like mini-courses, with even "assignments" and projects, but I dabble in the ideas on my own as I like. There's no deadline, everyone's projects are posted who wish them to be, and, as usual, the work of "classmates" is as valuable as the course itself for inspiration and just general pleasure of viewing. If you go and stay, tell them Diane sent you! 

I've been away...

Now I'm back.


Eye candy for those who love lettering. Watch all of his videos for a taste of pleasure. His name is Seb Lester. Thanks, Mary Ann Moss, for letting us know about him.


Sketchbook Inspiration from Seb Lester on Vimeo.

Just my type

I'm cleaning up my iPad and deleting apps I rarely use, since I have pretty  much run out of space on my 32G. I knew I would someday.

In doing so, I'm reacquating myself with a few. Like this one.
But you'll have to click these to read them.

I'll probably tuck this one away for awhile, too, since I seldom use it. And, anyway, I can just go to the real one I talk about here...

P.S.  I was and remain a 90+ wpm typist, I like to proudly reveal. Happyface. 





I see some errors in the post below but, as it has magically appeared from the MadMen age, I can't and won't fix them. There's something pure about that, though, don't you think?

You'll have to click me to read me.