When the children were young and I needed to find something relaxing to do outside of the house, I enrolled on a calligraphy course. I have no idea what I was intending to do with the skill - which is probably why I have never pursued it any further. My recent digging into the depths of drawers and cupboards revealed the pen and ink that I purchased all those years ago, and a piece of my practice script.
After working for several years after leaving university, in a largely administrative role, I started to yearn for a skill or a craft. Something measurable by its physical results. I thought how satisfying it must be to be a creator of sorts. My next job was as a computer programmer - I loved to craft code and see the final result. It either worked, or it didn't and there was definitely a tidy or a slipshod way to program. As a team of graduates learning together, we took pride in the way we coded.
I don't create so many things now. When I retire ....
The composite came about since I wasn't altogether happy with the overall composition of any of the individual shots I took. And it gives me the opportunity to include the old inkwell from the school desk we have from days when pen and ink were required to write in school.
Your edit is really effective Helen, soft and rather romantic, much like the skill itself I think. Calligraphy was always something I wanted to learn, perhaps it was wise not to as I would probably have ended up writing out endless invitations.
This is a lovely composite image Helen, I love it. Takes me right back to primary school, I used to write with ink and a pen that would suck the ink up out of the bottle, then ink cartridges became all the fashion.
wonderful composite. there is nothing quite like making things. Your piece on the craft of coding makes me think about why teaching programming is so different from teaching mathematics .. even when the problem being solved is essentially the same: I think it has something to do with making.
Nice editing. It feels "active" - more than a still life. I also used to like doing calligraphy. A uni friend years ago asked me to write the place name cards for his wedding. That's the only concrete calligraphy project I've done.
This is a lovely image - and you do create things now - great photos! I hope you will find time to continue with the calligraphy or find another creative outlet. It is good for the soul!
Helen, you may be interested in the discussion: Share Your (Unplanned) Contemporary Art Designs. Many of your Abstract August photos would fit in nicely.
Love this... excellent multiple. How sad that you now say you had no idea what you were going to do with the skill of calligraphy... what has happened to liberal education, self taught or otherwise?
@yrhenwr thank you. I think what I meant was that there isn't a lot of call for calligraphy nowadays and with two small children in the house, I wouldn't have found time to dedicate to the craft, "just for the sake of it". Who knows, maybe I will come back to it ... along with all the other things I would love to learn more of.
Lovely shot and story - from calligraphy to coding :) :) that is so interesting! I am incapable of drawing nice lettering, there's an art to it of course... but I do love the way it looks.
@kerosene I do so little hand writing nowadays, that I am sure it no longer comes naturally. Thanks for taking the interest - good to hear from you Caroline and you took time and trouble to view a good number of my posts - I appreciate that.
