Valentine's Day

How I've missed DRAWING! I've been so crafty lately instead. That's right -- caa-rafty.

I've been making cards and miniature books instead of drawing or painting. Fun, yes! But I need to fit in more drawing or I find I start craving it like a Cold Stone Creamery Chocolate with Almonds and Cookie Dough.

Currently I'm feeling inspired by* some Valentine's Day cards from the 1910's through 1930's, some very art deco, some art nouveau. I'm loving the art and must draw from them.

*"Inspired by" can mean "copied from," but I'm not that good. I take a lot of liberties.*

*"Liberties" can mean you purposely deviated from the original, but in my case, I take liberties when I make mistakes and have to go another direction to cover them up.

Here's another, to which I've added my initials. I want to start practicing calligraphy -- right after the letterpress class which starts very soon. My hope is that the letterpress art will synthesize with the printmaking and bookmaking and cards into ... something fabulous.