The barter system is alive and well if you are willing to believe in it. Occasionally I get a request for a commission piece and the request comes from someone who has a skill that I greatly admire and likely do not possess. This holiday season was one of those times.
A friend who is a tremendously talented weaver contacted me about calligraphing a poem for a friend. She sent me the text and some information about the recipient's likes: blue tones and cardinals. In return for this original piece, she offered in trade hand woven trim made especially to match a 13th century outfit I am planning for the SCA. Score!
The calligraphy is executed in opalescent blue ink on bristol board. The hand is inspired by the fonts that Frank Lloyd Wright used on many of his projects. After the calligraphy was completed, I used a wash of blues and pale grey over the whole page. Last, the tromp l'oeil feather and the cardinal tracks were added.
The poem is Alms by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, wife of aviator Charles Lindbergh. Anne was an aviator in her own right, and was an author of some hauntingly beautiful poetry. Not only did this work out as a nice trade between artists, but I was also introduced to the work of an excellent poet. I call this a win.
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