December 8th - Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Immaculate Conception celebrates the conception of Mary , Full of  Grace, as a Perfect Vessel for Jesus




Dec 8, Feast of the Immaculate Conception


The common misconception for the Immaculate Conception is that Jesus was conceived by Mary through the Holy Spirit without involving a human sexual act.

Mary, Immaculate Conception saving the world from darkness.

The Immaculate Conception dogma is all about Mary aka Virgin Mother.  When Mary was conceived by her mother Anne,  she  was free from Original Sin, spotless and stainless , without wrinkle- worthy to be a mother of God, the Creator of the Universe.


Mary is also referred as Ave Maria. AVE is the reverse of EVA, the first woman responsible for the downfall of human beings when she ate the apple given by the serpent in Genesis. Mary  is known as a Mediatrix, a co-redemptor for saving human race from darkness.

Tony Dovolani & Melissa Rycroft -Dancing with the Stars Champs

Another Storybook Line: Tony & Melissa Prove Underdogs can be the All_Star Champions for Dancing with the Stars.




Last night I voted for team Tony Dovolani & Melissa Rycroft to win the All Star Championship Mirror Ball Trophy. And win they did.   Tony Dovolani who is a real ballroom dancer with seven professional ballroom championships title to his name never won a Mirror Ball Trophy from Season 1 to Season 14.
Season 15 made history because all three finalist stars were females(Kelly Monaco,Shawn Johnson & Melissa Rycroft). Usually the females are eliminated early because majority of female votes vote for the male stars who are usually star athletes or movie stars.

 It took 15 seasons in Dancing With the Stars  for Tony  to win the trophy where popularity of stars counts rather than dancing skills . Majority of the competitors had already won Mirror Balls Trophy but not Melissa Rycroft where she placed third in Season 8 behind 1st place Shawn Johnson an Olympic Gold Medalist gymnast and 2nd place actor Gilles Marini of "Sex & City" fame.  Melissa Rycroft was selected in the Bachelor series final episode by the bachelor but Jason dumped her for another lady. After being dumped, Rycroft was asked to join the Dancing With the Stars competition after only a few days notice. She danced well.

Last night they got perfect 10s in their samba and freestyle. Tonight they got all 9.5 for the instant samba. But they got  the  votes. The fans noted that it's about time Tony wins and the underdog Melissa take home the trophy.

Congratulations Melissa & Tony for winning the All Star Championship at DWTS. Here's a look at their samba in week 3.

My Four Gigantic Scrolls on the Altar For November

Becoming  a Soferet or a Scribe





The Blogger's four  scrolls displayed for the entire month of  November at the two side altars. This is  a Thanksgiving Mass 

   Soferet  means  a scribe , a traditionally male position who  transcribes Jewish Hebrew  texts like the Torah. In today's world a scribe can be a woman like Julie Seltzer. Generally a scribe in ancient tradition is one who writes spiritual text and the writings are presented or displayed on holy place like an altar.  In the Christian world, they are called evangelists like Luke,Matthew, Mark, & John . These scribes who wrote Gospels for the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Thanksgiving at St. Veronica's. Scrolls are 15 feet long, 3 feet wide.

  Does a scribe need to be a star calligrapher with 30 to 40 years of experience who can calligraph  the best letters you can possibly imagine?  A calligrapher with tons of accolades? One who is heavily published in journals and displayed in several galleries or museum? Not so fast. Take for example Julie Seltzer a baker who was self-studying a Hebrew script for one and a half year and while walking on the street had an awakening to write the Torah. She doesn't not belong to an exclusive Society where only the very best becomes member.  Her story suggest she was  called upon and recruited by a powerful force , like the Creator of the Universe to write something spiritual.



Thanksgiving  at St Veronica's Church



After Kalligraphia 13 ended, I was asked if I'd like to do a scroll to honor the parishioners who passed away for the year. They were going to be displayed for "All Souls Day " in November. I said yes immediately because I though there would only two scrolls of small sizes. The requirement was the names would be readable.

When I was given the paper , "Oh my these scrolls are big." Not only they are long (two scrolls of 15 feet, two scrolls of 13 feet in length; 36 inches or 3 feet wide). Where I would write these scrolls? My little studio at the backyard doesn't have a long big table? I almost withdrew my yes. I wrote each name on smaller pieces of paper and remembered how these people who are now gone had lived their lives.

  Good--- the St Veronica's Pastoral Center had a room full of  tables  where I can lay down the scroll.  I also got help from my sister-in-law Gina and my sister Cora and her husband Joe to put the scroll together. My problem was some names are long and some are short - so there was not an eveness of my letterweight. My border is a simple line colored in purple, color for sorrow.

                                             names in scroll separated by a circle of gold with a simple purple border

This little project of making four gigantic scrolls left me exhausted in October because I also work full time. However it was  about honoring other people who have changed their address from earth to another unknown world.  I felt good when I saw my scrolls displayed on two side altars for the entire month of November. A work  displayed on an altar,a sacred holy place makes me feel  like a scribe of  the ancient evangelists. Better than being displayed on a gallery or on a journal. When your work is placed on an altar, it is as if the Creator chooses you to be a part of his Divine Universe.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

A  day to exercise gratitude.  List all the things you're thankful for .

 thanksgiving poem passed from email to email:

TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING,
BUT I JUST COULDN'T SLEEP.
I TRIED COUNTING BACKWARDS,
I TRIED COUNTING SHEEP.
THE LEFTOVERS BECKONED -
THE DARK MEAT AND WHITE,
BUT I FOUGHT THE TEMPTATION
WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT.
TOSSING AND TURNING WITH ANTICIPATION,
THE THOUGHT OF A SNACK BECAME INFATUATION.
SO, I RACED TO THE KITCHEN, FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR,
AND GAZED AT THE FRIDGE, FULL OF GOODIES GALORE.
GOBBLED UP TURKEY AND BUTTERED POTATOES,
PICKLES AND CARROTS, BEANS AND TOMATOES.
I FELT MYSELF SWELLING SO PLUMP AND SO ROUND,
'TIL ALL OF A SUDDEN, I ROSE OFF THE GROUND.
I CRASHED THROUGH THE CEILING, FLOATING INTO THE SKY,
WITH A MOUTHFUL OF PUDDING AND A HANDFUL OF PIE.
BUT, I MANAGED TO YELL AS I SOARED PAST THE TREES....
HAPPY EATING TO ALL - PASS THE CRANBERRIES, PLEASE.


MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY,
MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.
MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP.
MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS.
MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,
MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS!!
HAPPY   THANKSGIVING   TO  ALL
click on pumplin pie to see an animated card

PUMPKIN PIE 

 

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MVP

YES! SF GIANTS  Catcher & First Baseman  Buster Posey is the MVP for  National League in a Landslide Vote




Buster Posey Speaking at Civic Center  on World Series 2012 Parade Celebration

 Congratulations to  San Francisco Giants catcher  Buster Posey & member of the World Series 2012 Championship team  for being the  National League Most Valuable Player. Well-Deserved.

Let's also congratulate Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers(the World Series opponent  of the SF Giants) as MVP for the American League.

Fans look at the gigantic screen set-up at the Civic Center to celebrate the 2012 World Series Championship parade to honor the
San Francisco Giants



Happy Diwali - Indian Festival of Lights Celebration

Today, I enjoyed a Diwali Indian celebration. It's fun to learn something new from another culture.  I didn't have any Indian costume so  my new-found friend Mahdavi(meaning 'garland')  gave me a 'bindi' to put on the forehead. Don't know what a bindi is?  A bindi (Hindi: बिंदी, from Sanskrit bindu, meaning "a drop, small particle, dot") , or a bottu is a forehead decoration worn in South Asia (particularly India). Pushpa (meaning flower) promised to buy me a  similar dress  to what she was wearing, an Indian national costume when she visits India.

The festival of light  brings out the light from human beings in order to fight evil things emanating from darkness.

Now I know what Deepak  means.  Deepak Chopra is  one of the well-recognized Indian names because of his bestselling books and lectures.

Below  Deepak Potnis  who organized the celebration describes what Diwali means in his email.

Diwali or Deepavali popularly known as the "festival of lights" (In Sanskrit language, “deepa”= lamp, “avali” = series of) is a festival celebrated by Indians all over the world. It is celebrated in the month of (Karthika) October or November as per the Indian Lunar calendar.

Diwali involves lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. Celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends. This festival is spread over 5 days; each day of festivity signifies an event in Indian mythology. In each legend, myth and story of Diwali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Diwali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope.

Diwali lights, illuminate every home, street and corner and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope of beginning new and prosperous year Each day of Diwali is celebrated with a different ritual in Indian homes.

The Meaning of Barack

President Barack Obama Wins Re-election. Congratulations




As a  scribe or a  'soferet', I wondered where the name Barack came from.

 If you had  been reading the Bible, Barak is an ancient Hebrew name meaning to bless, to kneel ,
a gift, a blessing. In some instances it meant lightning.

Jeff Benner has a website and it has tour for Hebrew origins.  I found a Hebrew Alphabet Chart which is of interest to calligraphers.

From the West Coast ,it was a SHORT  night after all. Governor Romney who put up a good fight gracefully conceded.


P.S. For those following this blog, I've not finished writing about the pieces of Kalligraphia 13.

Election Time: Who did you vote for?

It's a Historic Tie


Calligrapher Alan Blackman in  his Halloween attire votes for his pumpkin with his smiley signature



President Obama and Governor  Romney have made history. Each received five votes in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire.
It's the tightest Presidential election ever. Put on your seat belts and you're in for a long night.

Giants World Series Champs - Thanks to the Saints of October Is In Love With the Impossible

October Saints : St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Jude aka Saint for the Impossible.

St Jude, Saint for the Impossible Feast Day October 28th

I thought Buster Posey would hit a homerun today  since he's number 28. October 28th is the Saint for the Impossible Feast Day. The title of the poem "October Is in  Love with the Impossible" -  the word impossible was because of St. Jude.

You're not going to believe but I saw fireworks and heard car tooting before 10 minutes before the SF Giants won.

October 1 is St. Therese Feast Day

Oct 1  is Matt Cain's Birthday. No way St. Therese of the Roses would let him down. Oct 4 is St Francis of Assisi Feast. No way can  the Detroit Tigers win. San Francisco who was named after St. Francis of Assisi was a tamer and friend of animals. He tamed a tiger.  According to legends he tamed a dangerous wolf.

St Francis of Assisi befriends and tames animals

When St. Louis Cardinal beat the Washington Nationals. Someone remarked you can't beat a team named after a Saint. I rebutted, "Hey San Francisco is also named after a saint. St. Louis Feast is on August 26th; San Francisco's Feast is October 4.

Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants Team: players, management, fans- World Series Champs   What a thrill!



WOW, Game 2, Game 3 - SF Giants Shut Out Detroit Tigers

Enchantment sprinkles all over the World Series Bound SF Giants 2012 as Bumgarner  & Vogelsong Pitched 2-0 shutout. Lincecum electrifying as a Reliever.




I remember October 31st Halloween party at my house 2010. The whole house rocked with screams as 21-year Madison Bumgarner threw strike out after strike out. He did again October 25, 2012.

Tonight game Ryan Vogelsong pitched another 2-0 with the help of reliever Tim Lincecum & closer

 Sergio Romo. Tim Lincecum though with a different role was fearless as he unleashed his freakness on the mound. Lincecum pitched twice already in World Series 2012. He also pitched twice as a starter in World Series 2010.


During the start of the 2012 season, pundits overlooked the seemingly 'weak'  SF Giants.  Those who are not Giants fans are scratching their heads how did the Giants get here.

Just wanted to tell Kalligraphia 13 was ahead of those Baseball analysts . The exhibit had one piece proclaiming Giants as World Series Champs.

Barry Zito World Series Game 1 Pitcher Is a Storybook Line

Kung Fu Panda delivers a three-homerun  with a Wow in World Series Game 1


Barry Zito , the much-beleaguered pitcher of San Francisco Giants who received a lot of criticisms & put-downs from the media and fans provided an unexpected win  against the  heavily favored Detroit Tigers pitcher  Justin Verlander. In a game that the SF Giants couldn't possibly win, the SF Giants surprised everyone with a win convincingly. Life is indeed a  baseball game.

 On the brink of elimination for the NLCS, Zito  also saved the SF Giants in Game 5 against the St Louis Cardinals. The Las  Vegas odds, the Tigers (50/83 or -166 ML) predicted that World Series Game 1 victors were the Detroit Tigers  over the Giants (151/100 or +151).

Well, Detroit Tigers have Verlander but the SF Giants have the magic of believing.
Zito provides an inspiration to mortals who receive a lot of put-downs; one  can get up again and deliver awesome deeds one more time.

Wow ! Pablo Sandoval punched three homers in Game 1. He donated his bat to Cooperstown Museum
since he made baseball history along the greats: Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson and Alberto Pujols who had three homeruns in World Series' history.

Amazing SF Giants Win National League Pennant- Proceed to the World Series

Kalligraphia 13 Piece "October is In Love with the Impossible" - Celebrated Ahead   Even Before the SF Giants  Won



Even before the SF Giants won the Division  Championship, the Division Series, and now the 2012  National League Championship , Kalligraphia 13 held from June 13 to August 26, 2012 at the San Francisco Public Library Skylight Gallery , Elizabeth Nisperos' "October is In love with the Impossible" piece  already 'knew'  the San Francisco Giants was going to the World Series again

,



Kristopher & Sonja Smile  at Kalligraphia 13 event- Good Luck Charms for the SF Giants



Trailing behind the Cincinnati Reds 2-0, the Giants won 3 games to win the Division Series. Then trailing again 3-1 behind the St Louis Cardinals, the SF Giants came back to win the National League Pennant and the right to the World Series 2012.

The SF Giants fans at Kalligraphia 13 celebrated the 2012 SF Giants before even they clinched the Pennant.

 





Attendees Viewing



Linda checking out the piece

 

Dough & Judy having a conversation



Paulette waves in front of  SF Giants logo & Raoul Martinez Shakespeare "Sleep"

Oakland A's Deliver a Storybook Magic to Capture AL West Champions

Congratulations:  Oakland A's  is the American League West Champions in a Surprising Manner.

Brad Pitt fell in love with the Oakland A's story so he made a movie "MoneyBall" and almost won an Oscar.

Here's another story for this Fortress. If you still don't believer magic & fairytales , then it's time you do believe. The Oakland A's were down 13 games behind the two-time Champions & Division leader 2010 & 2011 World-Series contender Texas Rangers.  But you never can tell when magic and enchantment strikes. This year the A's were overlooked and didn't get much media attention.

They were happy to clinch the Wild Card spot so they celebrated three days earlier. Then on the last day , they swept the Texas Rangers. Instead of being a Wild Card team, the Oakland A's became the AL West Champions.(Check out their story). They won their title on the last day of the season.

They celebrated twice, clinching the wild card spot   and then  clinching  the title .Who could have hope for a better scenario.

The San Francisco Bay Area folks are happy that they  have two playoff contenders for the World Series. Go Giants! Go A's.

Congratulations 2012 National League West Champs - SF GIANTS

San Francisco Giants is the 2012 National League West Champions on  September 22, 2012 & Gerald Dempsey 'BUSTER" Posey III is the NL Batting Champion.




State Senator Leland Yee poses with the October is In Love with the Impossible piece  "SF World Series 2010 Championship logo"at
the Marie Peterson Gallery at SSF General Art  & Sculpture Show. Senator Yee supports the Arts and of course the SF Giants.



I'm glad my piece at Kalligraphia 13  was about the San Francisco Giants for winning the 2010 World Series . They're back in their dreams of regaining their title for 2012. Congratulations to  Gerald Dempsey

"Buster" Posey III for winning the NL Batting Champion. After the injury  suffered in 2011 at the homeplate, Buster came back renewed, positive and with an extraordinary force.

Whatever happens in the post-season happens. The SF Giants delivered an exciting and entertaining ballgame in the regular season.

Deanna Jay Chu Nim Showcases John Dowland Lute Music

Deanna Jay Chu Nim Leads Us to a World of Lutists , Classical Guitarists,  & Luthiers



Deanna Jay Chu Nim "Come Again ,Sweet Love,Doth Now Invite"

I recognize John Dowland's name because his repertoire of music composition are especially targeted for lute and stringed instruments. In my younger years I used to take lessons in classical guitar and violin so I know the world of luthiers. In fact the classical guitar is my favorite instrument of all instruments because the music coming from a classical guitar  is melodramatic and romantically hypnotizing. I almost forgot I once performed a classical guitar duet with a famous classical guitarist(He said,"You there at back you're going to play with me on stage". I was actually very quiet at back of the room)  but I don't practice as much now. Classical guitar  is difficult because you do it note for note rather than by chords.  But I still love to compose musical pieces.

Deanna's piece is also one of the main attraction placed near the entrance wall. It's visually big at the same time content is beautiful. Deanna writes, "This gilded piece was inspired by John Downland(1563-1626), guitar and lute professor  John Schneiderman  and luthier Mel Wong who reopened the door for me to the wealth of early music." There's a revival of John Dowland's music because his compositions still touch a listener's heart and soul.



Detailed Look of  "Come Again ,Sweet Love,Doth Now Invite"

One who plays a guitar is a guitarist. One who plays a lute is a lutenist, lutanist or a lutist .

A maker of any string instrument(violins,viola,guitars,cello)  is a luthier. Stradivarius was a luthier in Cremona. I can do another post on world of luthiers, classical guitarists and lutists later.

I was not a fan of  rock and pop star Sting but when I heard him sing John Dowland's "Come Again, Sweet Love" while playing a lute, oh boy I became a fan because in a rock atmosphere his lovely voice was usually drowned by electric guitars.

While Deanna uses her calligraphy to showcase John Dowland, listen to Sting interpret Downland's music. He's also playing the lute with lutist Edin Kamarazov.

To serenade you with Claire De Lune,listen to two of my favorite classical guitarists Julian Bream & John Williams. It will make your day  or night. Julian Bream performed and played in Berkeley several years ago.

Thanks Deanna for taking me back to my memories of lutists, lutes, classical guitars & violins. At one point in my life, I was crazy researching the world of Stradivarius, violins , Andres Segovia,  classical guitars but that needs another post.



Ellen Sarkisian Chesnut Family Haiku Made Me Cry

Ellen Sarkisian Chesnut Piece Exposes Memory of  Armenian  Genocide at Kalligraphia 13






Ellen Sarkisian Chesnut  piece doesn't have the colorful 'gimmickry' or layout  to make her piece noticeable. It's more like a mystery, a puzzle or a symbol to decode in a novel which holds the key to a solution. I'm glad my criteria to write about a piece is more about  content and narrative rather than how pretty a piece looks or if a piece was created by a star calligrapher.



Ellen Sarkisian Chestnut "Family  Haiku"



I'm also glad I ventured writing on pieces in an exhibition; it gave me an insight what critics and journalists are looking for in an art exhibit. It's more than visual. It invites dialogue and brings a viewer further into deeper meaning of our existence.

Of all the pieces in Kalligraphia 13, Ellen's piece is the one with 'gravitas' , haikus  stewed with gravity   which concerned 1.5 million people that were removed on the face of the earth. Her five haikus tell brief moments of the Armenian people genocide under the Ottoman Empire and the vehicle is poetry  expressed  in calligraphy.

John Kifner of the New York Times in "Armenian Genocide in an Overview" wrote:
"Armenians mark the date April 24, 1915, when several hundred Armenian intellectuals were rounded up, arrested and later executed as the start of the Armenian genocide and it is generally said to have extended to 1917. However, there were also massacres of Armenians in 1894, 1895, 1896, 1909, and a reprise between 1920 and 1923."
He added, "The University of Minnesota’s Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies has compiled figures by province and district that show there were 2,133,190 Armenians in the empire in 1914 and only about 387,800 by 1922. "

I know about the atrociousness of Nazi Adolf Hitler to the six million Jews in concentration camp but this is my first time to know about the Armenian Genocide. It took Kalligraphia 13 to educate me  what genocide means.

Ellen Writes: These five haikus are based on my family history(mother and father) of which the crime of the Armenian  Genocide  during the waning years of the Ottoman Empire(1915-1923) played a big part. But life goes on as finding the great good in life."

  Family  Haiku

In rush to vacate
one child's red slipper left there
like wound in dirt road.

He refused to move.
We left him in desert waste
a distant black speck.

"What are those strange cries?"
At dawn charred bodies revealed
Inside burning church.

Key to alphabet
took her sixty years to find.
Her letters are blest.

We are your children
who heard the stories and wept.
"Keep moving, seize life!"

Ellen notes on the  mulberry leaves.that show up in the canvas ." Those  words described the little leaves that I drew at the bottom as mulberry trees were abundant in my father's village because they  raised silk worms for the silk industry".

It's sad to note what human beings can do to dehumanize another human being to be in power. Yet the inspiration of Ellen's final haiku is enough for me and you to appreciate life everyday.  "Keep moving seize life." Like Carpe Diem, Seize the Day.

Thanks Ellen for sharing part of your family history.

Where were you when 9/11 happened?

I was in a cafe and heard a voice in the next table ask to the members of his young group, "Where were you when 9/11 happened?" One added, "It seems every generation has its own tragedy like Pearl Harbor."

A pause. A prayer to the 9/11 tragedy. A remembrance.

49'ers David Akers Makes an Enchanting 63 Yard Field Goal

63-Yard Field Goal Kick by 49'ers David Akers Makes NFL Football History And Inspires Me to Risk
and Try - What have I got to Lose.



 I don't  know about you but I love watching football especially the SF 49'ers.

Football season has arrived with the first games opening last week. The most talked  football game was the clash between the Green Bay Packers (15-1) vs SF 49'ers(13-3). Majority of the football analysts and the Las Vegas (5 point favorite) oddsmakers predicted the Greenbay Packers would win since the QB Rogers was the MVP last year and Packers had the most NFL win in 2011. The 49'ers hadn't won in  Greenbay's Lambeau Field since 1990.

I believed the 49'ers  would win last Sunday (9/8/2012). Last time I checked the defense was top-of-the-line.  Defense. Defense. Defense. And Defensive players  were able to hold & block & intercept the QB 12 Aaron Rogers' amazing passes to his receivers. The 49'ers underrated QB Alex Smith #11 outplayed the Greenbay  Packers  QB #12 & MVP.

What really caught my attention was the scene almost at the end of half-time. With 18 seconds left - David Akers chose to kick the 63-yard field goal  and made it.  40-yard-kick is hard, 50-yard-kick is very hard. 63-yard-kick is very very hard.
I was watching tv and believed he was going to make it.  After all  enchantment is believing in doing the impossible. Whooo- whooooo- whooo- he DID make NFL history. David Aker's  reaction says it all.

What an inspiration. To try even with a possible 99% failure rate. So keep trying even if you fall flat to your face and everyone mocks you if you didn't make it. However, there's also a possibility you might make it. Take a risk. What have you got to lose?



..

Kalligraphia 13 Was My Writing Prompts for Summer

Kalligraphia 13 Exhibition Ends   but Still Continuing to Write for Some Pieces



Kalligraphia 13 Comment Station

As in all temporary things, they all come to an end. Kalligraphia 13 exhibition ended in August 26th. Pieces need to be picked up or mailed to owners by September 1.  Classes open again and Kalligraphia 14 will be up again in 2015. Life is a cycle. Something ends and something begins.

This blog was my Summer Writing Prompt Exercises for Creative Non-Fiction. I usually attend a writing conference on Summer. Thought --why not a DIY(do it yourself)  writing workshop and it's free. I wished I'd started writing about pieces  on June 16th  when the exhibition opened.

I didn't actually tell a lot of people I'm writing this blog , it was for my personal challenge only for summer. The challenge was to write something and boom - there it was - why not write about the pieces on Kalligraphia 13.  The challenge was to write on pieces that will trigger or jumpstart me to write NOT which piece has the perfect letter, or the prettiest to look at or is the calligrapher a big name. A trigger to write or the piece induces a writer to write. In the writer's world - a writing prompt .  In any creative writing book or course, there are exercises at the end of a chapter where the teacher or author challenges you to do writing exercises.

A Kalligraphia piece 13 is the lead or the thought-provoking piece  to dare you to write. I came across Roger Angell, a New Yorker  magazine writer who said in an essay on baseball catchers - "Anything is a lead if it catches your attention and leads you on into the piece of writing...[I]t's fun writing a different kind of lead."

This was an educational one for me.  People around the world read my obscure blog even if I only used a basic template (I intend to customize this later). Folks used different kind of browsers (Explorer, Firefox,Safari, Chrome,Opera, NS8, Mobile, Netscape, etc). I only know three. Netscape is still around?
Operating systems(Windows, MacIntosh, Linux, Unix, Iphone, Ipad, etc).

I only expected 10 to 100 people to read my obscure blog. It is read by the thousands from around the world and continents per stats. Which made me conclude if your blog has content, it will be read. I hardly placed anything in my profile. Stats also tell how the entry is made or if somebody is searching for a word or phrase.

Since I work full-time and cannot post during work hours, my only time to post is late at night or early morning. I'll be buying a new computer and been busy backing my files.  For those who gave me permissions to write about their piece- thanks a billion.

Stay tuned - Kalligraphia 13 exhibition is still ongoing in the Fortress of Enchantment

Maria Giudice "You Know It Was Good" Reminds me of Genesis

Maria Giudice Instills Confidence In Me  & Leads Me, Hopefully You  to Believe "You Know  It Was Good"

 


Maria Giudice "You Know It Was Good"

  

I cannot read Maria's text  but I liked her title. It was Maria's title "You Know  It Was Good" that led me to search her piece. It’s black and white but Maria knows it was good. Is her piece some kind of obliteration in which you can only see parts of the letters  or words? Whatever is inside her piece, Maria knows it was good. And for me that's great attitude.

The great inventors, artists, writers, and a lot of great human beings who shared their genius  and wonder  all knew inspite of all the rejections, put downs and exclusion by  the other human beings, they all knew  what they'd created "IT WAS GOOD."

Consider , the inventor Thomas Edison who failed in his experiments 10,000 times but he kept fiddling and trying his experiments because he knew his ideas were good. We're all recipients of his inventions like the electirc bulb.

Consider, Dr. Seuss who is now a popular children's author. You'd think he was published immediately. Depending on who you read, he received from 15 to 128 rejections before his books were published.  But Dr. Suess kept on writing because he knew whatever he was writing "it was good".

I was watching one time Larry King interviewing Paul Harvey who was celebrating his 65th years as a radio host. King asked him if he regretted something he had said on the radio in his 65 years career. Paul Harvey recounted something like this "In the 1950's I was the most popular radio personality. Singers and songs get to be a bigtime hit if radios promote the singers and their songs. So I was asked about my opinion of this new singer. " After listening to this singer, Paul Harvey said , "This young man WILL NEVER GO ANYWHERE!".  Paul Harvey said, "I wish I'd never said that  and could take my words back."  Guess who that young man was. Paul Harvey said, "That young man was ELVIS PRESLEY."  Elvis Presley was also fired after his first performance in Grand Ole Pry and was told to go back being a truck driver. But somewhere in Elvis Presley  soul said his voice 'was good enough."

 Emily Dickinson was not known during her lifetime for her poetry. She sent in a few poems to an  editor to check if her poems 'breathe'. The editor who didn't know new forms told her they were not good enough for publication. Emily kept on  wriiting her poems and binded them together in packets.  She knew inside her soul "They were good." Her poems were published after her death.  In the Lannan biography of Dickinson , the narrator said, "I'm so glad she didn't publish  her poems during her lifetime. There was no editor or critic to tell her what she can or cannot do. Her poems would be revised and edited and her great originality would have been lost."

The prestigious gallery Salon didn't want to give the  Impressionist painters any time slot or spot in the Salon's schedule in Paris . Did they say no way, our art will never get anywhere?   The Impressionists who imagined  a  new form of painting at the early days of their art formed and sponsored their own exhibition show. They knew Impressionism was good as history now tells.

Chicken Soup for the Soul (Jack Canfield and Mark Hansen) an international bestselling book series  with millions of copies sold were rejected 140 times because publishers believed nobody would  want to read an ordinary topic about chicken soup.  But authors knew that chicken soup is good not only for your health but also for the soul.

 In Genesis , God speaks , "Let there be Light....And it was good."   Now this gives me an idea about creation.

When I start creating on a canvas , I would say, "Let there be a painting ... And it was good."

"Let there be a calligraphy piece on page ...And it was good."
"Let there be a design on paper ...And it was good."

When facing blank leger lines , "Let there be a song composition...And it was good."

When I  staring at a blank page - "Let there be a poem, .... And it was good."
"Let there be a story...And it was good."

I will still face failures, exclusion and putdowns.  Those creations will still need  revisions or rewriting but instead of asking  "Is this good enough?" I will say, "I know it is good, was good, it will be good."

 Maria Giudice "You Know  It was Good" piece  helps me be confident. Thank you Maria.  Cheers-- I know your piece is good. Just today, I was posting this writing and I  checked if I can link Maria to any website. Yes, I found out she is a creative designer with her own website.

Brian Huynh Offers Halsted’s Love Letter to San Francisco

Brian Huynh "Not My  Heart" Contradicts  Tony Bennet "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"  in a Sentimental but Delightful Way about the City



Brian Huyhn "Not  My Heart"



San Francisco is the host for Kalligraphia 13. The San Francisco Public Library managed by the city is the venue for the exhibition. Yet only one calligrapher bothered to pay homage to San Francisco. Most viewers look for pieces of star calligraphers or which piece is cute or which one has perfect letter.  Not me- I look for content, heart, originality and strangeness. Whimsy, passionate - a piece that has a narrative, tells a story .

Brian Huynh has a piece on Halsted’s “Not My Heart” addressing a  letter to the City of San Francisco . It contradicts “Tony Bennet's crooning of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco”. Halsted writes she didn’t leave her heart in San Francisco

  

Yet if the San Francisco Mayor were to give an award to an exhibit piece for offering a heart-wrenching note  to San Francisco, it is Brian Hyunh’s “Not my heart”.

Brian Huynh writes  a  story  about “ Not My Heart”-- “Halsted, a Library Tech Assistant at the San Francisco Public Libray moved to Scotland. Here are thoughts on the City.”   The city refers to San Francisco

San Francisco

by Halsted

San Francisco

You taught me what it meant  to expect beauty

down every alleyway,

to believe in magic

because living without it is dying a little each day.

I left something with you

But not my heart

You gave me my heart.

It’s The San Francisco Spirit –  a loving ode to San Francisco, Brian & Halsted are winners.

Dough Jones Makes Us Aware of Homelessness

Dough Jones " Homeless Man #2 " Appeals Artistically While Provoking  A Social Issue




Dough Jones "Homeless Man #2" is at the wall near the door



Dough tells us a story "While waiting on the sidewalk in front of a restaurant, a homeless man began speaking  As I listened to him, he said some things that were very profound. Quickly, I wrote down some of his quotes. This paper sculpture is base on one of the statements he made."

One of the main attractions of this exhibit is Doug Jones "Homeless Man #2". It's big, it's near the door and his sculpture and his brush writing are visually appealing. Additionally ,  the content  is profound &  laced with spiritual and psychological meanings . Dough's piece can become a poster to awaken people's sensibilities on homelessness.


Detailed look at Homeless Man Quote

 Dough also shows us how an artist can create art by observing your surroundings and  even people who are often  overlooked by society can offer deep insights on life.  He is also thoughtful by suggesting that he has a photograph of his piece without the glass on (no glare in the photo). I think the glare adds a spiritual sparkle in the homeless man quote. Don't you think?

I told him it's ok to have a  glare on the photo since this gives evidence that his piece is really on EXHIBITION.

After all blogs are supposed to be opinions of a blogger who presents real-life situation.