Who Needs Words, When Brushtrokes Will Do!

As an art teacher, I have taught calligraphy for years. I enjoy the precision of calligraphy and the beauty of letters, but what I really enjoy is the flow of letters across a page. When looking at old illuminated manuscripts, often the meaning of the words remains a mystery, but I do enjoy the beautiful marks and density of the composition. I am not sure who said it, but I heard a good quote the other day. “Calligraphy,” it said, “is the art of deliberate hieroglyphic corruption and transformation in order to reach natural harmony.” That harmony is evident in an old manuscript even when the meaning of the words elude us. There is an abstract meaning to be found amongst the marks, spaces, and illuminations. The eye discovers this beauty as well as a deep knowledge that goes far beyond mere diction. I find that enticing.

I am, however, a watercolor artist far more than a calligrapher. With my brush, I can make swirling clouds or plunging mountains. A quick flourish brings reflections in water and rainy cityscapes. When you have been painting for a while, your brush moves of its own accord. It slips from the paper to the palette and back again with hardly a thought, and before your eyes, the painting erupts into a living thing. I am no great calligrapher, but I am a watercolor artist.

And so it was that I came upon an idea. At first, it was just a germ swirling in my brain, and I must admit it seemed a bit ridiculous, but eventually, I decided I needed to go forward with it. I had to give it a shot. My idea, you see, was to paint a book using abstract mark-making as my letters. I wanted to establish the same sense of dense rhythms hinting at ancient wisdom, just beyond the reach of knowing. It was to be a series of watercolor paintings constructed one mark at a time, marrying my love of calligraphy with my facility in watercolor. And so, I began.

I started with a small sketchbook, making abstract images with dashes of color. Using a small brush and going across the page, just like writing, the book began to fill with colors and shapes. It seemed important for the page on the left to reference the page on the right and occasionally take over both pages. That little sketchbook, once complete, launched a much longer journey, taking up the better part of the last three years and continuing to this day.

The paintings have become larger and more elaborate, but the technique has stayed the same. One brushstroke at a time, establishing harmony with breaks between lines, crossed out areas, and a variety of color schemes. Sometimes the pages seem dark and brooding, sometimes light and charming. They can even take on the feeling of sheet music. There is wisdom in these paintings. The knowledge of the universe is hidden in them. And, someday, maybe I will even manage to decipher some of it.

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