Flourish Forum
General Categories => Tools & Supplies => Topic started by: JanisTX on July 27, 2021, 05:16:29 PM
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Is anyone going to IAMPETH in Omaha next week? Do you want to meet up? I'll be in a mask and I am fully vaccinated!
Janis
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I so wish I was going! I hope you have a fantastic time! Post pics! ;D
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I will post pics! I was hoping that you & Jean would be there!
Janis
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I will post pics! I was hoping that you & Jean would be there!
Janis
@JanisTX
They said they will post the entries for the 2022 IAMPETH convention logo. If they post these on a large board or wall, I'd love to see a photo of them.
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Jean was planning on going -- but ended up in the ICU with subdural hematoma.
Cause: my usual low blood pressure took a dip as I was making my morning coffee.
My husband heard the thud and then heard me calling for help -- I didn't even spill my coffee --
I must have blanked out for a moment - and slid to the floor, bonking my head on the countertop as I slid into a sitting position.
But at 69 -- the brain has shrunk a bit -- and allowed enough space for some bleeding (subdural hematoma)
Best news of all -- I did not have to have surgery. It's probably too early to predict if I can expect 100% recovery -- but so far things look stable and nothing new and scary has happened.
I had not planned on sharing this information - until I started reading about how often people over 60 fall - and ignore a *bonk* on the head --
I never felt that bad -- but thankfully my husband took me to the ER -
If you are over 60 and you hit your head -- get it checked out --
And if you are on blood thinners -- you absolutely need to go.
If you have kids -- be vigilant with helmets.
I know how to be a patient patient -- but I can see how a kid or a teenager would be a very difficult person to try to nurse back to health.
If you live alone - you might want to consider a service that will check on you once a day.
https://www.snugsafe.com
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Oh Jean,
I am so so sorry to hear this! :'( I do hope you are taking it easy and resting. Thank you for mentioning that app as my mom lives alone and I am going to encourage her to use it.
Sending you love and healing,
Erica
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Sorry to hear this Jean! Wishing you a full recovery!
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Thank you, Starlee.
At 3 weeks out -- there have been baby steps at a snail's pace.
Full recovery is subjective -- will I get back to where I was on July 24th?
At that time, I was already in a decline with minor sleeping issues and minor memory issues --
I'm 69, so I'm already adapting to the normal issues of aging.
There is no way to tell if the brain injury is hastening them.
Or maybe bonking my head knocked some sense into me and I will manage my 70s and 80s with a better attitude about aging.
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The convention was VERY small, compared to most years. I saw/met very few international students. I asked to see the submissions for the 2021 logo & was told that they would bring them out, but they never did. The classes that I took were very, very good. Wonderful instructors & great (small) class sizes. Omaha is a nice town, but I don't know that I ever want to go there again. After I got home, I received a notice that someone at the convention reported getting Covid-19 after going back home. :( I've been just fine, so I wasn't affected. I told several newbies about the Forum & I hope that they will join!
Janis
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I just listed to The Calligraphy podcast's episode where they played clips from the 2019 conference. It all sounded so exciting! I read about the classes that were held in Omaha and they all sounded incredible!
How newbie friendly is the conference, typically? I'm seriously considering going to Atlanta next year. I'd hate to go and feel like I was over my head and then get discouraged.
-Clover
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Hi @Clover IAMPETH is VERY newbie friendly! So many great classes and a huge range of experience. Many new to calligraphy. Atlanta should be great! Join us! ;D
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I asked to see the submissions for the 2021 logo & was told that they would bring them out, but they never did.
Janis
Hi @JanisTX .
Do you happen to remember who you asked about the logo submissions? I'll ask that person directly about them. If not, I'll email IAMPETH generally.
Glad you had a good time and came back safe.
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They post them at next year’s conference.
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I asked to see the submissions for the 2021 logo & was told that they would bring them out, but they never did.
Janis
Hi @JanisTX .
Do you happen to remember who you asked about the logo submissions? I'll ask that person directly about them. If not, I'll email IAMPETH generally.
Glad you had a good time and came back safe.
I asked Mr. MacAfee
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So @JanisTX Janis, how was IAMPETH? Did you learn lots? What classes did you take? Meet lots of folks? We want all the tea. ;D
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@Erica McPhee I came away pretty "down". - I get to thinking that I am a pretty good calligrapher & then I go to IAMPETH and am reminded that I don't know diddly-squat and am just a hack. I live in a very rural part of the State of Texas & I have no local guild, so getting any real instruction is challenging. (OK, it's 2021. Is there any "real" instruction that's not online even going on anywhere??) I guess everyone needs a wake-up call like that from time-to-time. My instructors were brilliant. This year, instead of having lots of half-day classes, everything was full-day. I guess to limit exposure of teachers and students?? Harvest Crittendon told me that my Copperplate is "excellent", but since I was trying to do Spencerian script, that's not much of a compliment. ;D It was well worth my time/expense/week out of my office. Next year is in HotLanta, so I'm probably going to skip. (Who voluntarily goes to Atlanta in July or August??) I can't remember where it's going to be in 2023, but I remember thinking that it was somewhere that I would be interested in going. So, I did OK and learned a ton, but I was humbled.
In the spring & early summer, I was slammed with work. - Wedding invitations (pent-up demand from no weddings in 2020), baby showers, 50th anniversary celebrations, etc. That has now all dried up, due to the increased rate of new Covid-19 infections. It was fun while it lasted! ;D I'll be glad when we are past all of this!
Janis
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I have a feeling if I ever get to IAMPETH I will feel the same way. I am also from a rural area and am in the same boat. I have taken a few classes online, but am sure it can’t compare to in-person learning. I am just a hobbyist, but I don’t even know anybody else that enjoys calligraphy. Hopefully one of these years I will get make it to the conference!
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So @JanisTX Janis, how was IAMPETH? Did you learn lots? What classes did you take? Meet lots of folks? We want all the tea. ;D
We NEEEEEED the details! ;D
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@Aries M: The conference was Monday - Saturday noon. There was one class a day Monday - Friday (you could pick which class you wanted from 3 or 4 choices) & a class for 1/2 a day on Saturday. Some of the classes during the week were what I call "drawing" classes, where you learned how to illuminate documents that you have calligraphed with flowers, vines & etc. I don't have an artistic bone in my body & I will leave all of those classes to @schin & @Erica McPhee ! I have very basic Italic and Uncial, and I am not very interested in broad-edged calligraphy. So, I tend to gravitate to the pointed pen classes. The half-day class on Saturday was very well instructed, but should have been a full day, if not 2 days. It was on a low-cost graphic design software, the name of which presently escapes me. But, I will check my iPad & post the name tomorrow. It is a one-time fee program which is a much cheaper alternative than Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. The problem that I had with the class was that the instructor threw a semester's worth of instruction at us in 3 hours. It was very well organized and clearly stated, but we flew through it so fast that no one could actually keep up or learn anything. I plan on revisiting it soon, so that maybe I can actually learn the program. Overall, it was a very, very good conference & I am glad that I went, even though I came away humbled. If you can get yourself to a conference, you need to do it!
One of my very best classes was on flourishing. I am a newbie at flourishing & this was my second class with Suzanne Cunningham, who is a master at flourishing. I came away from the class much more confident in my flourishing skills.
With regards to meeting people, everyone was trying to social distance, so you generally only met the people who were sitting around you. You could invite those sitting around you to go to lunch or dinner & generally your invitation was accepted, so that you didn't have to sit/eat alone. The "experts" (master penmen) are generally very friendly & caring & will help you with a specific problem. But, even they were in short supply at this conference, due to the pandemic. Normally, you see them around all week, but this year they generally came to teach for their one day & then left. I can't say that I blame them. We are in the midst of a pandemic, as we all know.
There is an annual business meeting held on one of the nights & it is world-class boring. There is a night where people can sell things that they have made (pens, nibs, t-shirts, paper, aprons, hand-thrown pottery, & etc.) & that is very interesting. All-in-all it is always a good experience and I do recommend attending, if you can!
Janis
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I completely understand that feeling. Even after [gulp] 40 years of doing calligraphy, I still get that feeling. Comparison is the thief of joy. I wonder if you could find an instructor who would do critique for you so you could do more serious study on your own. I know online learning is difficult for some, but I like it because I can slow the video down and rewatch (which I do over and over).
Perhaps make a commitment to yourself to study and practice so many hours a week. About four years ago, I retaught myself Engrosser’s Script which wasn’t easy but had such a great outcome on my hand. It was worth every bit of time and effort.
I find I do my worst work at workshops and conferences. And so it adds to the anxiety or feelings of inadequacies I feel while there. I have tried to go into them now with just the idea to meet and talk with other calligraphers, watch for the details of how the teachers work. Analyze why I like something over something else, etc. Then after the conference, I go home and get to work trying to implement everything I took in.
Remember that study is just as important as practice. And that comes from within. :-*
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There is an annual business meeting held on one of the nights & it is world-class boring.
Janis
;D I just spit my tea out! LOLOLOLOL! Agree!
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@Erica McPhee I forgot to mention that there is always a cocktail party on Monday night. The first time that I went, I took a little black dress & fit right in. This year, everyone just wore what they had on in class. - T-shirts & jeans & shorts, etc. If I had worn a cocktail dress, I would've stuck out like a sore thumb. Not sure if that is some cultural shift or just because of Covid-19.
I also forgot to mention that are classes on Sunday for newbies. You sign up separately for that. I was pretty far along with Copperplate when I went to my first convention, so I didn't bother with the newbie classes and can't tell you how those classes go.
Everyone of the "friends" that you make in class will ask you what class you're taking tomorrow & you then agree to save them a set and if you get there first, and they'll agree to save a seat for you if they get there first.
Two years ago, they had hall monitors who stood at the door of the classroom and checked your notebook that has your schedule on it, to very that you are registered for that class. There were people right & left who tried to sneak in to Susanne Cunningham's flourish class and when they got turned away they burst into tears. They generally only do that to classes that are in high demand & that registration closed before they registered for the conference.
Finally, I forgot to mention that there is a big banquet on Saturday night. I've never been to it because I am tired and want to go home and maybe get 1 day of rest before going back to work on Monday!
Janis