SUSAN LOY INTRODUCES NEW ART PRINTS

Seven years ago I read a passage in Thoreau's journal that made me want to paint birds. With a mind to paint them, I studied birds for five years before creating my first three bird prints. Last fall when I decided to letter the popular weddingquote, "The Apache Blessing", I knew right away that I would use bird feathers to illustrate the "shelter" mentioned in the poem. I welcomed the opportunity to further my bird study. My research told me that Orioles were revered by the Apache. I learned that the orange color in Oriole feathers comes from a type of pigment called carotenoid and that the white at the tip of the feather is where pigment has worn away. There are many types of bird feathers, but most are either flight or contour feathers. Contour feathers provide warmth and shelter. I loved drawing these beautiful black and orange contour feathers.

The old maple tree outside my studio window has been host to many birds, and though it is slowly dying, it only improves in hospitality. I would mourn its passing were it not for the maple sapling growing beside it, teenage pin oaks, anda crepe myrtle tree that already provide incredible beauty and delicious shade.

Speaking of breath-taking, lily of the valley grow at the base of the crepe myrtle tree. I painted the flowers for my new print, "Lily of the Valley" last May when they were blooming. It's winter now, so I await the return in spring of their sweetly-scented white flowers.

I have painted lily of the valley many times. When I was a girl visiting my grandmother, who owned a snow cone and waffle stand in an Ohio amusement park, I would follow the creek outside the park to where lilies of the valley bloomed in huge drifts. The drift outside my studio is much smaller but still reminds me of those happy days.

LOWER SHIPPING RATES FOR SMALL ORDERS

We have revised our shipping charges so that you can purchase up to $36 at the lowest rate. This means that ordering notecards and other stationery items will be cheaper. See the new shipping rates at our FAQ

ON THE ROAD

Aiming the halogen lighting is the last step in getting ready for one of our many shows and exhibits during the year. In the early days, 20 years ago, we had five or six images which were all the same size, and we offered only two frame styles. Getting ready for a show consisted of framing twenty-eight paintings and loading them into the little Toyota pick up truck along with the simple display made out of lumber, chicken wire, and burlap. Now our plans begin weeks before a show when Susan and I discuss the "pick sheet" for the show. We currently have sixty images, twenty frame styles, and fifteen types of cards! The burlap display has been replaced with fabric-covered panels, color-coordinated carpeting, and halogen lighting. It gets complicated, but we love it. We've laid out an exciting new show schedule for 2006!

View the Literary Calligraphy... Show Schedule

We're looking forward to visiting with you at our established shows and some exciting new venues. Susan is already looking for pet-friendly lodgings up and down the East Coast and everywhere in between! Our little Bichons Frises, Billy and Chloe, like their comforts on the road. Hope to see you soon during our travels!

OUR NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN: SUPPORT AMERICAN ARTS & CRAFTS

For the past 20 years, we have provided the best customer service in our industry -- first with an 800 number, first with email, first with a complete web site, etc. This commitment and our busy show schedule cause many to believe that we are some big company. Wrong. We are just a small group dedicated to giving you the type of customer service offered by our favorite large retailers.

To address this misperception, we are now including the following explanation in our printed literature and web site:

"Susan Loy, her husband Ron Ayers, and some 'righteous women’ have worked with pride to deliver this Literary Calligraphy art work to you. It all begins in rural Bedford County, Virginia in Susan's studio, which occupies the second floor of the 1918-era farm house she shares with her husband and various cats and dogs. Each painting may take months to complete. The shop and offices are in another building next door and are surrounded by rolling pastures, forests, and gardens. Susan's original watercolors have been printed in Bedford County by Bison Printing for more than twenty years. Whether you support Literary Calligraphy at your local art or craft festival or by ordering on the toll free phone number or web site, thank you for supporting a genuine American small business and American arts and crafts."

LITERARY CALLIGRAPHY BY SUSAN LOY
5326 White House Road, Moneta VA 24121
E-mail: susanloy@literarycalligraphy.com