I refrain from injecting personal commentary in most any of the Pics of the Week. However, this week I feel compelled to. In my four decades of traveling and teaching year-long courses families have, without exception, generously extended their hospitality and made me feel more than welcome in their households.|

But there is one family where my heart will always abide as a child,cared for into Christmas morning. If anyone ever met Sandy with her squeaky little cartoon voice it was so easy to be dismissive and totally miss the overwhelming kindness of soul that stood before you.  Diminutive in stature, but engulfed in her gentleness, it was not easy to be anything but be disarmed in her presence. We lost her a couple of months ago. And this world lost an angel.

This was a family.  Her husband Michael was more than just supportive. He truly loved her. All around the family he welcomed students from other countries to join them on weekends for barbecues in their backyard. The only language they had to speak was soccer. And they made music and sang in the backyard next to the organic garden late into the nights.

And Emily, her daughter. In all my life i've never met a better young person. Her quiet intelligence, her self-effacing humor, and the depths of her humanity led her to volunteer for service in Africa in a small village for over a year. Now, from out of her own kitchen for the past several years she has created a business out of love that you can taste: “Ohio Pies”. Not just the best pies in the state or country but the world.

This is the family, this is the world, this is the creativity that Sandy changed this world so quietly and gently through her art and teaching. This month’s Pic of the Week is an understated offering of that soul. We will truly miss her smile and healing presence.
 
This work was done by Sandy Mundy in Columbus Ohio for “Variations on Romans”

The Alphabet

Materials - Arches 90 lb. Hot Press, approximately 18" x 24"

Nu-pastel color sticks, Aquarelle color pencils, gouache, a monoline pen, broad edge (Speedball & Mitchell) nibs and pointed pen.

"Variations on Romans"
To determine the various size of the letters, I first drew the large letter A. Added the pencil caps, traced them with a mono-line marker. The plain caps were added and retouched. 

The remaining letters were completed in gouache.

I found the original layout paper; it appears the letters were enlarged or reduced - using the copier as a tool. All decisions made, I then lined the Arches. The script capitals were written last.  Looks like I added the 'toothbrush speckling' at the end too.

This piece was created after my first year long class with Reggie.