Barbara Buckles, inveterate dabbler here.

Writing, photography, book arts, painting, collage, encaustic, mixed media….you name it, and chances are I’ve dabbled in it. Most recently I’ve been taking my script — my gestures — to new heights. Using my strokes as the basis for my artwork has pretty much vanquished that empty feeling I used to get when facing a blank canvas or page. If nothing else, I dip a pen or pick up a pencil and just start writing, making marks, letting my mood set the tone. 

Sometimes I opt for a lyric, sometimes I focus on a word or phrase that expresses how I'm feeling, sometimes I use "asemic" or filler text. And yep, sometimes I cuss like a sailor. Whatever I write, it's very often illegible, not meant to be read, although something might appear subliminally.

Now I make my own pens and tools, cobbled together with tape and spit. They’re imperfect…which makes them perfect for spontaneity and expression.

"may i be i is the only prayer" (e.e. cummings)

HANDWRITING MANIFESTO: Eight good reasons to recognize and extend the role of handwriting in the set of literacy skills that all citizens need to function in the modern world. (Please click here to read and sign.)