The Victorian Pen

Sweet Characters for Spring launches this week . Our subject will be bears, bunnies and foxes. So much work went into this class and I can't wait to share it with you. Registration info is online: https://www.thegentlepenman.com/sweet-character-flourishes Check your time zone! I will live online this Friday evening for session one.

A special study day is on the way! The March Hare is a new online presentation and study experience. It will be presented on March 16th for a very limited number of students. All info is on my website if you want to read more about it.https://heathervictoriaheld.com/product/the-march-hare/ You can also read more on my February blog post about other upcoming study opportunities.https://inkflourishes.blogspot.com
The special focus of the March Hare will be exploring the subtleties of painting white fur.

Merry Christmas friends!!! Sending hugs all around!

Finally finished this Illuminated letter between deadlines. Always a joy to work with gold! Happy Sunday dear friends!

https://youtu.be/4nd-BR6kuYU?si=RgO22vXDhHoqxMfm
Thank you to all my dear students who have studied with me this year. May you Flourish dear friends. No matter how busy this season becomes, I hope you find peace and joy as you put pen to paper. Sending hugs all around.

Freeform Snowflake 2023 Pointed pen offhand flourished festive snowflake.🎄Merry Christmas🎄 the Christmas Tree (Instrumental) by...

October owls class launches tonight . Some flourishing joy for the autumn season!

October Owls!!! A new class for . This will be a single session class and I have it overflowing with whimsical owl flourishes. Registration info is in my bio. So grateful for this opportunity to teach. May you Flourish dear friends!

The glorious glow of autumn! Fall themes are on my mind as I play with some g idling, flourishing and watercolour pencils! I have tons in store for you at Fall Flourishing Club. We are building a creative community of pointed pen artists there. I am always in awe of the joy and peace and inspiration that comes through offhand flourishing. Registration info is in my bio. If you are new to Ardington, you are in for a treat. They offer many different courses and they are hosted with excellence. Happy flourishing dear friends!

Registration is now open for October Owls . This is a single session class and an an absolute delight to explore. Registration link@is on my bio if you would like to join this flourishing class.

Check your time zone! I am so excited to teach The Victorian Pen workshop for ! I will@be live online via Zoom this Friday night @ 8:00 pm EDT which is 8:00 AM Saturday morning Hong Kong time. I can’t wait to share the beauty of Victorian pen flourishes with you! Registration link is in my bio or you can email me with any questions! See you soon!

Looking ahead to November? A special Festive Squirrel edition of The Enchanted Meadow will be presented . This class will be kept small. We explore the beautiful miniature painting technique inspired by Beatrix Potter. I will demonstrate how to draw these sweet squirrel designs in class one and we will illuminate them in class two. If you are nervous about drawing your own design I will show you how to use the guides in the handouts so you can concentrate on painting. This is a skill set building class that includes gilding. If you have any questions at all please contact me. Registration link is in bio. You may end up with a design that you can use for your Christmas card! painting

Looking ahead to September! Just two spaces left for Flourishing Finesse online. These classes are kept very small so I can interact with you. If you are knew to offhand flourishing or need a refresher, this online class is meant to refine your skills and give you a firm flourishing foundation. Registration link is in bio. Flourish can bring you so much joy and you can build on those skills for years to come. Thank you Gemma for hosting!

If you want to indulge in gentle Victorian Line and wash techniques, I will be teaching The Victorian Pen in August for online. This is the first time I have taught this class since 2019. Putting finishing touches on the updated course notes now I am excited to share these techniques with you! The line and wash technique has been my most versatile colour technique for flourishing. Thank you Gary and Eugene for hosting!!

Line Dances!!!!! So happy to be teaching my first in person class since 2019 at . Feeling so many emotions. Sending hugs to you all and I wii share some photos! Love you all so much whether we have met in person or through online classes! May you Flourish!

At the Healey Collection in Scranton. Rose details from Daniel T Ames. What a delight to see the original up close again!

Gilded Heart flourish. Sending love as I put the finishing touches on my Victorian Pen class for August . The flourish was coloured with watercolour and gilded with 23k gold leaf. I was pensive as I created this piece as I am preparing to leave for in Scranton this weekend. This will be my first in person class since November of 2019. So grateful to the calligraphy community and friends I have met online these past few years. You are so close to my heart.

Just completed the Fox initial l! This was part of a demo for Group 2 if the Flights of Fancy masterclass . It was such a joy to work longer term with these students. I learned so much as I accompanied them. Never stop learning! Happy Sunday dear friends!

Indulging my inner Victorian! This signature style of line and wash technique will be part of my Victorian Pen class for in August. Although I love the beauty of traditional offhand flourishing, the subtle use of colour and gentle floral inclusions will create a very delicate composition. The flourishes are part of my soul and bring me so much joy and peace. I can’t wait to share this class. Registration link is in my bio. Have a beautiful Friday dear friends! May you Flourish!

A very special hand painted pen. These pens are labours of love for and myself. They are still a joy to create after all these years.

A new class is on the way! We will study the Wonder of Walter Crane. It is such an honour to team up with Martin Beek for another collaborative class. Martin will deliver an enlightening lecture about the art and life of Walter Crane. I will demonstrate his unique decorative letters. Walter Crane was passionate about using foliated and decorative letters in his books and art designs. We will take a look at his linear foliate extensions and how he combines then with his drawn letters. I am so excited to present this class in November. Registration link is in my bio. If you are new to Walter Crane, there is a treasure trove of inspiration waiting for you.

Work in progress. Beginning the final Illuminated page for my Flights of Fancy Masterclass. This week will wrap up our study program hosted by . The whole process is bitter, sweet as it’s been such a wonderful journey with both groups of students. It has been such an honour to spend half a year with these amazing artists. I hope this is just the beginning of new adventures for them! I will keep you posted about further opportunities with this course of study! Happy Tuesday dear friends!

Hope your day is beautiful! Preparing notes for The Victorian Pen class in August . So many of my Victorian influences featured blue ribbons. I played with A.Gallo watercolours for this little ribbon and bird flourish. I added touches of 23k gold leaf and shell gold for the “full Victorian “ effect. There is so much joy to be found in simple flourishes! Registration info is in my bio if you want to explore these delicate flourishes. Happy Wednesday dear friends!

Abundant blooms! This is one of my early Victorian Pen images. I was developing my pointed pen etching techniques which has continued to evolve over the years. One of my favourite pares to use is Strathmore 400 series drawing paper. It has a warm ivory colour and takes the ink beautifully. The Victorian Pen workshop will be presented this coming August . I last taught this course prior to the pandemic in late 2019. I am enjoying working on the handouts and new artwork for this class that is so close to my heart. Registration info is in my bio.

This was one of my original designs when I launched The Victorian Pen class so many years ago. The class was created to combine true offhand flourishing with delicately illustrated details. The best of both worlds as you can retain the heart and purpose of true offhand flourishing while utilizing some pencil planning. I will be working on new course notes for the next two months as I prepare for this class in August . The sheer joy of being able to indulge my inner Victorian. Registration link is in my bio. Once again I am so grateful to Gary and Eugene for hosting this class! Happy June 1st dear friends!

The wrap up class of Victorian Frames and Labels . What a joy to indulge my inner Victorian! Thank you for joining this class! I love sharing these vintage techniques!

Preparing for class two of The Peacock Edition of The Alphabet Garden . I will be live online this Friday night my time with an array of ideas for painting these luminous designs. I am so excited for this class!

With each day and each project, keep that sense of wonder. Hoping my students and are enjoying their practice time. Have a beautiful Tuesday!

A flourish a day! I get so much joy from bringing a flourish to life! It only takes a few minutes to create a true offhand flourish! It enhances my ability to focus and creates a sense of peace and well being. Sending hugs all around this beautiful Monday morning. May you Flourish!

Thank you for hosting The Poetic Pen. What a joy to share this hand! Hope you all continue to practice and grow!

My desk is brimming with material to share for The Alphabet Garden Peacock edition. I will be live online tonight . Check your time zone if you are joining me live for this class. Tonight will be all about the letter design and the illustration technique for the peacock. Looking forward to the class! I will break things down into simple steps!