FLORA & FRANCIS Tue AM WNTR-SPNG '24 - Feb 13-May 28

🕊FLORA & FRANCIS

A Calligraphic Journey: Growing Letters, Florals, and Birds

Wntr-Spng 2024 |Tue AM | 16 wks | 11-1:30PM Eastern US time :::: Feb 13-May 28 | FLORA is a prerequisite for this course

❤️❤️ Early Bird 20% discount until Feb 14. ❤️❤️

Welcome to FLORA & FRANCIS with Anne-Davnes Elser! Learn to GROW letters with watercolor pencils, interacting with the natural world in a very direct, visceral way.

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This is a LIVE class, then uploaded to a class folder on my Dropbox site each of our 16 weeks of class time together. If you ever have to miss a class, you can always check back later to watch what you missed and practice at your own pace. I really enjoy the live format, and meeting so many people all over the world each week in my home. Live classes allow the student to interact with me and each other for specific feedback.

IMPORTANT: When you purchase a ticket, Eventbrite will send you an order confirmation email with your ticket. WITHIN that email, scroll down beneath the ticket to see the links to our online classroom, supply list, and Dropbox folder where exemplars and class recordings will be stored for viewing. This will be our virtual classroom for every time we meet. When the link and intro email is sent to you, click the link, which will open a web page in your web browser.

It's easiest to use Google CHROME browser if you're joining the class via your computer. If you're joining via your ipad or phone, you'll download Google's Meet app and join that way. You do not need to have a gmail address.

Please read technical notes way down at the bottom for details about participating in an online class via Google Meet.

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Here's the class schedule:

Class 01 - Feb 13 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 02 - Feb 20 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 03 - Feb 27 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 04 - Mar 05 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 05 - Mar 12 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 06 - Mar 19 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 07 - Mar 26 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 08 - Apr 02 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 09 - Apr 09 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 10 - Apr 16 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 11 - Apr 23 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 12 - Apr 30 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 13 - May 07 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 14 - May 14 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 15 - May 21 Tue 11-1:30 PM

Class 16 - May 28 Tue 11-1:30 PM

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Upon registration you will receive a ticket within welcome email containing:

• PDF link to exemplar packet.

• Link to our Online Classroom.

• Link to Online folders where class recordings are kept.

After each live class, I’ll upload either a full-length recording of my demonstrations during the class OR a 20-minute review of the pages we worked on (and snapshots of those pages) for you to later download at your convenience. This makes it easier for students to keep up with the class if you cannot participate live.

Note: these videos will take a a few hours to appear in the class notes folder, as they are very large and take a long time for them to fully upload onto my Dropbox account.

Want to keep your class recordings FOREVER??

Then you need to DOWNLOAD YOUR OWN COPY within ONE WEEK after our last class. After that week, all files will be put in cold storage. You will not be able to stream them. If for any reason something happens to your copy in the future - simply send me an email and I'll see what I can do for you.

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Welcome to FLORA & FRANCIS with Anne-Davnes Elser! For quite a while, I’ve searched for a form of script writing that is connected with the natural world in a very direct, visceral way. We’ve all seen twig writing, nature letters, log letters, made out of chunky pieces of twigs and wood... and the exemplars will include some examples that I’ve found to be beautiful.

However, there is nothing out there that gives reverence to the logic and history of pointed pen script with its shaded swells and downstrokes and delicate hairline upstrokes. There’s very little that flourishes delicately - that nods to the pointed pen scripts we love: English Roundhand, Copperplate, Spencerian, Cursive, and so much more. We will begin our study of this hand, FLORA & FRANCIS, by comparing a shade to a stem, and how to transition a sketch of the flow of an Open-Shaded Script letter to a living plant with nodes that provide opportunity for new growth.

Minuscules will be studied first, then linked into words, then majuscules. We’ll initially base our florals on the apple, quince, and pear blossoms, and then delve deeper into other florals we feel moved to explore as a collective.

We will also use the provided inspirations from the past to expand our ideas, pushing and stretching our creativity to become our own forest type designers. If you were a tree, what would YOU say and how would you say it? Now THAT’s a great question.

It is one thing to draw a letter and it is an entirely different thing to GROW that letter.

FLORA & FRANCIS offers you that visceral experience - you, as creator, nurturer of the thoughts you want to grow, the healing you wish to cultivate, the burdens you wish to release... all of these things come from time spent in the natural world. Did you notice how quickly the process of my describing the logic of this class turned to the ethereal plane? THAT is what happens when you grow a letter. *POOF* Pen, pencil, brush in hand, you are already in relationship with the natural world - seen and unseen.

You were made to speak and listen to the other side. We all are. We are channels and our paper is proof of our connection to that Great Source of Love. Our guides, our loved ones who have passed, the ascended masters, our higher selves, angels.... so much benevolence is right here. Call that magic what you like and adapt the spiritual aspect of this course in a way that feels good to you.

WHY does this class have a new element of spirituality? Well, that’s a great question. After covid, and amidst all the drama and change our world is experiencing, I feel called to ground deeper to my true purpose. And I just want to feel better.

Every few years I go through an intense period of growth and birth a new course. This time I had a lovely Dark Night of the Soul, my father passed, I got married, moved, rode the waves of covid and then started digging for answers. F&F is the real me. Spiritual, loving, humorous, and empathic as fuck. OK - I’m a bit naughty, too. I do what I can to stay balanced.

Sooooo, I started meditating and a portal opened. All my senses came alive and I connected to the other side. I was raised in the Episcopal Church long ago, so spirituality and the love of God was deeply familiar to me, but I really didn’t fully awaken until now. I hold what the church gave me as an introduction to a space now that has broadened to include the universe and other faiths and curiosities. I have more questions and love now than I do answers.

During our16 weeks together in this magical journey, I’ll be sharing the techniques I’ve used to call in assistance and deeper connection with the other side with you, and how I opened my clair senses - and we’ll interweave that into the learning of our new hand, F&F. It is going to be magical. I have so many stories to tell you. My wish is that you will walk away with new skills of your own (not just with your pencil) and that we as a group will send out healing vibrations the world needs, just by being with each other.

We will also spend enough time in class to meditate, get centered, and share the results we have with each other about our inner journeys. Those conversations will be ALIVE and have great effect on how it shapes our time together. Our classes will be recorded for us, and ONLY for us - never sold as a pre-recorded course.

Every morsel of this course has been divinely guided. It took me a year to make sense of it. I am so happy you’ll be a part of it, too.

But wait, there’s more! WHY, you ask, is this class called FLORA & FRANCIS? I have two sets of vintage china from my grandmother and great grandmother on my mother’s side. I use them daily. Their handles are designed to represent the old wood of the plant that both support and decorate the structure of the cup, saucer, teapot, etc. Franciscan Desert Rose and Franciscan Apple have been in my hands, heart, and mouth for years. I believe it was my grandmother Nonie (Adele Anderson) and my great grandmother Mimi (Dagny Davnes) who suggested I name the class Flora and Francis.

See? Told you magic was afoot.

Annnnnnnd you have one more question: Is this still an art class? YES!!! It is primarily that! I’ve just come out of the closet.

And you have one more: Are we still going to have fun, listen to music and is drinking allowed? You may fill your cup with anything that gives you joy, my friend. For me, sometimes it’s coffee, sometimes, tea, sometimes wine. But mostly, it’s gratitude for your being here.

Welcome all.

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Supply List:

Note that all NEW supplies suggested will be italicized. If you purchase the class, new supplies in the exemplar will be printed in red. Everything else seen below was in the FLORA supply list. John Neal Books (johnnealbooks.com) Paper and Ink Arts (paperinkarts.com) or locally here in Atlanta: Binders Art Supply (bindersart.com) are all great sources for art supplies.

PAPER----------------------------

Get at least one of these and if you’re feeling frisky, all.

Any Hot Press (smooth) watercolor paper will perform very well. Below are brands I’ve used and liked. You’ll want to have at least ten 8.5 x 11 sheets of any of these. If you already have a watercolor paper you love or have, please don’t feel obligated to purchase any of the below.

My fave!• Crane’s Lettra by Crane & Co. Fine Cotton 100% Rag. 32 lb. Writing in Pearl White. This comes in a 250 sheet ream and is WONDERFUL to draw and paint on, also luxurious to fold into envelopes. However, it’s terrible for pointed pen. I buy this from The Paper Mill Store. com or on Amazon.

• Arches BFK Rives White Velin paper 19 x 26 sheets that I cut down to 8.5 x 11 or smaller. I love this paper because it’s thin, soft, and folds easily and isn’t as expensive as watercolor paper. Save the scraps for testing colors. Note that this paper is very unsuitable for pointed pen - so if you want to add pointed pen embellishments to your work, use a hot press watercolor sheet instead.

• Arches or Fabriano Artistico 140 lb Hot Press Watercolor Paper cut down to 8.5 x 11 or smaller.

• Southworth Resume paper. 100% cotton, 32 lb. in white or ivory. This is made by Neenah paper and is sold in reams of 100. Office Supply stores sell it, as well as Walmart and Amazon. Pointed Pen works well on this stock as well as watercolor, etc. Great for envelopes, too.

TOOLS---------------------------

• White eraser

• Sand eraser (Tombow makes a great one)

• Teflon bone folder (Talasonline.com selles these) Use a teflon bone folder to smooth down fibers of your paper if you’ve done a lot of erasing and want to draw/paint on top of your corrected surface.

DAILY PRACTICES--------------

• Dream RecallWhen you first wake up, spend a few moments awake, but with your eyes closed. Be still and at peace. Notice any visuals in your minds eye, any melodies (I call them ear worms!) you recall, or dreams you remember from your night’s rest. These are messages.

• MeditationFind a time of day where you feel most connected to the unseen world. For me - it’s the morning before the sun gets up and my family arises. I sit quietly for at least 5 minutes with my eyes closed and I listen. Then I journal.

• Journal/Automatic writingWrite down your thoughts, dreams remembered, and speak directly with your spirit guides. I have some techniques to share with you and sources of inspiration you can delve into as well. I started reading Michael Sandler’s book AWE to get me started.

• Professional Therapy (I go 2x a month)We will dive deep in this course - as deep as you’d like to go. However, I am not a trained professional therapist. I am an empath, and can feel deeply what you’re feeling and offer comfort and a safe space for you to feel. I am in therapy myself, and find it very helpful to get practical, grounding advice to help untangle my feelings and remain functional and fruitful - using my feelings as a surge to move me towards growth, instead of being crippled by them. A good therapist can help you do that. If you don’t have one - ask Spirit to identify that friend in your circle who can fill in while you wait for your therapist to appear - one you can afford and trust. Meanwhile, stay present in our class and enjoy the fun we have. You are not obligated to participate in every morsel of instruction offered. As my mother says, “chew the meat and spit out the bones.” This class IS a calligraphic art class with a spiritual component.

BOOKS----------------------These books in my library have been extremely helpful in my creative and spiritual journey, and in the creation of this course. They are all suggestions, not requirements for this course. I’ll refer to them in my stories. This is a good place to return to should you wish to purchase your own.

• A blank journal to write down all the cool stuff you’re learning about your self.

• A thesuarus. The cliché (words like hope, faith, trust, love) are a great starting point - but they are icebergs on the surface of the great possibility of more compelling use of meaningful vocabulary. Our calligraphic community deserves dope words, bruh. Let’s dive deep.

• Online thesauruses are FREE!

• Rodale’s Synonym Finder (new or used - any version)

• Thesaurus of the Senses by Linda Hart

• Animal Speak by Ted Andrews

• AWE - The Automatic Writing Experience by Michael Sanders

• Embrace Your Empathy by Kristy Robinett

• Suicide from the Other Side by Susan Rushing

• Cloud Nine - A Dreamer’s Dictionary by S.A. Thompson

• Angel Numbers by Kyle Gray

• Heal Your Body by Louise L. Hay

• Colors & Numbers by Louise L. Hay

• Guardian Angel Messages Tarot by Radleigh Valentine

• Botanical Inspirations Deck & Book set by Lynn AraujoSPIRITUAL INSPIRATION

• https://suzannegiesemann.com/

• https://www.gaia.com/

• https://radleighvalentine.com/

PENCILS-------------------------

Watercolor Pencils: I use 3 brands for different purposes. Please note that you DO NOT HAVE TO BUY ALL OF THESE. If you take a look at the swatch samples I have, you can see some colors that are quite similar. One or the other will do just fine. You can also rely on your watercolor palette to provide and change colors you may not have in the pencil versions.

• Derwent Graphitint Watercolor Pencils: These are soft and creamy neutrals. Get the whole set if you can.

Colors I use most frequently are:

Port (01)

Steel Blue (06)

Aubergine (03)

Ivy (11)

Autumn Brown (17)

Cool Brown (15)

Chestnut (13)

Dark Indigo (04)

Meadow (10)

Other colors nice to have and that come in the complete full set:

Green Grey (09)

Sage (12)

Slate Green (08)

Shadow (05)

Ocean Blue (07)

Steele Blue (06)

Russet (14)

Cocoa (16)

Storm (18)

Mtn. Grey (21)

Cloud Grey (22)

Cool Grey (23)

Juniper (02)

Warm Grey (19)

• Faber-Castell Albrect Durer Watercolor Pencils

These are a harder and waxier pencil that I like because they make crisp, sharp detailed strokes. They keep a finer point and have a really gorgeous selection vivid colors. Refer to the swatches I built so you can choose between colors you find similar. Get the whole set if you can, but below are my recommendations:

Colors I use frequently: (new colors for F&F are in RED in the printed exemplars and italicized here on Eventbrite)

Terra Cotta (186)

Cobalt Green (156)

Earth Green Yellowish (168)

Nougat (178)

Magenta (133)

Green Gold (268)

Indian Red (192)

Caput Mortuum Violet (263)

Light Yellow Ochre (183)

Coral (131)

Chromium Green Opaque (174)

Light Ultramarine (140)

Caput Mortuum (169)

Dark Naples Ochre (184)

Light Magenta (119)

Rose Carmine (124)

Dark Red (225)

Manganese Violet (160)

Burnt Umber (280)

Venetian Red (190)

Deep Scarlet Red (219)

Light Phthalo Blue (145)

Juniper Green (165)

Chrome Oxide Green Fiery (276)

Raw Umber (180)

Pine Green (267)

Phthalo Green (161)

Cream (102)

Dark Cadmium Yellow (108)

Walnut Brown (177)

Blue Violet (137)

Indanthrene Blue (247)

Fuchsia (123)

Madder (142)

Middle Cadmium Red (217)

Deep Red (223)

Light Cadmium Red (117)

Salmon (130)

Ivory (103)

Cadmium Yellow Lemon (205)

Earth Green (172)

Beige Red (132)

Permanent Green Olive (167)

May Green (170)

Olive Green Yellowish (173)

Light Red Violet (135)

Dark Cadmium Orange (115)

Rose Carmine (124)

Coral (131)

• Derwent Inktense Watercolor Pencils

These babies are INTENSE, soft, and V I B R A N T. You don’t HAVE to buy the whole set, but these are colors I’ve enjoyed using. Again - please refer to the swatches I built so you can choose between colors you find similar.

Spring Green (1550)

Felt Green (1530)

Light Olive (1540)

Fern (1560)

Leaf Green (1600)

Ionian Green (1320)

Violet (800)

Mauve (740)

Thistle (720)

Fuchsia (700)

Red Violet (610)

Carmine Pink (520)

Sicilian Yellow (220)

Mustard (1700)

Amber (1710)

Tan (1720)

Willow (1900)

Sienna Gold (240)

Tangerine (300)

Mid Vermillion (310)

Scarlet Pink (320)

Poppy Red (400)

Hot Red (410)

Chili Red (500)

Cherry (510)

Crimson (530)

Shiraz (600)

Deep Rose (710)

Dusky Purple (730)

Deep Violet (760)

Iron Blue (840)

Navy Blue (830)

Dark Aquamarine (1210)

Green Aquamarine (1220)

Teal Green (1300)

Iron Green (1310)

Field Green (1500)

Hooker’s Green (1520)

Oak (1730)

Saddle Brown (1740)

Baked Earth (1800)

Madder Brown (1920)

Neutral Grey (2120)

Ink Black (2200)

PAINT----------------------------

White Ink:

• Titanium white watercolor or gouache. Put a little dab of this in the corners of your mixing palette to create soft buttery light versions of any of your darker more intense colors. Watercolor Pan Set: (NOTE - IF YOU ALREADY HAVE ONE YOU LIKE, FEEL FREE TO USE IT INSTEAD OF ANY OF THE BELOW!)

• Winsor & Newton Professional OR Cotman (student-grade) Watercolors Compact Set with 14 half pans. There IS a price difference between professional ($75) and student grade ($20). I’ve been using the student grade just fine. I’ll upgrade to professional in the near future. If you’re thirsting for more watercolors, below are some I’ve loved and use. You don’t need to get ANY of these, but I’ve listed them in case you want to expand your collection.

• I’ve recently discovered ShinHan Extra Fine Watercolors. They come in tubes and are SUBLIME and rich - many of them are densely opaque like gouache. I purchase empty half pans from Amazon that come with little magnets you can stick to the bottom of them before filling - then arrange them any way you like in a metal pan.

Colors I have and love are:

Pyrrole Red (813)

Bright Violet (948)

Umber (973)

Phthalo Blue (Red Shade) (924)

Payne’s Grey (987)

Cobalt Blue (922)

Purple Grey (946)

Lilac (944)

Brilliant Pink (823)

Jaune Brilliant (866)

Davy’s Grey (989)

Turquoise Blue (904)

Jaune Brilliant (865)

Yellow Ochre (970)

Permanent green (875)

Horizon Blue (913)

Green Pale (892)

Cobalt Green (901)

Shell Pink (825)

Another beloved brand is Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors. I don’t have very many of these, but I love the ones I have here. The two I use most are Buff Titanium and Duochrome Oceanic.

Quinacridone Burnt Scarlet

Quinacridone Deep Gold

Jadeite Green

Duochrome Oceanic

Buff Titanium

Sap GreenCobalt

Turquoise Finetec metallic pans are also fab.

Make sure you’ve got a warm metallic (like a gold) and a cool metallic (like a silver or pearl.) The other color besides gold and silver I use frequently is the Blue Pearl - it shifts from a warm silver to an electric blue in different lighting.

Metallic Shimmers from The Creative Kinds:Neve and any gold are colors I use the most frequently from their delicious brand of scented and highly shimmery paints. Find them on Insta and Etsy.

Neon Watercolors whether they come in pans or tubes, are (believe it or not) REALLY valuable to have. I like using them as a final touch to quietly layer dabs of the stuff on top of my work. They’re transparent and really do add a rich vibration that nothing else can. I find them most successful when used sparingly for a subtle glowing effect.

BRUSH----------------------------

• Pentel Aquash Water Brush - FINE. This is the cheapest and bestest most fabulous brush I have. I don’t fill it with water, just love that it’s sharp and snappy, keeps a point and can be protected by it’s cap. GET the fine - it works best. And don’t rely on other brands to do as good a job. This one really is the best.

MISCELLANEOUS---------------• Mechanical pencil to line paper• White or kneaded eraser• Tombow Mono Sand and Rubber Eraser 510A• Real bone folder to buff up your metallic accents to a HIGH shine!• Ruler• Water container• Paper towels or towel• Washi Tape, bone folder, and postage stamps for envelopes• Pencil Sharpener Many students have expressed satisfaction with these two brands: Quiet Sharp Classroom Electric Pencil Sharpener and X-Acto School Pro or Teacher Pro Electric Pencil Sharpener. I love my Pencil Planer from Maker’s Cabinet

Google Meet Technical Notes: For the Google Meet to work, you’ll need to be using a set of headphones during demo time to plug into your computer. During instruction, your microphones should be muted, but cameras on. This cuts down on background noise while I am demonstrating. However, when we begin introductions, and for class discussion after each exercise is completes, you should be unmuted so we can all have a lively discussion! So please purchase a pair of earbuds if you don’t already have a set.

Google Search what Google has to say about participating in a Google Meet. From my experience, here are some things you can do to improve your online experience and some trouble shooting if any technical issues come up.

• Quit all other open applications on your device that are actively using the internet.

• Ask other members of your household not to use the internet/wifi while you’re streaming the class - or better yet, use an ethernet cable instead of wifi.

• Make sure you’re as close as you can get to your router (that box that has all the wires and gives you wifi). You can still have a good connection to your router of it’s in a different room in your home, but large mirrors and other large devices can interfere with reception. Note that you may have great success even without taking these measures - this is just my practice here at home.

• If your connection isn’t the greatest (poor image or no sound/video), hang up the call and return. Upon returning, if it hasn’t improved, quit your browser and restart your computer. That ALWAYS helps.

• If your camera suddenly goes blank, use the camera icon at the top of your screen to toggle it off and on again.

FAQs

•Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event? This is an adult class.

•What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event? This is an online class.

•How can I contact the organizer with any questions? Send Anne an email to: PenKitten@Anne Elser.com

• What’s the refund policy? Refunds are not available at this time.

• Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event? No.

• Is my registration fee or ticket transferrable? No.

• Is it ok if the name on my ticket or registration doesn’t match the person who attends? Yes. If you purchased this class or workshop as a gift, please let me know the name of the person taking the class when you register.

• If this is an online class and I can’t be there live, how do I participate?Every single class is live so that we can all interact with each other. I record EVERY class and upload this file immediately after class ends. File sizes range from 1 to 5 Gigs and are available to you for download. I record my classes so that students can still participate if they can’t attend because of illness, time zone differences, or other issues. If in the event a recording malfunction occurs, I upload a brief review of the class, using the notes and pages I already created. I also upload images of my pages for you to view and keep for your personal use.

• How do I participate in the envelope exchange at the end of the class? You must be in the live class to participate int he weekly envelope exchange. You must also add your mailing address to the dropbox file we create during our first intro meeting. You can leave your mailing address as a comment. Please be sure to cover up a portion of the envelope address if you’d like to share your work via social media.

• How do I receive feedback on my homework?You may upload your homework and share on social media but if you’d like me to see it, you need to TAG ME. (@anneelser) on Instagram or Anne-Davnes Elser on Facebook. This is a wonderful way to keep in touch with the progress of your classmates and with me! If you’d rather be more private, go ahead and email me your work and we can correspond that way.

•How soon after a class ends, will I be able to download my own copy? It generally takes a few hours for a class recording to fully upload and be available to you for download.

•Do I get to keep the recordings forever? YES! But you must download them. Two weeks after the class ends, I’ll be putting your files to bed in cold storage, so make sure to download your own copies.

Host or Publisher Anne Elser