Pretty sure this was a gift to soothe a broken heart. The quote reads, “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” Many times after any kind of stormy night, it can seem astounding that the sun can rise after so dark a time. I decided that would be a fitting background for the reminder that we are never so alone as we imagine we are.
I started with a watercolor wash that transitioned from dark blue down to golden yellow. I then added a nice dark foreground to bring out the brightness of the sunrise and some classic Dr. Seuss truffula trees to break up the linear structure of the composition. The lettering came last, carefully lettered in walnut ink with plenty of guidelines. I used a pointed nib for this piece, taking care with the pressure so as not to tear the paper. I explored some new ligatures, or letter to letter connections, in this piece to create subtle interest. I wanted the feel for the final product to be simple, serene, and lovingly encouraging. I hope the ligatures helped with that.
I sealed the watercolor with a spray sealant. Hopefully the recipient found it inspiring and comforting.