Pen to paper : artists' handwritten letters from the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art

Even in this age of emails, texts, and tweets, there is an ongoing fascination with the simple act of putting pen to paper. Associations such as the International Association of Master Penmen and the Society for Italic Handwriting keep the traditions of calligraphy and penmanship alive, hand-writing typefaces continue to sell, and hand-drawn display type and packaging of all sorts enjoy a renaissance. Pen to Paper , a collection of letters by artists from the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art, reveals how letter writing can be an artistic act, just as an artist puts pen to paper to craft a line in a drawing. Brief essays explore what can be learned from the handwriting of celebrated artists such as Mary Cassatt, Frederic Church, Howard Finster, Winslow Homer, Ray Johnson, Rockwell Kent, Georgia O'Keeffe, Claes Oldenburg, Maxfield Parrish, Eero Saarinen, Saul Steinberg, and many others. Each letter is accompanied by an archival image of the artist or a related artwork, with a full transcription. Pen to Paper provides a fresh way to think about artists and their creative work and is sure to inspire your next handwritten note or letter. "Even in our age of emails, texts, and tweets, there is a growing fascination with the simple act of putting pen to paper. Associations such as the International Association of Master Penmen and The Society for Italic Handwriting keep the traditions of calligraphy and penmanship alive, script typefaces continue to be bestsellers, and hand-drawn display type and packaging of all sorts are having their own renaissance. The Art of Handwriting builds on this interest, revealing how the simple act of writing a letter can be an artistic act. This correspondence from the collections of the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art show that an artist might put pen to paper just as he or she would craft a line in a drawing. Brief essays from curators and art historians explore what can be learned from the handwriting of celebrated artists such as Georgia O'Keefe, Isamu Noguchi, Willem de Kooning, Thomas Eakins, Sister Corita Kent, and many others. Each letter is accompanied by an archival image of the artist or an artwork that is described in relation to the handwriting. The Art of Handwriting provides a fresh way to think about artists and their creative work"-- Provided by publisher "Even in our age of emails, texts, and tweets, there is a growing fascination with the simple act of putting pen to paper. Associations such as the International Association of Master Penmen and The Society for Italic Handwriting keep the traditions of calligraphy and penmanship alive, script typefaces continue to be bestsellers, and hand-drawn display type and packaging of all sorts are having their own renaissance. The Art of Handwriting builds on this interest, revealing how the simple act of writing a letter can be an artistic act. This correspondence from the collections of the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art show that an artist might put pen to paper just as he or she would craft a line in a drawing. Brief essays from curators and art historians explore what can be learned from the handwriting of celebrated artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Isamu Noguchi, Willem de Kooning, Thomas Eakins, Sister Corita Kent, and many others. Each letter is accompanied by an archival image of the artist or an artwork that is described in relation to the handwriting. The Art of Handwriting provides a fresh way to think about artists and their creative work"-- Introduction: The art of handwriting Berenice Abbott Ivan Albright Oscar Bluemner Charles Burchfield Alexander Calder Mary Cassatt George Carlin Frederic Edwin Church Joseph Cornell Hanne Darboven Willem de Kooning Beauford Delaney Arthur G. Dove Marcel Duchamp Thomas Eakins Howard Finster Dan Flavin Llyn Foulkes John Haberle Marsden Hartley Martin Johnson Heade Winslow Homer Harriet Hosmer Ray Johnson Corita Kent Sister Mary Paulita (Helen) Kerrigan, B.V.M. Lee Krasner Jacob Lawrence Louis Lozowick Grandma Moses Robert Motherwell Isamu Noguchi Jim Nutt Georgia O'Keeffe Claes Oldenburg Walter Pach Maxfield Parrish Guy Pène du Bois Jackson Pollack Abraham Rattner Ad Reinhardt M.C. Richards Eero Saarinen John Singer Sargent John Sloan Robert Smithson Saul Steinberg Alfred Stieglitz Henry Ossawa Tanner Lenore Tawney Cy Twombly Max Weber H.C. Westermann Edward Weston James McNeill Whistler Grant Wood.