The Elegance of Calligraphy by Maria Thomas

I have long been an admirer of the swirls and swashes of calligrapher Maria Thomas. Luckily, she has created many stationery designs for Crane, so I regularly get to see her beautiful work engraved in three dimensions on 100% cotton paper.


This year is no exception. Maria's art graces fully a dozen of Crane's new Greeting Cards, which should be in stores any time now.

Here are four of my favorites:








Maria and Rick Roberts, her partner in business and in heart, also have this thing going called "Zentangle,"an intriguing artform. I just learned about Zentangle, when I received an invitation to an event coming up at Paces Papers in Atlanta. Right about now, with temperatures in the teens and the wind whipping up the snow, Atlanta sounds pretty good, but I just couldn't swing it.

Maria and Rick describe Zentangle as an "easy-to-learn method of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns. It is a fascinating new art form that is fun and relaxing. It increases focus and creativity. Zentangle provides artistic satisfaction and an increased sense of personal well being. Zentangle is enjoyed by a wide range of skills and ages and is used in many fields of interest."

Here are some examples of Maria and Rick's work: