Virtual Brush Box

Art of the outside world. Interlace: A journal of mathematics and fiber arts. Nothing yet. Watch that space.

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My non-entry for the 2025 Graceful Envelope Contest run by the The Washington Calligraphers Guild. Theme: Go Fourth. My concept, four seasons with seasonally relevant stamps. I did not send in an envelope back in March. I was not sufficiently enchanted with my idea that I wanted to spend the time drawing it on an envelope. Winning is not an option. I know when I’m taking a cart horse into a class with Thoroughbreds. If I’m doing it for giggles, it needs to be fun.

Process Notes

Drawn digitally for this post. While there is a way to shape text into a space. I admit I used brute force to squish each letter into place rather than struggling with a new skill. The joy of learning for its own sake ran into the desire to get it done and move on.

Links

WCG: 2025 Graceful Envelope Winners

WCG: Themes & Winning Envelopes, from 2025 back to 2001

The Postman’s Knock: The 2025 Graceful Envelope Contest + Tips for Success

Previous Posts

[Let The Good Times Roll Down The River, The Graceful Envelope 2024]

[Fan Mail, The Graceful Envelope Contest 2023]

[The Graceful Envelope Contest 2022]

Invitation

Why not give it a try?

The theme for 2026 is Great Beginnings. Deadline 31 March. Categories by age for kids. Note new mailing rules. Graceful Envelope Contest.

Onwards!
Katherine

Fiction of the outside world. “My uncle Jake, reclusive billionaire owner of the third-largest chain of parking structures in North America … Uncle Jake had given people a place to park a car. CNBC solved this lack-of-drama problem by bringing on a reporter from Parking Magazine, the trade rag of the National Parking Association—and yes, both of those things are real.” Tor/Forge Blog: Excerpt Reveal: Starter Villain by John Scalzi, 2023.

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In which I once again learn from failure. [When Fact Is More Interesting Than Fiction]

The plan was to do a Faces in the Crowd exercise in a parking lot. [Faces In The Crowd]

What I learned is that parking lots are narratively barren places.

Parking lots are transitory, at least for people. Cars hang out for hours on end. People come and go as fast as feasible. Drive in. Get out. Leave parking lot. Reverse process to leave.

About the only recurring action that I could envision was loading groceries. Unloading takes place back home. Otherwise, not much happens.

Sure, you could place an action in a parking lot, a joyful reunion, a shady deal, an alien landing. I have a memory of hanging around a parking garage as a kid while a friend was involved with – in hindsight – possibly a felony, but certainly a misdemeanor. I, of course, was clueless. But I digress. A parking lot is big open space that could be repurposed as a stage. But the normal usage is not to have people in it. The one I was in was not gated therefore no guards.

Parking lots are ubiquitous IRL and as a social metaphor. [Put Up A Parking Lot]

Because of their prevalence, I had not stopped to consider in detail how they are used. I had not realized that parking lots are inert spaces.

🚗🚗🚗

If cars talked to each other.

1st car. I think I’m due for oil change. My light hasn’t come on but I feel sluggish in my lines.

2md car. Speaking of feel. Have you noticed that gas feel different in different states?

3rd car. Gas? Gas?! Don’t talk to me about gas. I can’t get used to how much the road surface changes at the state line. You’re zooming along, then suddenly, whoosh it’s a whole different road. Like we’re not supposed to notice?

🚗🚗🚗

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Girl Scout Brownies. I was one, briefly. The website lists six levels: Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors. Is this new, or was I not in the program long enough to learn about them?

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Brownie from Michelle’s Chocolate Lab.

A near miss. Included because I don’t hate it. With a more suitable camera and set-up, I could see this working.

My set-up.

Process Notes

Phone camera.

Previous food photo post [Grub Gets a Glamour Shot]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. One Bud Wiser: So You Want to Horse Show in Canada August 2025. Old hat to some folks. I found it fascinating.

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Stopped by an Interscholastic Equestrian Association last week. High school & grade school riders, horses by draw, and way too many kids with the exact same outfit. The hunter world needs to lighten up. When the dressage world is sportier than you are, it’s time to examine your underlying premises.

On the upside, I haven’t been around that many helmets in a long time.

OTOH, their ribbon game is excellent. Check out how the side color on one ribbon becomes the main color on the next ribbon.

When you got attitude, put a bow on it.

No riding. Strictly spectating. Coach Deana, of Razzy fame, coaches one of the teams. [Setting A Jump Record, Sorta most recent lesson]

When Last We Came This Way

Both horses have been to this facility.

Milton [Milton’s Dressage in December} & [Instagram October 2017, above]

Rodney. [Doctor Whooves Plays In The Pony Ring, Show Report, Lachlan Farm Hunter Show 2022]

Onwards!
Katherine

Animals of the outside world. Braymere Custom Saddlery: Zoo Dogs.

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Boogie
Stepping Stone Farm
Saddle seat lesson
August 2025

Today’s revelation is that horses have two sides.

ASBs go straight. If they are on a circle – say in a small covered ring – they go straight. At any point on the circle, their bodies are along a line that is perpendicular to the radius of the circle. No gentle bend. No seeing the inside eye. Straight.

I know this.

This lesson was with Coach Courtney. A while back, I had a wonderful lesson on straightness with Coach James. This mostly comes up at the beginning of my rides, i.e. first direction.

Back in the present, I was having trouble in the second direction. A little bit too much weight to the inside on the part of the rider is often a problem when heading this way. The horse was closer to the fence than my toes might have liked. I tried to steer my way out of it. Then, I remembered the James lesson. I asked Boogie to go in straight line. Et voila. Problems solved.

I can’t explain the geometry. It probably has to do with asking the horse to maintain their balance, to use both hind legs, and not to let the shoulder drop to the inside.

I know this.

Amazingly, this works in BOTH directions. Fancy that.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. How can someone who benefits from the Loving decision (interracial marriage 1967) be against Obergefell (two people marriage 2015)? 14th amendment for me but not for thee.

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Milton’s chief minion stays amused during foot soaking. [The Year of the Foot Continues]

Staring into a bucket-sized abyss.

Rodney says, I help!

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. “AI-Free. No AI was used in the research or writing of this book.” Front matter from Rope, How a Bundle of Twisted Fibers Became the Backbone of Civilization, by Tim Queeney (St. Martins 2025). That notice is a new one on me.

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Giving myself space to be cranky today. You may wish to come back tomorrow.

Today is Gotcha Day for Rodney, 15 years. Milton’s was Saturday, 11 years.

Last week, someone asked about Rodney’s origin story. I sent them a link to the “Horse Tales” article I wrote for Horse Illustrated in 2012, “The Horse Next Door.” [Clip: Rodney in Horse Illustrated]

That lead me to the related post, in which I said,

If I knew then what I know now, would I still would have bought him? In all honesty, yes. The entire time I was trying him out, something drew me to this horse. Which means either that I have a discerning eye for horseflesh and marvelous things may yet happen OR that I am an emotion-driven idiot who bought the wrong horse for the wrong reasons. Time will tell.

[In the Beginning] January 2012, emphasis added.

Well, it’s 13 years later. I think we have our answer.

[Gotcha Day, 10 Years and a Serious Lack of Shiny Rainbow Glitter Sparkles]

Onwards!
Katherine