The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's, in calligraphy

My new project is to transcribe into calligraphy the whole book of the Bible known familiarly as "Song of Solomon."  I first encountered it some decades ago, in the verses that start "My Beloved spake and said unto me..." as a wedding present for a friend.  

Like many calligraphers, I found that after I finished it, the text kept pestering me for a redesign.  So I tried it again a few years later, with a little different approach.  And again.  It's a lovely passage and makes a nice gift.  It is full of sensual treasures from the poet's world--the song of birds, flowers in bloom, and the aroma of the vineyard.  Although it did not seem to settle into a definitive version, I enjoyed the process of finding better ways to present it to the reader, learning a little more about its meaning each time I tried.    

Four different designs for Chapter II: verses 10 - 13, as they evolved over 3 decades.  The most recent, part of my new series, is at far right.  And I 'll probably keep finding new ideas to clarify its meaning.   

I enjoyed designing calligraphy for "My Beloved Spoke"  so much I began to read more from the Song of Solomon, looking for other texts that I could turn into calligraphy.  I'm now about halfway through the 8 chapters, and hope to finish by the end of 2020.  I'm going to chronicle my journey here.  Check in tomorrow to see where the next turn of this biblical road took me.