Wendy Gould's Biography

Wendy came into this world with two great loves:  Horses and the color purple.  Both are loves that never diminished.  

She spent many years on a spiritual journey that started at age 24, when she discovered God’s Word and has not stopped since.  During that journey, she spent twenty-seven years doing juried art shows in the Mid-West, northern New York, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Connecticut and Massachusetts.  She is a self taught calligrapher and artist who designed many beautiful pieces that were sold at the shows, gift shops and tack shops around the country.  In December, 2009, she retired from travelling to shows and concentrates on marketing her work to shops.

Wendy has also traveled to Paris, France, Wellington, FL and California to do research for a novel she wrote called Loose Ends, which revolves around the Grand Prix show jumping circuit.  She spent many wonderful hours at the Equestrian Center in Wellington getting to know the world of show jumpers.  She is working on getting the manuscript published.  Her second book, Hurricane Cade, is in the works.  It is about a singer/song writer star who hits a wall and his journey to change his life.  Of course horses become a big part of Cade’s life.  She started writing novels in the ninth grade.

While running her successful graphic design business, she worked on an off in offices over the years, learning from what the different environments had to offer. 

She owns a 23 year old Thoroughbred named Louie who is the star of her life.   He has been her partner and therapist for eleven years.  Not the picture perfect, push button, quiet partner she saw herself with, Louie taught her many, many lessons she most likely would not have learned on a calmer mount.  She had to learn how to ride to stay in one piece and stay alive.  While training to first level Dressage, they both learned many lessons together and are enjoying his retirement.

 Wendy Gould's Artist Statement

Words are very powerful.  I have always been attracted to the written word.  As a child, I loved to read (especially horse books). 

I started dabbling in lettering for fun, and developed my own style.  The dabbling turned into doing favors for friends for free.  I realized I could start a little business doing calligraphy for people, approached some shops, and began lettering wedding invitation envelopes.

I discovered the world of art shows when I was living in Oklahoma City, I knew I wanted to participate in a few to see if my business could move in that direction.  Although I had drawn horses my whole life, I had not ventured out into much else.  I took out library books on flowers to teach myself how draw them. I started drawing flowers after I had lettered a quotation.  I loved the medium of watercolor, so I chose the beautiful blending and intensity of watercolor to impact the words I was lettering.  I started playing around with the two mediums, and am still playing around with them 30 years later.

I started doing art shows in Oklahoma City  in the mid 80s and continued doing them for twenty-seven years.  I retired in 2009 and now sell through gift shops, consignment shops, catalogs and tack shops.

Most of the quotations I used at first were motivational sayings by men like Vince Lombardi and Zig Ziglar, along with scripture.  Although they were well received, people wanted more variety, so I branched out with a big selection of categories to choose work from.

Inspiration can hit at very interesting times.  Ideas come from everywhere, if you have the eyes to see.

I want my work to touch people.  I want to make people laugh, smile, cry, be reproved, be encouraged and be a better person.  I hope to reach many people with my new website:  wendygouldcalligraphydesigns.com

I believe life and death is in the power of the tongue.  Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  So we must diligently guard our hearts and sift what needs to be sifted.

You can see more of Wendy Gould's artwork by visiting her website at   wendygouldcalligraphydesigns.com 

 

Copyright 2012 AuSable Artisan Village