12/02/2024
A university student from Belarus recently wrote a paper in his Communication and Media class about Susan Loy, and her new book available worldwide at Amazon. We have reprinted the 500+ word review by Artem Ageenko below (he was awarded an “A” for his paper).
“Literary Calligraphy: Bridging Nature, Poetry, and Artistry in Susan Loy's spectacular writing, 'To Live Deliberately'”
By Artem Ageenko
In one of her latest works, Susan Loy, renowned for her “Literary Calligraphy” masterpieces, intertwines poetry, prose, and a passion for nature, unveiling the connection forged in her 43-year artistic journey, Loy's 'To Live Deliberately' beckons readers to a world where art becomes a conduit to environmental consciousness.
"To Live Deliberately" by Susan Loy is an example of how art and environmental stewardship may coexist. Drawn from her captivating talk at the 2022 Eco-Spirituality Conference in Prague, the book features 11 calligraphy paintings, two of which have never been published before. Inspired by Thoreau, the title follows the connection that unites humans and environment and expresses Loy's call to live purposefully or rather deliberately. In the foreword, Unitarian minister Dr. Nicole Kirk encourages readers to "live deliberately" for the benefit of both the earth and individuals, highlighting Loy's examination of our alienation from nature.
Susan Loy, a transcontinental artist, moved from the United States to Prague in 2018, where she recently attained permanent residence status. Amidst her journey, Loy expressed presented the essence of her newly found home in 'The Czech Flower Alphabet,' a large painting capturing the spirit of Czech Republic.
The work is dedicated to the essence of Czech culture, the alphabet, she said. “Each individual letter of the alphabet has been connected to a plant and you can imagine how difficult and inspiring this is based on how much more complicated the Czech Alphabet is, compared to the English one.”
Beyond brush and paper, Loy directed the 2023 Prague International Art Exhibition, solidifying her imprint on the global artistic landscape. Despite her international presence, Loy remains grounded, selling her Literary Calligraphy reproductions on Amazon to audiences in the U.S. and Canada.
“I am selling reproductions for people to enjoy and connect to the nature as I did,” she said in a Zoom interview from her art studio in the Vinohrady neighborhood near Wenceslas Square.
Susan Loy's artistic journey wasn't sparked by a specific event but rather a profound connection between nature and art. Describing the moment she embraced calligraphy, Loy reminisces, "The minute I took a pen, it was magical."
Nature serves as her muse; she frequently visits botanical gardens, with Charles University Botanical Garden being one of her most cherished visits.
“People come to see a vast variety of plants but for me one or two plants is more than enough to enjoy the nature and capture the essence of it all,” collecting antique almanacs dedicated to botanics, cherishing content over appearances, she said.
Loy's affinity for antique botanics books, rooted in the Victorian era, echoes in her Literary Calligraphy as a timeless dance between ink and inspiration. She observes the plants in the botanical gardens, reads about them in the almanacs and delivers an unimaginable world of art and nature.
In 'To Live Deliberately,' Susan Loy invites readers on a visual and literary journey, where each stroke of the pen whispers of a deliberate connection between art, nature, and the responsibility we bear towards the planet.
