Calligraphy, A Self-Taught Art
Although Mary is a Fine Arts Studio Major, she has developed her unique calligraphy style, a variation of the uncial script, about 20 years ago, after her longtime friend, Lexington artist Gloria Thomas, mentioned that she'd like to have someone reproduce scriptural texts in calligraphy to go with paintings she was making for a book of religious artwork.
Mary, who had never tried calligraphy or gold-leafing, taught herself both. She also designed and painted borders for some of the pages.
The resulting book, Revelations: Visions of the Second Coming From Old and New Testaments, was published in 1994 by Viking Studio Books. Viking published 60,000 copies; the book is now out of print.
More recently, Mary ground her own ink and wrote The Book of Daniel in calligraphy. Using gold leaf and watercolor, she illustrated the book and lined the pages with borders based on the art of the Persian courts, where the biblical story takes place.
It took Mary about 3 years to complete the 47 page book at about a month for each page.
Mary wants readers to come away from her work with an appreciation for how important it is to be true to your faith and to be obedient to God.
Mary Breeden, a member of the Apostles Anglican Church in Lexington, Kentucky, has three children and five grandchildren.