Variations of Peter Thornton’s
Button Alphabet

Saturday and Sunday, March 11 & 12, 2006, we gathered at the Bank in Rancho Bernardo to study with Louie Lemoine.
This versatile hand is limited only by your imagination. The beauty of this alphabet is that anyone can achieve satisfying results in a relatively short period of time, due to its forgiving nature and the fact that there are only 26 characters to worry about. We came with a positive attitude and left with work that we are proud of.

Group photo by Tita Lemoine: Front row:  Lorraine Brown, Karon Carroll, Kathy Morgan, Yvonne Perez-Collins
Middle row (starting between Lorraine and Karon): Pat Sunda, Olivia Ramirez, Kathy Gilchrist, Patt Miller, Britta Brice, Marsha Vanetsky, Kristi Darwick
Back row: Jan Lohner, Lita Gates, Jacqueline Lacey, instructor Louie Lemoine, Diane Reiter, Viviana Lombrozo, Jean Igoe, Kingsley Benefield

Photos by Lorraine Brown and Marsha Vanetsky

These are comments from Button Alphabet Workshop participants as compiled by Yvonne Perez-Collins:

Great workshop...I just love this alphabet!  Louie was such a nice instructor, so kind and complimentary. Just a fun two days. So glad we give ourselves permission to take time to participate in these workshops.
 
It isn't often that one can attend such a fun, and relaxing workshop. Our usually intense classes are always great, but when one experiences the relaxed pace that Louis used to lead us through the button alphabet, it became apparent that his calm yet enthusiastic style set up a wonderful environment that fostered creativity.  In addition to everything we learned, Louis gave us time to think and do what we all enjoy doing best, experiment and create art. I look forward to his next visit to SDFC.

The Button workshop brought one more fun alphabet to add to my collection. Louie is such a warm and caring teacher the two days were a joy.

A no stress weekend of learning, playing, enjoying, laughing and having a great time learning the Button Alphabet! Very rarely do I come away from a workshop with something "finished", and with Louie's "magical" instruction, I did.  A workshop not to be missed.  He is so thorough.

The mind was dancing with ideas, especially by adding dimensions to single, large letters as a work of art.

Fun alphabet with lots of room for experimentation. Coloring the counter spaces make the letters pop.

The knowledge of putting it together made for a fun workshop.  New ways to add to it keep arising.

Button Alphabet …. Letters dancing on paper

So refreshing to work loose, with only a few rules.  Free and unstructured!

Play.  Play.  Play!!  Terrific instructor and fabulous alphabet.

Putting the black shading with a .005 Micron pen under the silver “happy dots” to make them pop was the price of admission!

Great workshop!  Great instructor!  Wonderful possibilities.  I can’t wait to get home and experiment.

Inspiring to see letters from this alphabet executed with ink on paper, in metal for jewelry and dimensionally as paper sculpture….and at the same time, so easily do-able, without looking like it.