Fifty-two words jampacked with meaning.

That, to Moneta artist and calligrapher Susan Loy, characterizes the preamble to the U.S. Constitution.

After more than 20 years of lettering the works of classic American authors, she shifted her subject matter to encompass the nation's fundamental written law.

"The Constitution is just a bit of a departure," Loy explained.

She is exhibiting her prints of the preamble and Article I at art shows all over the East Coast and at several Bedford County schools this month to commemorate Constitution Day, which will be observed Monday.

Loy's work is more than letters on a page. She spends as much time studying the diameter and radii for the circle designs as she does researching the meaning of the words. She types the text into a word processing program and then divides it into four equal parts.

"It takes me two to three attempts to letter it and get it to come out square," she said.

With the preamble, Loy first chose a more modern typeface before reverting to the Gothic letter.

She and her husband, Ron Ayers, operate Literary Calligraphy, a company that sells prints of her calligraphy with watercolor pieces, from their home on a Bedford County farm. The couple visit dozens of art shows annually.

In college, Loy's best friend asked her to take a calligraphy class.

"The minute I picked up the pen it was like a magic wand," she said.

Loy keeps in touch with that friend, who never pursued calligraphy beyond that course.

Loy, 56, is in the second year of a five-year project to letter the entire Constitution, which she is completing in parts to represent the separation of powers. Article I, which contains more than 2,000 words, took her seven months to finish.

She averages six prints per year.

The bookshelves of her studio are filled with the works of classic American writers and poets, from Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau to Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost. Another shelf is dedicated to floral reference books; Loy often paints heirloom flowers in centerpieces of her literary calligraphy pieces.

Loy's undergraduate work in American studies and graduate degree in art history and literature fuel her artwork.

After Sept. 11, 2001, Loy was stopped at random traffic stops because of heightened security measures. After being a bit rattled by an officer who asked to search her bags, she consulted the Bill of Rights about illegal searches and seizures. She decided to keep a copy in her car, in case she was stopped again.

When she needed a text for a demonstration at an art show, she picked up that copy of the Constitution.

"As soon as I got into the preamble I saw how few the words were and how carefully they were chosen," she said. "Take 'tranquility,' for instance. Think about how important that is and how important it is for the government to maintain."

On the Net: www.literarycalligraphy.com