Logo designed by Judith Lovell
Executive Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at Eleanor Harris’ home from 9am to noon All members are welcome!
Regular monthly meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month (EXCEPT JULY and AUGUST)
P.O. Box 2, Duncan, B C, V9L 3X1 Canada
from 9am to noon
http://members.shaw.ca/warmlandcalligraphers
Island Savings Centre 2687 James Street Duncan, BC
NEWSLETTER ISSUE #42, OCTOBER 2008 Cover artist: Inside Back artist: Printer: Page Layout: Editor:
Proofreader:
Georgia Angelopoulos Judy Lowood Copycat Printing & Design Microsoft Publisher Barbara Qualley Telephone 250-746-9385 Fax 250-746-4580 bqualley1@shaw.ca Eleanor Harris
COPY DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE 16 December 2008
Warmland Calligraphers of the Cowichan Valley (the Guild) is a non-profit group formed to facilitate the exchange of information between calligraphers, and to promote interest in and appreciation of calligraphy as an art form within the community. Its membership is open to calligraphers at all levels of expertise as well as those with a love of beautiful writing. Contents of this newsletter are copyrighted by the authors/artists. Requests for permission to reprint any part must be made through the Editor. The views of contributors are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Guild. Members are invited to submit concise pieces for publication as well as to alert the Editors to conferences, papers, speeches and other matters of interest to our readers. The Editors reserve the right to make editorial changes in material accepted for publication. These include such revisions or additions as are necessary to ensure correctness of grammar and spelling, clarification of obscurities, brevity and conformity to the newsletter style. Membership in the Warmland Calligraphers guild includes three newsletters published in February, May and October. Annual membership dues are C$20 for Canadian residents and US$20 for US/International
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Georgia Angelopoulos: Thank you very much for asking me to do the cover for the October issue; it is the first time I’ve been asked to do one—and I was very nervous! Nothing I planned worked as I’d hoped, so I just sat down and did something spontaneous, without stewing too much. Having just returned from the Chicago Calligraphy Conference, I wanted to try out some ancient, informal Rustics that I studied with Evan Clayton and juxtapose them with the ‘modern’
gestural writing I’d worked on with Yves Leterme at Island Magic the year before. I’m not sure the result is a success, and the composition would stand improvement, but I felt ’joy in the making’ and the quote moved me! (As a composition, it really does look better upside-down! If I had some Photoshop skills, I’d alter it, but I’ve run out of time!) I cropped it and I let many of the flourishes extend beyond the borders to emphasize the notion of no ‘beginning’.
Welcome to another year of exciting calligraphy. If you are a new member or a “seasoned member” we are delighted to have you join us this year and wish you many creative calligraphic experiences. Looking over the line-up for the programs and workshops it promises to be a busy fall. By October some members will be fully involved in Uncials on the Road - a series of classes with Georgia Angelopoulos and Lorraine Douglas and others will be waiting to work with Peter Thornton in November. Then of course, it is never too early to be thinking about your Christmas cards – for those who are new to the group, some members like to exchange Christmas cards at our annual Christmas Pot Luck and participation is encouraged. By the time you read this newsletter in October I am sure there will have been much talk about The Art of Saint John’s Bible exhibit at the Tacoma Art Gallery as a number of our members attended the exhibit over the summer. I was one the people who was fortunate to see it and want to share a few of my thoughts with you as it was an outstanding exhibit. The exhibit included the Pentateuch (which I must confess I did not know was the name for the first five books of the Old Testament), the Psalms, Gospels and Acts and the works were laid out in large book page format with the illumination on one side of the page and the scribed text
on the other. As you began with the story of Creation and made your way through to the last piece titled “To the Ends of the Earth” each page was a visual delight and reading about the artist’s interpretation gave you an understanding of the thoughtful connections they made between the written word and the visual rendering. I enjoyed the exhibit on so many levels, it was truly awe inspiring. The artistic beauty of the illuminations made me appreciate the energy and thoughtfulness of the visual elements. For me, the way in which colour was used was outstanding and very pleasing to my eye. The text and the images worked well together. The illustrations embraced new symbols and images in the context of the biblical text. They reflected the thinking of contemporary theologians and artists. For example, the range of images on the pages included the double helix of DNA, mandalas, meticulously drawn butterflies and dragonflies and an image of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center. The artists’ interpretations of the text were very thoughtful and inclusive of all cultures, faiths, and religious traditions. Donald Jackson was the lead artist, designer and calligrapher on the project. I noted and appreciated his quote about what calligraphy means to him. “It’s capable of picking up emotions from inside me and putting them on the page. There’s an energy that
comes from the souls of my feet right to the top of my head”. This exhibit truly reflects that emotion and energy. As an added bonus to my trip to the museum I also visited “The Forty Part Motet” by Janet Cardiff. This sound installation was based on Spem in Alium by English composer Thomas Tallis who wrote it for a forty voice choir in 1573. There were eight groups of five speakers arranged in a large oval, allowing visitors to experience the choral composition from the vantage of individual performers. This beautiful Renaissance music was sung by the Salisbury Cathedral Choir and could also be heard while touring the Saint John’s exhibit.
The trip to the Tacoma Art Gallery certainly was one the highlights of my summer and I will carry the memories of it with me into the Fall as I strive to improve my own calligraphy skills. We are very fortunate that our guild has such creative, knowledgeable and uplifting instructors, both as guests and within our membership and I am enthusiastically looking forward to all the learning and sharing that will be happening in 2008/09. Marilyn Silver President
From the Saint John’s
Again, I thank the members for their willing contributions to this issue. Your input makes these journals an interesting and informative read for all. Thanks to Carrie Imai for providing the material and giving permission to
re-print her article on Pen Preparation appearing in Bound and Lettered. Thanks also to Glen Epstein and Saint John’s Bible for allowing us to use their images in this issue. Barbara Qualley, Editor 3
Before beginning May's Galleria on Gardens, Judith Lovell showed us the very first project done by the thirteen founding members of Warmland Calligraphers. It was an Alphabet Book. Each member created one or more decorated pages for various letters of the alphabet. Judith's critique of our work provided some helpful hints: • Use a hand that matches the feelings of the words. • Use a different hand to accentuate a word. • When using curved letters be sure all your letters are curved. A straight letter will stand out amongst the curved ones. • Be careful with backgrounds. They can sometimes overpower your work. • Don't set a background at the bottom of your page. • Keep spaces between letters and words even when using a formal hand. • If you can't flourish don't prove it! • When you flourish use your whole arm. • If you have to use an apostrophe, put it at the same level as the top of the letters.
Ida Marie Threadkell
- Linda Yaychuk
Marilyn Boechler
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Shirley Johnson
Marion Craig
Judy Lowood Betty Locke
Anne Atkinson
Linda Yaychuk
Trudy Kungold Ammann
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Laura Griffin
Pat Wheatley
Marilyn Silver
Pat Davis
Judith Lovell—Whole garden booklet and four pages
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Midge Filleul
Other facts: It is a $4 million project that, when it is completed in 2009, will have taken a decade to carefully design and carry out. Work on the Saint John's Bible was begun in 1998 by Saint John's Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minnesota; a life-long dream actualized as a celebration of the millennium.
In July, I set out with members of the Fairbank Calligraphy Society (Victoria) to Tacoma, Washington to see ''Illuminating the Word'' : The Saint John’s Bible. The trip was organized by Pat Williams of the Fairbank Society. The exhibit was amazing, showing actual pages of the finished work from the first three completed volumes. Original artists’ sketches and illuminated pages were on view with samples of the materials used: quills, hand ground pigments, gold leaf, ancient inks from China and calf skin vellum.
The exhibit was stunning. We were given a tour by a local calligrapher whose knowledge of the subject was impressive and who answered our many questions. As we walked round the exhibit we heard music from an adjoining room. The Moet was written in the sixteenth century and lent a feeling of quiet sanctity to our experience.
The general consensus of our group was that this had been an excellent experience. Pat also organized a visit to the Museum of glass where we saw "Contemporary Glass: Chihuly and Beyond". A feast for the eyes indeed. - Anne McDonald
The Benedictine monks commissioned Donald Jackson, a Welsh calligrapher and Senior Scribe to Her Majesty the Queen’s Crown Office at the House of Lords, to craft the 1,150 page piece letter by letter and hour by hour. In the tradition of great medieval Bibles, The Saint John's Bible will be monumental—two feet tall and three feet wide and more than 1,000 pages bound in seven distinct volumes.
The Bible, commissioned by the Monks of Saint John’s University in Minnesota is being carried out by the eminent calligrapher Donald Jackson who assembled a team of scribes and artists to write and illuminate The Saint John’s Bible, using the tools and materials of medieval times.
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The Cowichan Centre, home of the Vancouver Island Regional Library, has been the site of our latest Calligraphy Show. It's a small venue, so only 30 pieces were hung. Thanks to all the contributors and to Betty and Duncan Locke for providing the information cards. The show has been on display since the beginning of summer and the library would like us to DO IT AGAIN!
Contributors were: Brigitte French, Joyce Gammie, Janice Graham-Andrews, Laura Griffin, Shirley Johnson, Betty Locke, Judith Lovell, Judy Lowood, Anne McDonald, Barbara Qualley, Denise Rothney, Bernice Sutton, Pat Wheatley, and Jim Wisnia. A special thank you to the crew who helped me hang the show. - Judy Dearman
No information on number of pieces sold, but I know of at least one. Betty Locke
Sign by Judy Dearman
Laura Griffin
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During a four week course held at instructor Marilyn Lundstrom’s home, she led a class of eight through the nuances of these hands. Foundational letters are vertical and very round. We practiced the lower case letters using a Speedball C2 nib at a 30° angle. The letters have a serif at the beginning and a small ‘upturn’ at the end. Lower case letters are four penwidths high. Our first assignment was to create a design while practicing the letters. Foundational capitals are New Roman letters. They are six pen-widths high. The letters are grouped as full width like O or G, slightly smaller like M or H, and half-width such as K or E. Depending on the letters the pen angle changes from 30° to 45° to 60°. Our second assignment was to practice the upper and lower case letters and use them to letter a favourite saying. During the third lesson, we were introduced to Monoline, which is created using a round Speedball B nib. The nib rests on the paper at the beginning of the letter to allow the ink to create the roundness and rests briefly again at the end. The same rules of roundness and shape are used as with the Foundational hand. Serifs can be added to create a fun, lively look. These letters are easy to bounce and play with. It is
a good hand to use with light or humorous projects. Our practice assignment was to create a card using Monoline lettering. During our final session, we reviewed the New Roman capitals paying special
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The final result is a beautiful marbled sheet that can be used in cards or for backgrounds in calligraphy work.
Judy Lowood brought her finished never-ending calendar that she started in Carrie Imai’s workshop. Marilyn showed us a small card that Lorraine had made for her. She made the envelope from paper she had sponged and then dragged a string soaked in gold paint over the surface. It was very effective.
For the homework assignment, Dinah Cyr lettered a
attention to maintaining a 30° pen angle and changing from 45° to 60°. Lorraine Hoy showed us how to fold a square to make a pop-up explosion card. June Maffin showed us some beautiful marbled papers and envelopes that she had created using shaving cream. Her technique and instructions were:
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Most weights of paper can be used Spray the bottom of a large shallow pan with shaving cream Drop coloured paints or inks over the shaving cream; swirl with a toothpick Place the paper on top of the paint and leave it for about five minutes Lift the paper and scrape the shaving cream off with a spatula or other large flat scraper and let dry
poem about swinging and made the lines move up and down like a swing. Lorraine Hoy made a card for her son by taping two pencils together, writing the letters with them and then decorating each letter. I made a pagoda from Bristol board and origami
Lorraine also showed us her practice sheet. She used resist to practice some of her letters, covered them with paint and then removed the resist to reveal the white letters underneath. Pauline Thompson brought a bag of small wooden rectangles which she had cut notches in and place in the end of a stick from a sponge brush the way Carrie Imai showed us. Her husband also used his jigsaw to cut notches.
The results of her letters were quite different and very effective.
paper. The roofs are removed to reveal an accordion card inside. I also painted a flowerpot for Marilyn using Monoline lettering on the pot.
Our coffee break turned into a sharing and learning experience which had us jotting down notes so as not to forget the great information we had gleaned from each other. - Linda Yaychuk 9
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Before starting our appreciation and critique of this month’s galleria, Judith Lovell spent some time reminding our new calligraphers of what their considerations should be before starting the project. 1. What are your first thoughts when you see the topic? 2. What hand does the topic lend itself to? 3. What layout and what size of letters will you use in your design?
4. DO THUMBNAIL SKETCHES. It allows you to see the overall design and how it will look on your page. You can blow up this sketch or minimize it to see which scale is best. 5. Remember sometimes you have ideas beyond your skill level. Good! This makes you strive. 6. Hang your piece up and walk past it while you decide if it is finished or if it has worked as you thought it should. 7. LESS IS SOMETIMES MORE. - Marilyn Lundstrom
Anne Atkinson Marilyn Boechler
Gillian Mouat
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Anne McDonald
Midge Filleul Jim Wisnia
Anne Berens Betty Locke
Phyllis Ogis Ida Marie Threadkell
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Marilyn Silver
Judith Lovell
Laura Griffin Judy Lowood
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Shirley Johnson
Denise Rothney
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Lorraine Douglas
Susan Miller
June Wynne Marilyn Lundstrom
Judy Dearman
Pat Wheatley
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n Cra Mario
ig
rick n Kelb Mario
There was also a rumoured hidden treasure associated with the original house on their property. That house had to be taken down - but it was taken down very carefully - one board at a time. And was there any hidden treasure? .....you will have to ask Dorothy.
This interview with Dorothy Forster has introduced me to a number of "firsts". Due to my procrastination, this was my first long distance interview - she was in Vancouver, I was in Duncan. She is also going to be my first venture into the internet and the magic of e-mail. Dorothy speaks very highly of e-mail...but I am bit skeptical (and I type abysmally). Enough about me though , let me tell you a bit about Dorothy. 16
Dorothy was born in Winnipeg but moved to Vancouver when she was five years old. She went to a very small school called Prince of Wales and made friendships there that still exist today (she assures me that e-mail is so much easier than snail mail for keeping in contact....I am not yet convinced ). She and her husband, Vic, raised their daughter, and worked, in Vancouver. When they decided to move to the Island in 1990 it was a part of their retirement plan. Have you ever been curious about Dorothy’s e-mail address (atreasurehouse)? A treasure house refers to the Bed & Breakfast that Dorothy and her husband built when they moved out here. Her husband designed it, something that he has
always been interested in, and Dorothy decorated it with her treasures. The name of their B&B was "Treasure by the Sea "and it was built on 2 acres of oceanfront in Saltair. The "treasures" are antiques that Dorothy has inherited from both her parents and her grandparents. She grew up around antiques that were part of her family's history, and most of the antiques in the B&B were family heirlooms. She sees them as a blessing because of their beauty and a responsibility to be passed down to her daughter, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. She has some other pieces she has bought, but I think a big part of the joy she feels in her treasures is because they belong to her family.
When they were living in Vancouver she and Vic would travel to England. While some of the English B&B's were quite lovely, it turns out that a lot of them could be quite horrid. That was when they decided that a B&B could be a great way to be an ambassador for your country - how you were treated as a guest definitely coloured your feelings for your host country. She and Vic travelled out to the East Coast as well before deciding where to settle for their retirement. I am so glad they went for the Pacific (not Atlantic) as they have been marvelous hosts and have shown off our island well. Dorothy says that some of their guests have become friends that they keep in touch with. (by e-mail, naturally). After running their Bed and Breakfast for 14 years, Dorothy and Vic decided it was time to really retire. That was 4 years ago - it was just this past December that they were able to move into their new home. Vic also designed this home - and learned a lot about red-tape in the process..... about 2 years worth of red-tape by the sound of it . Their new home has a studio - well Dorothy calls it a craft room, but studio sounds so much more grown up. They are now turning their attention to
designing a new garden. Dorothy and Vic's "retirement" seems to be keeping them both very busy. As our conversation continued I realized that Dorothy really enjoys people. Well, people, travel, calligraphy, family, sales, business...... actually she enjoys a lot. (Well she did admit she does not enjoy calligraphy homework, but more about that next!). We haven't seen a lot of her calligraphy in the last few years because she has been recovering from some eye surgeries. I am hoping that we will be seeing more of her work this year since her eyesight is doing so much better. Naturally, when we started talking about calligraphy, Betty's name came up. Dorothy had already been interested in calligraphy when she was living in Vancouver and she took some lessons then. Her calligraphy was used mainly for place settings and other small projects that she could fit into her rather busy life. I am not convinced that her life was any less busy once she moved to the Island, but Betty has a way of inspiring you to do more than you think possible. She met Betty and Chris Beckett at one of the "outreach" events that our guild participated in at the Steam Train/Discovery Center (quite a few years ago). Dorothy has taken some of Betty's courses and loves everything but the homework... now where have I heard that before?
Thomas William Fripp (1864-1931), a well known and respected B.C. watercolourist, is a relative of hers. His work has been shown in both the Victoria and Vancouver Art Galleries. She has a number of artists in her family but wonders if the "art" gene may have skipped her. I think her "eye" for design is her artistic heritage. And speaking of heritage, Dorothy and Vic have three grandchildren. Their daughter married a Kiwi (New Zealander) so they would take a month off from their B&B every year to go and visit them. Dorothy mentioned that the ability to close up for a month was a real benefit of owning a B&B....I think the fact that Vic was the one who had to clean the bathrooms was also another "plus" in Dorothy's eyes. Four years ago her daughter and family moved back to Vancouver, which makes visiting much easier! But it should come as no surprise to find out that Dorothy and Vic have been back to New Zealand since then to visit friends that they made over there during their previous visits.
What a wonderful time was had by all! Certainly the business component of the meeting was stimulating, but by far the treats from Thailand, India, Japan and our local prawns stole the show. Mango this and peanut that. It was to be seen to be believed! I sheepishly went back for seconds, only to be warned by the cheesecake and walnut cake that I had better conserve my strength. Just one more helping of that glorious Indian fruit salad. Curry has never tasted so good. Let’s hope the recipes for some of these miracles appear on the website.
I’m not sure if the highlight was the food or the visit of Bambi and her twin babies – not a bad choice to make. Carrots were slurped by the beasties whose distant cousins (I’m sure) nibbled madly at my newly planted pink Dogwood the night before. How could anyone be angry when looking at those sweet spotted bodies. Thank you Barbara for your gracious hosting. It was a terrific opportunity to meet new members in such a relaxed and sumptuous setting. - Janice Graham-Andrews
In finishing, I would like to say how easy it is to talk to Dorothy. We had a lovely time discussing art, travelling, family, antiques, and calligraphy. We also had a great time discussing Betty Locke, whom we both adore, but who does, unfortunately, believe in too much homework. - Lucy Hylkema
While we were talking about calligraphy and art, Dorothy mentioned that 17
How was the conference? It was enjoyable and well run by Chairs Lisa Kivland and Jim Chin, and their committees. I had the pleasure of meeting many committee members and even had two people in my class who were volunteering in various areas of the conference. To be there and ‘meet and greet’ old students, friends and staff pleased me very much. Students and staff numbered about 450. My class comprised twelve women, one of whom had to leave after the first day because of a family crisis. Four had been in classes with me before and it was enjoyable having them again. Canadians from B.C., Alberta and Ontario were in attendance. Classes were held in several buildings around the campus which was part of the trendy little city of Naperville, Illinois, near Chicago. The college is in the midst of the city so our walks to classes took us by beautifully kept private residences. My class was in a church about six blocks from my 18
dorm. Whereas some of the other classes in the church had students freezing and wearing layers of clothing to keep warm, mine was very hot. So hot that I called us the HOT CHICKS. What a relief to step into the hall into working air conditioning. Our complaints had no solution so we resolved to just enjoy ourselves and we did! Transporting those who found the long walks daunting were little colourful trolleys which ran throughout the day. The conference office was about four blocks from my residence. The cafeteria, John Neal Bookseller and Paper and Ink Arts were close to the residences. Independent vendors including Twin Rocker hand made paper company were on campus at the beginning of the week and sales were brisk. How do you manage to see EIGHT displays? It was a daily feat. Three displays were easily accessible as they were housed in the church in which I was teaching. The work of Tim Botts showed his great range of calligraphic ex-
pression and seeing them “at size” was wonderful. In the same venue, works of A.T. Bondy, a master craftsman of the old school of illumination, were shown. Viewers were treated to beautiful pieces, some of which were “in progress”. We could see how he planned and executed the designs. If it had not been for a calligrapher noticing that some of these magnificent works were being discarded, the show would never have happened. A family was clearing out and the discovery occurred. His works were collected and the display mounted celebrating the life and work of a professional illuminator. His beautiful pen technique showed crisp gentle strokes. Contemporary illuminator, Valerie Weilmuenster’s work was also displayed for our enjoyment. East Meets West, a show of highly skilled works of Japanese calligraphers doing western calligraphy, was located down the hall. I was in awe of the mastery of technique and ideas in this beautiful presentation. Many western instructors, including Martin Jackson, have been guest teachers in Japan. I enjoyed the range of skill levels included and could have visited many times. Across the hall from my classroom were many gently colourful works of Adolf Bernd. The participants’ exhibit which changed daily was held in another building. I was very impressed the day I saw this display. The awe-inspiring work of the Faculty was housed in
the College Library. Ranging from Annie Cicale’s tiny book to a huge work in oil done by Charles Pearce, the works enthralled. The charming softness of a fabric book strung out on a line by Lisa Englebrecht was detailed and filled with calligraphy, colour, found objects and textural delights. The alphabet done by Friedrich Peter, an instructor from Vancouver, was intricate and lively, each letter being a work of art and colour. Housed in another church were current works by members of the Chicago Calligraphy Collective from their annual juried show. A huge piece by Roann Mathias greeted the viewers. I asked her how long it took to compete it and she said “two years”. Wow! In the same venue was a textural and lovely installation called the “Tree Whisperer”. Hand made paper disks with inspiring writing about trees and conservation were all strung together to make a room of vertical chains which a person could walk through and have them caress their bodies. It seemed to bring man and nature together in thought and action. Children and adults alike had contributed the thousands of pieces to this installation. Additional disks were displayed on the walls surrounding the vertical display. It was a wonderful idea involving so many. Brody Neuenschwander, Denis Brown and an area graphic artist were featured speakers for the evening programs. All of these talks involved media.
Much of what we saw was cutting edge - far removed from the historical scriptorium. Brody’s work was shown in tandem with a dance performance. As the three dancers made the stage their own, I thought of how we bring pages to life with our letters. I marveled that Brody had used somewhat the concept that we enjoyed watching in the dramatic performance of the Chinese dancers in Shen Wei’s choreography of the opening of the Olympics! Denis Brown’s performance, The Music of Ink, was a combination of street art, painting and performance art. Sound and vision working together. We were treated to the spectacle of watching Denis fill huge four by eight foot panels with his “marks”. These canvasses were combined with media and we watched him at work with his small dribbles and large splashes right before our eyes! The programs certainly made me think that most of what we do in our calligraphy is “pedestrian”.
Evening programs were followed by events in the large white “social tent”. Delicious noshes were offered there each evening. John Neal’s book signing and Serendipity were two of the evening events in the tent. Our Georgia Angelopoulos did Greek lettering as part of the Serendipity. One evening, participants were encouraged to go to the centre of Naperville, an easy walk, and visit some of the businesses who were offering “enticements”. It was pleasant to walk by the river and sit in a very pleasant “people place” located near a fountain. Toronto calligrapher and friend, Lily Yee (Sloan) and I took this opportunity to sit and enjoy a chat in this beautiful setting.
Following a hilarious account of her experiences at Letters Mingle Souls, the 2008 International Conference, Betty Locke presented a Glen Epstein DVD. Glen is a very talented calligrapher and artist. His work has often appeared in Letter Arts
Review so you may recognize his name.
Mini workshops were held following evening programs. One gal when asked if she was taking minis, answered, “Yes, many minis.” Some participants took as many as nine during the week Bed time for mini workshop takers was very late. These
The DVD consists of three sections set to music and showcasing his wonderful talent. I could attempt to describe it, but instead I urge you to visit his web site where you can view
workshops were also offered on the “free” afternoon Tuesday. Of the many excursion offerings, I opted to see the Frank Lloyd Wright office and home followed by a dinner cruise that left from Navy Pier. Good food, nice entertainment and a fine view of Chicago from Lake Michigan! The culinary offerings of the cafeteria were delicious! Excellent salad and sandwich makings were available along with a full menu of other choices. Several mornings I enjoyed a specially made omelette of spinach and mushrooms. Many people availed themselves of the ice cream freezer which was always stocked with drums of scrumptious varieties of ice cream. I even saw one woman early the last morning having her “last” go at the ice cream freezer. The afternoon of our last day was the Show and Share. This culminatory event allowed us to be inspired by the work of the week even though it was
stifflingly hot and humid. That evening we were treated to a video presentation of the week in review. Later in the social tent a great live band entertained and people danced. I even tried out my left leg and enjoyed a little traverse around the floor. Letters Mingle Souls was a fine week of friends and learning.
Here is my student Marva Washington “holding court” at Show and Share wearing her crown of Clematis made in class. - Betty Locke
and listen to a major portion of the DVD as well as other art work, and learn more about the artist and what he does.
www.glenepstein.com - Judy Dearman Editor’s Note: This DVD is not available through John Neal, but directly from Glen.
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liqueur. “I enjoyed the bottles they sent to me”, he said with a grin.
On Thursday, June 12th , members of Warmland Calligraphers were treated to a slide show and demonstration by Thomas Hoyer. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Thomas, he is a calligrapher extraordinaire from Germany with awesome raw-some talent. He had been in western Canada giving workshops for three and a half weeks and missed his girlfriend terribly but nonetheless this last presentation was thrilling and we were the lucky recipients. I think someone said we were going to board that plane back to Germany with him!
his magnificently free flowing style. Now his skill is in much demand commercially and of course he travels in North America with his workshops. Thomas relates one story on “getting it right”. An elderly female client wanted her monogram “WM” in beautiful script. After countless tries in everything from italic to uncial he presented her with a page of options. She exclaimed “What’s that? I could do that! Give me lively and fun.” Thomas went back to the drawing board and came up with
On the theme of “thinking outside the box” and being creative he showed us examples where he had designed a poster for an Asian movie to be shown in Germany where he had created Asian style lettering for the German words “Summer Nights”, yet it was legible to all knowing the western alphabet. On another occasion he used a child like script for a children’s poster. His slideshow was followed by a demonstration of various ruling pens. For such a quick demonstration I learned a lot. For example, he told us that in flourishing, if the pen skips don’t try to fill it in but rather just add a small dot. He also showed us how to load the pen with multiple colours of ink allowing different colours to flow into one another. We learned such things as think outside the box, work hard, be creative, and buy quality products. Thomas reminded us that we have invested time and money on our work and we should charge BIG for our BIG efforts.
Quote by Winston Churchill on a restaurant wall Thomas Hoyer has been scribing since the age of twelve and would spend hours practicing letters trying different pens, inks, and papers. At one time he worked for a government agency but found it boring as they wanted non creative, formal writing - not like the slides we saw in 20
something, that to my eye at least, looked like sagging breasts on a sitting frog but it was very creative and won the day. We all had a good laugh. At another point Thomas was telling us about the time he was selected to scribe the word Mozart for the labels of a chocolate cream
Thomas said the art of calligraphy is a feast for the eyes and people are still looking for the personal appeal of handwriting. Handwriting is unique, freeing and fun. I felt good hearing that calligraphy is a “craft” we get better at with practice. Beautiful script is more than just information - thank you Thomas! - Susan Miller
I asked Thomas to scribe my name on a photo card I had made that day and he graciously accepted.
Thomas is a master at writing forwards—backwards AND upside down!
SOUTH (Shawnigan) June Maffin (250-743-1089) Friday, Oct. 31 Friday, Nov. 14 Friday, Nov. 28 Friday, Dec 12 NORTH (Ladysmith) Marilyn Silver (250-245-5807) Tues, Sept. 30 Tues, Oct. 28 Mon, Nov. 24
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Bow Valley Calligraphy Guild, June 2008 Issue 106 Gallerias, a Copperplate workshop, a "Beyond Bookhand" workshop review and a review of the many, many newsletters received by this so-active guild. By the by, most newsletters note interesting websites for calligraphers.
MODERN MARK MAKING by Lisa Engelbrecht An All-inOne Workbook for Artists, Crafters and Journalers The title says it all - something for everyone, but an emphasis on beginners who, I think, could get motivated by this up-beat approach to calligraphy. A largish, coilbound, 160 pp book where you'll find exemplars for copperplate, italic and blackletter, with finished pieces by well-known calligraphers, followed by examples of fun alphabets and their uses. The first chapters discuss tools, papers and ink/ paint. Colour photos throughout really help see what washes and blending can do. Chapter Five is all about pointed brush letters, then moves on to improvised writing implements and how to make them. Lisa does considerable work on fabric (lots of pictures here and ideas) and has respect for graffiti artists, whose work she describes as 'inventive, fantastic, mind-blowing colors and letters'.
Wheatland Calligraphy Guild, May 2008 Two wonderfully informative pages 'Tips & Techniques', a coloured centerfold of galleries pieces, and a wrap-up of all the workshops they have done since 2005. Try the Magic Dessert on the inside back cover -- its simple, quick and sounds delicious. Westcoast Calligraphy Society ILLUMINATIONS Issue 106 Showcasing 'Island Magic' from front cover to back, this issue is all about that wonderful week last July. A beautiful collection of coloured pages showing pieces completed during classes, photos of the venue and the instructors and students. Langley THE BROAD EDGE Summer 2008 The Alphabeas are as busy as bees with workshops, exhibitions and all. This issue has a review of Carrie Imai's Island Magic class. Fairbank Society Newsletter May 2008 Issue 147 Read about Carrie Imai's Big Bad Bone workshop, the annual picnic and the Yellow Point retreat. Read further and you'll know 'Why Small Manuscripts are mall'. Seems all the guilds in the Pacific Northwest are looking forward to Peter Thornton's visit in November. By sharing the travel costs with our sister guilds we keep the cost of importing these renowned calligraphers to an affordable level. Edmonton Calligraphic Society Summer 2008 Issue 85 A Neuland workshop, a cultural exchange with Japan, another workshop - 'Marbled Papers', how to make a mandala - very good, detailed instructions AND a review of Betty Locke's workshop 'Whatever'. 24
A bright, happy book well worth more than a single read-through.
THE POCKET PAPER ENGINEER, Vol. 2 Carol Barton A nifty little book for card-makers who want to expand their expertise. The directions are easy to follow, the patterns can be copied (the book is spiral-bound and lies flat in your scanner). Learn how to make floating platforms, tabbed props, spirals and straddles. Most of us (kids especially) like pop-ups. Make one for that special grandchild.
Georgia Angelopoulos also shares this piece. She says: “that it was made right after the cover artwork, and the way I made it was a
departure from the way I normally plan a piece (hurrah!). Following the dictum, “Let nature by your teacher,” I looked at
the garden and drew the lines of branches springing up from the ground, then used those lines are guidelines for writing. I was
surprised when I looked at the end result: it looked a bit like a swan; I like to think that this suggested form echoes the meaning of the quote about art.” 25
To ensure that we kept our sample pieces for future reference, instructor Marilyn Boechler had us make an eight page booklet from a single sheet of paper (11” x 17” in this case). Using terms such as ‘hamburger’ (paper folded in half crosswise) and ‘hot dog’ (paper folded in half lengthwise), we carefully folded and cut as instructed.
Applying watercolour with a damp sponge on both stencil pieces and using more than one colour provided some lovely colour effects. Using the same stencils, colour was applied using a toothbrush and spattering the bristles with your thumb to achieve a design. Using the wavy cut stencil and rubbing pastel along the cut edge, then smudging it off onto the page made for very effective mountain shapes. Embossing involved cutting a simple shape from heavy cardboard and placing it under the paper. A round ball stylus is invaluable for this work. The shape revealed was either high or low depending on whether you used the positive or negative stencil.
She explained that we would decorate with sponge printing, splatter painting, pastel smudging and embossing/debossing and had a team member at each table to assist in the various processes. First stencils were cut from cardstock. Simple solid shapes were the easiest to learn with: star, daisy, circle, square. Both the positive and negative pieces of paper were to be used for the different techniques. One paper was to be cut with a wavy line.
Marilyn and her team summed up the workshop and gave ideas on how to incorporate the techniques into our calligraphy. This was a very productive workshop enjoyed by all. Thank you Marilyn and your team: Shirley Johnson, Judy Dearman, Pat Wheatley, Janice Graham-Andrews and Joyce Gammie. - Anne McDonald
Judy Lowood When I was asked to do the back cover of the newsletter I thought, "Oh my goodness, what am I going to do? I can't say "No" because I have been a member for a couple of years now and should contribute to help the Guild." So what now? I figured the last page is "THE END" of the newsletter. I got on the computer and looked up "The End” quotes. I picked this quote from the Bible. It sums everything up, I think. Now what script? I thought it should be quite formal so I picked Blackletter. I lettered "The End" in Italic to emphasize it. Recently I was at a Carrie Imai practice session and Betty Locke dropped by. I was struggling with my "Last Page" so she gave me some suggestions which I really appreciated. She helped me with the Italic words and with the “W” at the beginning. After I finished I thought it looked boring so I decided to do a race car flag behind it as a symbol of "THE END". I used the Higgin's Eternal ink for the piece. I liked the variations in the black squares and it went on smoothly with a brush. And that's THE END. 26
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2
On Our Cover - Georgia Angelopoulos
3
President’s Message Editor’s Message
4
May Galleria—Gardens
7
Saint John’s Bible
8
Cowichan Library Show
9
Foundational and Monoline Workshop
10 Ruling Pen with Thomas Hoyer 11 September Galleria—Alphabet 16 Exposé—Dorothy Forster 17 Pot Luck Luncheon 18 Letters Mingle Souls 19 Glen Epstein DVD 20 Thomas Hoyer Slide Show 21 Bulletin Board 22 Pen Preparation 24 Newsletter Exchange New at the Library 26 Stenciling Back Cover Artist - Judy Lowood
ISSUE NUMBER 42 - OCTOBER 2008 28