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Barbara Qualley
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Kathy Marven
Front Cover Artist Back Cover Artist
David Carter Susan Miller
Journal Issue #3 June 2019 Regular monthly meetings
GUIDELINES for submitting articles and photographs can be found at www.warmlandcalligraphers.ca/reflections.html
are held on the Second Tuesday of each month from 8:30am to 12:00pm (no meeting in July and August) Pearmine Room, Exhibition Grounds Duncan, BC (Exceptions are Pot Lucks in December and June)
Inside this issue
Previous Newsletters ended at Issue #66
Executive Meetings are held on the First Tuesday of each month at a member’s home from 9am to noon All members are welcome!
Playtime is held on the Fourth Tuesday of each month from 9am to 12pm Stratford Room, Exhibition Grounds Duncan, BC Annual Membership in Warmland Calligraphers includes online and print copy of Journal. Dues are C$30 for Canadian residents and US$30 for US/Int’l. Warmland Calligraphers of the Cowichan Valley (the Guild) is a non-registered 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. Membership is open to calligraphers at all levels of expertise as well as those with a love of beautiful writing. Contents of this journal 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 Executive or members of the Guild. Members are invited to submit concise pieces for publication as well as to alert the Editorial Committee to conferences, papers, speeches and other matters of interest to our readers. The Editorial Committee reserves the right to make editorial changes in material accepted for publication. These include such revisions or additions deemed necessary to ensure correctness of grammar and spelling, clarification of obscurities, brevity and conformity to the Reflections journal.
Contact us at: P.O. Box 2, Duncan, B C, V9L 3X1 Canada www.warmlandcalligraphers.ca
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General Guild Information President’s Message 2019-2020 Executive Front Cover Artist: David Carter Back Cover Artist: Susan Miller Journal Incentive Coupon Recipients Watercolour Florals - Connie Furgason Celtic Knots - Lucy Hylkema Remembering David Carter Celtic Knots - Part 2 - Lucy Hylkema Seattletters - 38th International Conference Calligraphy Commission Celebration of Letters Exhibition September 2018 Galleria Seeing with New Eyes - June Maffin October 2018 Galleria Layers, Text and Texture - Violet Smythe November 2018 Galleria Christmas Cards January 2019 Galleria Meeting Programme - September - October Meeting Programme - November - January Meeting Programme - March - April Meeting Programme - May February 2019 Galleria Folded Pen - Kerri Forster March 2019 Galleria Pointed Brush - Carolynn Dallaire April 2019 Galleria Retro Deco - Gemma Black May 2019 Galleria
President’s Message Denise Rothney I write this message having just looked at the April Galleria online, and marvelling at the feast of colour and originality that our members exhibit each time they do a Galleria piece. The topics that Betty Locke and Joyce Gammie created for us this year were varied and challenging, but what people have produced from interpreting the mere words on the page is, as always, exceptional. I am frequently amazed at how people interpret the topics so differently. We all struggle with ideas in our head, but the treat is to hear that other people have struggled too, and how they have persevered until they have produced their pictures. From this, new ideas spark and our learning continues. If you are hesitant to submit a Galleria piece, there is a wonderful quote by Elbert Hubbard: “The greatest mistake you can make in life is continually fearing that you’ll make one.” So, jump in and make mistakes along with the rest of us! Warmland Calligraphers has had another excellent year with enthusiastic members and a variety of events to keep us inspired. Under the tireless leadership of Betty Locke and Marilyn Boechler, we have had some stellar workshops from internationally known calligraphers as well as from
our own talented members. At the suggestion of David Carter and Marilyn Lundstrom, Kitchen Table sessions were started as an informal way to introduce new members to calligraphy hands and provide a review for others who were interested. Pat Wheatley continued to organize stimulating and engaging programmes each month, and to fulfill the requirements of the Mentorship Award they received, both Barbara Qualley and Ria Lewis presented programmes on the Seattletters conference they attended. We had two successful exhibitions this year arranged by Ruth Rutledge: one at the Library and one at Portals. The Librarian told me that he had received some very positive comments about our show, and we will be looking forward to exhibiting there again in November. Charlotte Whiteley did an excellent job of organizing the show at Portals this year. Over 400 people viewed our work and five pieces were sold. We have continued to exhibit at Sunridge Place retirement home thanks to Lucy Hylkema and her helpers. Lucy also organized interested members again this year to illustrate and write in calligraphy the work of some of the children from Alexander School.
Thank you to all of the organizers and helpers for making these shows possible. Thank you to Linda Lax who served us so well for two years as our treasurer, and thanks to Carroll McLaurin and Jeanette Rawek for stepping in to take over the Library in September. And thank you to our hard working executive who never cease to impress me with their ability to solve problems, work together and laugh a lot! Volunteers are what make our Guild so strong, and your time and dedication is appreciated greatly by us all. I can’t wait to see what September brings!
Executive Members 2019-2020 President Past President Vice President Meeting Programmes Secretary Treasurer Journal Editor Librarian Workshops Membership Webmaster
Denise Rothney Ria Lewis Ruth Rutledge Pat Wheatley Muriel Heggie Carolynn Dallaire Barbara Qualley Carroll McLaurin Marilyn Boechler/Betty Locke Judy Lowood Barbara Qualley
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Front Cover Artist David Carter Dave penned the large original of this card as a gift for his friend who had recently lost her husband to Parkinson’s disease. The “Irish Blessing” was a long-time favourite song of his choir. Dave suggested making cards and after their sale, a healthy donation was made to the Parkinson’s Society. When Dave died, this song was sung at his Celebration of Life.
Back Cover Artist Susan Miller In 2007 after a wonderful conference in Shawnigan Lake, British Colombia called “Island Magic 2007” I joined Warmland Calligraphers of the Cowichan Valley. My learning curve goes from zerozilch know-how, to trying my best to emulate some of the best calligraphers on the globe. Which pen, which paper, which ink should I use? “Patience, Susan, Patience!” They really meant the Sheila Waters kind of PATIENCE but always with gentle coaxing and encouragement - the Sheila Waters kind. I’ve taken classes from Connie, Georgia, Betty, Thomas, Alice, David, Lisa, Marilyn,
Carolynn and Barbara. And oh, did I mention Betty? And how about that Westcoast Calligraphy Society group in Vancouver with their super WOOL Conference every two years? Maurelle: brush lettering still drives me dizzy but I’ll get it. I have found my favourite script, ink and pen and can actually produce some ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ but to those who can relate - it’s never finished. My confidence is bigger, my a** is bigger, my group of friends is bigger, my bank account is smaller (don’t tell my husband) but I’ve learned a lot and enjoyed more.
A proud member of Warmland Calligraphers
To all who think they might try it
In an effort to encourage members to write articles for the Journal, a discount coupon was created. Our thanks to contributing members:
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I say-- Go on and find your Club. You’ll be amazed. -Susan Miller
WARMLAND CALLIGRAPHERS - REFLECTIONS
Jeanne Ralston
Linda Yaychuk
Margaret Kells
Laurie Williams
Trish Peebles
Kathy Griffin
Kathy Bedard
Janet Peters
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Watercolour Florals - Connie Furgason May 17 and 18, 2018 Connie Furgason was ‘in the area’ and quick-thinking member Janet Peters snapped her up for a workshop. Due to the popularity of Connie and her freestyle florals, two classes were arranged to allow maximum members to learn her technique. Many members have the Gold Sable 1/2” brush favoured by Betty Locke for her Artistry of the Edged Brush class. While florals were successful with that size, Connie introduced us to a 1” brush. She cautioned that when purchasing that size to make sure that the bristles are not too long. [Her brush was purchased at currys.com for C$3.50 Royal Langnickel Soft Grip Synthetic Sable Angular 1” SG75A1]
investment. This allows you to have lots of colours to play with! Connie had so many colours but two favourites that I recall were Naples Yellow from Winsor Newton and Jadeite Genuine by Daniel Smith. Both brands are available at Iron Oxide in Nanaimo. She also used Quinacridone Gold. Your practice sheets are NEVER garbage! There is always an area that can be cut to create a greeting card. Using a mat that has been cut into 2 L-shapes allows you to isolate a pleasing composition.
Loading the brush with lots of water and then dipping into one or two shades of pigment, she pressed the brush onto the paper and quickly pulled and released. Voila! A petal. Connie also advised to purchase quality artist grade watercolours. Yes, they are more expensive, but are a stronger pigment and therefore last longer. For calligraphy purposes, we squeeze pigment into the palette tray and let it dry. Then we are able to control the amount of water required to make a good colour and flow for our nibs. This method of squeezing into a tray allows you to share a tube with a few members to reduce your
It might be difficult to see from this small image, but using a brush loaded with only water, you can drag it through your florals to create highlight lines. Best to do this when the pigment is newly dry. It is difficult to move old pigment. You will notice loose pencil outlines over some of the images. This gives the flower more shape. Do this while the pigment is still wet. Tip: Don’t hold your pencil i n t h e traditional manner, but loosely.
Connie’s daffodil and rose.
- Barbara Qualley
Carolynn Dallaire
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Joanne Schlichter
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Kathy Marven Mieke van der Vliet
Laura Bethune Delaine Faulkner
Pat Wheatley
Marianne Sanders
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Celtic Knots - Lucy Hylkema May 23 and 30, 2018 Though visually stunning, I have always found Celtic knots to be somewhat overwhelming. Where to look? How are they done? It was all a mystery until I took Lucy Hylkema’s workshop. To begin Lucy gave us a simple format to follow. First make a grid of dots and crosses. Next start at the circled dot and draw two parallel lines
up to the right. Then draw more lines here, here and here. As we followed her lead a detailed pattern started to unfold. Seeing the pattern in what I was doing was the key. We were told to keep our lines parallel and to always follow an “over” with an “under”. Once that had sunk in I was off and running.
That all took place on the first day. On the second day Lucy showed us how to add variations to the knots we were drawing. This is where a lot of complexity happens, where patterns can be created within patterns. Since there was only time to introduce this, I will have many hours of fun ahead experimenting with different patterns. - Kathy Bedard
Hans van der Werff (courtesy of June Maffin)
Judy Lowood
Linda Lax
I had the pleasure of attending a workshop with Lucy Hylkema on May 23rd and 30th from 9am to noon on both days. At the time I wondered why she split the workshop into 2 days instead of a single six-hour class. It became apparent to me very shortly after I started the first day when my brain was on overload before the first 3-hour class had ended! I was beginning to wonder if I was using a pencil on paper or driving my car down lanes and avoiding obstacles and barricades and walls. Thank goodness for glasses because I can see
double at the best of times without having to deal with a page of dots joining into one. I think we were all focused on our pages or “race tracks” doing loops and hairpin turns along the way and avoiding any obstacles at the same time. Making turns but still staying on the road is not as easy as it sounds. When I went to bed those two nights instead of counting sheep and was saying to myself “over....under.....over.....under”. Amazingly we all went home after the first class and returned the following week with projects beautifully done
WARMLAND CALLIGRAPHERS - REFLECTIONS
(well, most of us that is) to show to the class. I myself had somewhere driven off the road never to return back on to complete what was supposed to be the initial “T”. I finished the workshop learning how to make a beautiful Celtic knot heart to pass along to my loved ones and adding another little tidbit of information for when the time arises and I want to decorate a border on some other hand-done piece of work. Thank you Lucy for your patience and expertise in showing us all what is a work of art that you have mastered over time. - Kathy Griffin JUNE 2019
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Over and Under, Over and Under, Over and …… was our Mantra for this two day workshop instructed by Lucy Hylkema, one of our Warmland Guild Members. Every “pathway” of the Celtic knot has to go over another path or under one. One description by a participant was that it reminded her of braiding hair. Origin: So where did Celtic knots originate? Celtic Knots are also known as Endless Knots or Mystic Knots. Creating Celtic Knots is a slow meditative art form.
Judy Matheson
They appeared in history about 450 AD. Gaelic Monks put together Biblical Manuscripts in monasteries in Ireland and the island of Britain. Knots were often used for elaborate decoration or illumination of initial letters. Lucy was enthusiastic, patient and made this workshop very accessible to all. Over the two days, when someone could not quite get to where the next path was to lead, she would stand beside you, let you figure it out on your own, giving as little guidance as needed. You would hear Lucy say, “Celtic knots are good for your brains. It is like a puzzle”. She is right. Some knots were more puzzling than others, or perhaps puzzled some of us more! Lucy took us through a step-by-step process to create one square knot. The paper we used was Fabriano Dot papers from Iron oxide. Great for keeping the pathways somewhat even. 8
Laurie Williams
Celtic Knots - Lucy Hylkema November 21 and 28, 2018
We then progressed to longer knots using technical terms such as ‘a frown or smiley face' as we looped the path up and over the top – a frown; or under and up at the bottom – a smile) People went home the first day with the assignment to use what we learned and create a Celtic Knot. Three of us, I was one and I love Math, were somewhat challenged with creating these knots with precision and accuracy. The husband of one participant sat with her and she created an amazing page full of Celtic paths. (see background by Marla Hayden)
Something is “Knot” Right If you are starting to make a knot – Start Big. Each knot is created in a square. A large knot gives you a quick visual as to what is happening. One idea which was very helpful is to using tracing paper and trace a Celtic Knot you have created. You quickly see any errors which you may miss by just taking a quick look at it. Before making your own knot, tracing one from a book or on the web gets you into the rhythm of the process. Don’t be fooled by the simple look. There was a lot of concentration, encouragement and best of all laughter while learning – thank you Lucy! - Trish Peebles
After practicing for awhile, I am always looking for patterns, I realized that a line is joined from an “x” to a Dot “.” Or from a Dot to an “x”. Then using our mantra Over and under it started to make sense for me. You are always working around a centre. Once you make a path going under another path remember to extend the path on the other side with small lines.
Trish Peebles
Tricia Field
Another trick is to remember a diamond shape is created in the centre of the knots. Day 2: On the second day, Lucy showed us slides of her sister riding her bike on a path and on a road way. The roadway was blocked and her sister had to travel a different path. So how does that equate to creating Celtic Knots? We learned to put up lines within a Celtic Knot – “a road block” and had to create a path around the road block. It was an excellent visual.
WARMLAND CALLIGRAPHERS - REFLECTIONS
Linda Lax
Charlotte Whiteley
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Barbara Qualley
Remembering David Carter
This piece was half-done by Dave. His wife Jan asked Judi Hopewell to finish the lettering. This is the hand she wants to name `Carter Script`.
David was a big-hearted and generous friend, one of those rare people one feels an instant connection with upon first meeting. David’s membership, contribution as a calligrapher and our librarian, are a great loss to the Guild. I miss his enthusiastic, thoughtful approach to the art of calligraphy and his kind spirit. Rest in peace, David. - Ria Lewis
David was generous with his time for individuals and the whole Guild of calligraphers. He willingly and energetically took on the role of Librarian as well as helping novices at Playtime. Heartbreaking that he is no longer with us. Love his enthusiasm for colour and line!
What an amazing & talented man! He was a teacher extraordinaire. I feel so blessed to have met him and to have taken his last class. R.I.P. David - Judy Lowood
- Ruth Rutledge
A kind, humourous, creative and gentle soul. Always ready to take a new adventure and journey on the calligraphic and artistic path. That great smile and just enjoyment of life that David exemplified still remains in my mind and heart. I miss you David. In fond memory. - Simone LaVoie I will always remember David as a sweet, caring, kind, generous soul. Always positive and calming, he looked at the bright side of things with such a positive attitude. David took time to show me the work he accomplished with the Northern Scribes group, explaining in detail how to do any technique I asked of him. During his stint as Librarian David would recommend certain books -- I always followed up on what he suggested and a couple of times bought my own copy. I was so thankful to David for being a willing participant in my Tree Book project. A highlight for me. David always welcomed me to meetings / workshops with a bear hug -- that's what I will miss most. David, thank you for being part of my life. You will be missed by many. ♥ ♥ ♥ Annie WARMLAND CALLIGRAPHERS - REFLECTIONS
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David plunged into calligraphy with an enormous enthusiasm and energy. He took all the courses that came along, he had such flair and imagination. He lapped up so much in short order.
David Carter was an extraordinary person. How fortunate we were to have him in our guild. I appreciated his artistic creativity, positive nature, welcoming spirit, innovative ideas and great sense of humour. - Carolynn Dallaire
Having been Librarian for Warmland Calligraphers for five years, I approached him with the possibility of him following in my footsteps and taking over from me. After being a member for a short time, he gladly agreed to do so and we had several sessio ns b eco ming intimatel y acquainted (with the library!) and discovering all about its eccentricities and demands and I found out what a great person he was!
We all miss Dave Carter keenly - he leaves a big hole in all our hearts. He was a thoughtful, intelligent, fine man, husband, father, grandpa, friend, linguist, singer, gardener, gourmand, and calligrapher among many other things. The cover artwork is in the uncial hand that he loved so well and is something he frequently sent to friends in card form. It is my hope that his unique hand he developed for a Parisienne art piece specially designed for his dear wife, Jan, will become a favourite among calligraphers‌ a legacy to the calligraphic world he so enjoyed. - Judi Hopewell
David was such a giving person, just a mention of a need and he leapt up and did the job. Warmland Calligraphers benefitted enormously from his presence—we really miss you, David. With much affection, Pat Wheatley
Celtic Knots - Part 2 with Lucy Hylkema attempted to reproduce the very intricate knot work.
The information Lucy imparted was from the Lindisfarne Gospels, exten-
sively researched by her, and presented in such a manner which further opened our eyes to the history, beauty and delicacy of the Gospels. The Celtic knots were challenging to reproduce, but the visuals - photocopies from the Gospels, videos, and the handouts which Lucy supplied were extremely helpful in moving, and further enlightening us, while we
Lucy Hylkema
Laurie Williams and Linda Lax
Liz Moss and Mary Nelson
The class which convened over two Wednesday mornings was a small class of six members, so Lucy graciously consented to holding it in her home. It was a very congenial atmosphere within a comfortable environment.
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The course built on what we had learned in the former basic course, and heightened our awareness of how much more there is to learn about the Gospels and the monks who created them. - Margaret Kells
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The first day we spent working on proper form, writing the alphabet. I
My first international calligraphy conference was a remarkable experience. More than 400 calligraphers gathered at Western Washington University in Bellingham. It was a very well-organized conference with many programs and classes taught by experienced international calligraphy instructors. Hearing and meeting keynote speaker Donald Jackson MVO KSG, artistic director of The Saint John's Bible, a hand-written and illuminated Bible commissioned by the Benedictine monastery of Saint John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, was definitely a highlight for me. I chose to take two classes, lasting two and a half days each. A full week class was too daunting for my first conference. I chose well. The first class was called Think It, Paint It, Write It with Barbara Close. The first day, we e x p e r i m e n t e d w i t h watercolours. She had us paint 3-inch squares using all kinds of ideas with paint, like wet-on-wet, using three different kinds of salt, dry brush, and all kinds of tools to score with, to mention a few. After we experimented with a few dozen ideas, Barbara gave us a view finder (a small rectangular hole in a piece of cardboard) and
asked us to find an interesting part in each painted square. We were asked to mark, cut and place them on a prepared sheet with a grid of drawn rectangles, and we were to write a short note about each to help us
remember the technique used. The following day and a half we made use of what we had learned and were asked to create as many pages as possible, using water colour and writing. Barbara kept giving us new ideas while we were working. I must say, I felt a bit rushed and did not use every suggestion she made. On the last morning we made a booklet with Japanese stitching into which we placed our creations. It was a very busy and creative class.
app reciated b eing co mp letely immersed in learning and executing the correct form of each letter. Day two, we moved onto words, sentences and short poems, as well as modern forms of this hand. The last morning, we created a booklet out of the practice sheets to show our own progression and I managed to write a haiku in watercolour as well. All in all, a very satisfying workshop. Not only was this conference a great experience, it also was much fun travelling with our Warmland Calligraphers and meeting others from all over the world. The dining hall and social events became our meeting and sharing places. John Neal’s Bookstore, which I visited often, covered a whole floor of the library.
Last but not least, to be able to admire and appreciate the Heritage Books of The Saint John’s Bible, displayed on yet another floor of the library, was a real privilege.
- Ria Lewis The second class I took was called Uncialiscious with Jane Shibata. This class was an opportunity to study the classic and historically-correct form of Uncials. I was impressed with Jane’s knowledge and her wonderful handouts about the history of Uncials and its many forms.
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While we see members of our Guild once a month, it was a treat to spend more time with a group of eleven from Warmland who also attended Seattletters. Ria Lewis, Marilyn Lundstrom and I drove down together. Opting to be on the 10:15am ferry, it was an easy journey. On arrival, we found parking very close to our dorm and unloaded bags and bags of very necessary stuff. [All we needed was to find a liquor store, but it took us a day to accomplish that. Thank heavens for GPS in the car!] Registration was a breeze. We collected key cards to access our dorm building and a key to our room. Then we received a Welcome Package containing a gorgeous name tag (thanks to Lee Ann Clark) and the Seattletters logoed goody bag. Dorm rooms had each occupant's name lettered on a card (thanks to team members Laura Norton, Christy Schroeder and Suzie Beringer). What a lovely way to know your neighbours and ultimately wonderful keepsakes.
Fortunately, I had a 5 day class and didn't need to change rooms. I took Copperplate Flourishing with Pat Blair. Pat has just retired from being the Chief Whitehouse Calligrapher. She shared albums of menus, invitations and Christmas cards that she prepared over 20 years. No photos were allowed.
piece to Pat, and using a red pencil, she corrected and gave more air to my
A few class members had little knowledge Barbara Qualley of Copperplate, so the first day was spent reviewing lowerPat Blair case letters and the morning of the second day we reviewed uppercase letters. We were then introduced to a variety of flourishes. Some in a left direction and others going off to the right. I kept hearing Betty Locke's voice saying "come back to Mother" and "more air". My hand had a mind of its own! The third day we got down to the business of drafting our finished piece. We were instructed to put flourishes on every ascender and descender possible. What a visual mess! Then using a pencil, we crossed out those that clashed and ultimately pared the flourishes down to the appropriate amount. Your eye will tell you what is right. Yes, less is more.
flourishes. No surprise there! I did two finished pieces. One on white paper with green watercolour, and the other on black using Dr. Martin's Bleedproof White. I have a long way to go. We all needed a break from focusing on letterforms, so Pat had us play with watercolour. We were instructed to use a large brush to wet a full size
One of the best things with having Ria as a roomie was her coffee! Lavazza Oro. I immediately bought some on returning home. Just popping the lid on the container filled the room with such a great aroma. What a great way to start the day. We were not the only conference on the Western Washington University campus. It was a busy place and often presented a challenge to find group seating in the cafeteria. We lugged our bags of requisite supplies to our classrooms on Sunday. 12
Finally, I felt my piece was ready to commit to a final copy. I took my
WARMLAND CALLIGRAPHERS - REFLECTIONS
sheet of Arches Hot Press 90lb paper in about 6 areas (one at a time). Then,
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again using the large brush, we added swipes of watercolour (Payne's Gray and Burnt Sienna are gorgeous
the area to select the best portions of the watercolour. We then cut and mounted them on cardstock to make lovely presentations. No talent
was displayed. Amazing accomplishments. None of this existed five days previous. I totally agree with Ria: that meeting Donald Jackson (and his wife Mabel)
together), remembering to leave whitespace for lettering. Salt and plastic wrap were added to some of the areas and they were left to dry overnight. The next day, we held two right-angle pieces of mat board over
required and so very effective! The best part of the final day was being able to see what our classmates had produced. As our classroom was a lecture room with 7 levels, it was not conducive to wandering around to sneak a peek of works in progress. On Friday afternoon all the students work from all the classes
and seeing the Heritage Edition of the Saint John's Bible was a highlight. Do not miss an opportunity to see this breathtaking work of art. - Barbara Qualley
Calligraphy Commission Fairbridge Chapel When we received an email from Ron Smith at Fairbridge Chapel to letter their Register of Marriage, Leslie Healy took on the project. Leslie advised that she was unhappy with the paper and design of the book. The previous book had better quality paper. She also noted that the first page to record marriages was directly on the back of the title page and a wedding had already been recorded. Unfortunately the ink bled through the thin paper and showed through on the other side. Leslie learned a valuable lesson: that ink is not always the right choice. Betty Locke has always advised that
WARMLAND CALLIGRAPHERS - REFLECTIONS
you cannot control the wetness of ink and suggests that (black) watercolour or gouache are a better choice for poor paper as you can control the viscosity of the fluid. I took the liberty of contacting the Anglican Book Centre in Toronto to suggest a redesign of the title page. Janet Thomas, Publishing Coordinator, was appreciative of my phone call and email, saying she was passing the information along to the printing department. - Barbara Qualley
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CELEBRATION OF LETTERS EXHIBITION - MAY 2018 “I wish someone would send me a letter that looked that interesting”. “I thought calligraphy was just nice printing”. “What Inspiration!” Those were some of the comments made from visitors to the Celebration of Letters Exhibition displayed in the Telus Lobby of the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre throughout May. This exhibition space is a bit different in that it is only open to the public for the hour before and during performances in the theatre. Visitors to this exhibition did not necessarily come for the art but rather were treated to the art when they came to a show.
Walking through the theatre doors, nine works of art can be seen dancing across the wall leading you through the alphabet. While the theatre lights showcase the art, comments can be heard and smiles seen as the artwork is enjoyed. Near the concession stand a Triptych is found that keeps you focused as you try to figure out the message in the piece. On other walls are groupings highlighting the
different techniques and approaches to a theme. There are collections related to Magic, the Canada 150 Celebration,
delightful job displaying a variety of styles, designs and techniques to raise awareness of our craft. The planning for any exhibition requires the involvement of many people. This one began many months earlier when the contract was signed and a coordinator identified. The request for artwork went out and Galleria subjects were identified with an emphasis on large pieces, specifically for the Lobby’s large walls. By show time, 23 members had stepped up and supplied 87 works of art to be displayed. Denise Rothney completed early contract and organizational work while Betty Locke supplied a large poster and calligraphic names of all Guild members. Eleanor Harris filled her front room with the collected artwork and ensured that paperwork was completed properly. The pieces were moved in and hung by an energetic and enthusiastic group. Kathy Bedard, David Carter, Irene McGeary, Denise Rothney and Pat Wheatley all played an integral part by lending their perspective as well as their creative energy. My husband, Eric Koob, helped out by repairing frames, assembling the hangers, hanging work and taking pictures of the art.
Cities, Flowers and Circles. Several are simply looked at while some are studied closely for context. Visitors are impacted by certain pieces and some become immersed in a few, spending more time while lingering to gain better understanding. Each piece has the potential to represent something different to each viewer, to convey a meaning or spark a memory. A glass cabinet offers the observer items that are a bit different, calligraphy on a drum, a vase, an egg and a book. Our calligraphers have done a
This exhibitio n was a great opportunity for the guild to showcase their abilities to the Cowichan Valley community. - Debbie Craig
We consistently have 40 members attend our meetings. 14
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September 2018 Galleria Create a piece in which the subject matter is funny things that children say. Include suitable graphics and colours.
Carolynn Dallaire
Marion Craig
Susan Miller
Judy Lowood
Kathy Marven
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Charlotte Whiteley
Linda Lax
Denise Rothney
Ruth Ruledge
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WARMLAND CALLIGRAPHERS - REFLECTIONS
Jeanette Rawek
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Anne Atkinson Ria Lewis
Betty Locke
Valerie Hodgins
Judi Hopewell
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Seeing with New Eyes - June Maffin On a beautiful sunny day in September, June Maffin presented her workshop, “Seeing With New Eyes". Together we explored the concept of positive and negative space. Throughout the day, we participated in a series of exercises that helped us to see beyond the obvious. June developed the course based on her learning with Marina Soria, a renowned Argentinian calligrapher, whose workshop she attended at De Ann Singh’s California Studio. In preparation, June contacted Marina for permission to teach her technique. Marina was very supportive; actually, excited and enthusiastic about the process that June had created. She had no problem with June adapting the process and renaming the workshop.
our letters inside the shape with letters touching or going beyond the shape. We could use any form of lettering including our handwriting and write or draw with our choice of medium. Some were comfortable with pencil crayons, others with watercolours or felt tip pens. Quotes of five to seven words seemed to work best. This created a template for the further steps in our exploration. Carroll McLaurin
The title of the workshop reflects June’s personal experience and a favo ur ite Pro ust q uo te. J une explained, “I’m always trying to learn to see with new eyes in all situations including difficult situations.”
The class of eight members gathered round June's laptop to view her slide show presentation. Betty Locke
The use of positive and negative space in the creation of art was discussed. In Eastern cultures, what we in the West term “negative" space is sometimes referred to as “sacred" space. We were asked to bring a short quote, poem or haiku and to think of a shape to work within. This could be formal, such as a circle, square or triangle or amorphous. We started by drawing 18
We placed this “template” on our light tables and by concentrating on different aspects of the design, created new but related designs. The
WARMLAND CALLIGRAPHERS - REFLECTIONS
challenge in each step was to view the lines from a different perspective, looking at spaces and lines rather than the letters. The process was very open. Instructions were given for each step but if you misinterpreted the instructions, you just created your own step. What a great concept! Throughout the session, we were encouraged to relax. June provided soothing music and we took stretch breaks. It was wonderful to see the resulting progression of images that moved further and further from the initial template. As one participant commented, “I could never have come up with this JUNE 2019
without going through this process.” By the end of the workshop we were definitely, seeing with new eyes. - Laurie Williams
Laurie Williams
Linda Lax Debbie Craig
October 2018 Galleria Proclaim your love for one of the letters of the alphabet. That letter is to be the “graphic” on the page. Challenge yourself to write at least 15 words about that letter.
Leslie Healy
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Laurie Williams
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Betty Locke Ruth Rutledge
Marion Craig
Anne Atkinson
Margaret Kells
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Linda Lax
Jeanette Rawek
Pat Wheatley
Judy Lowood
Judi Hopewell
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Ria Lewis
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Marilyn Boechler
Charlotte Whiteley
Denise Rothney
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Layers, Text and Texture - Violet Smythe October 24 and 25, 2018 Each of us received a gorgeous 26 page folder of LAYERS, TEXT AND TEXTURE instructions as well as a number of supplies. We began by prepping some of our pages.
Judi Hopewell
Violet Smythe, Surrey, BC, brought an amazing amount of supplies and knowledge to our class on October 24th and 25th in Duncan. She paints in a variety of mediums and shared her past experiences with these processes with us. Violet has had the privilege of taking workshops with Famous Empty Sky, Lisa Engelbrecht, Sherry Bartlett, Sharon Zeugin, Tony O’Regan, Lorraine Douglas, Rebecca Wild, Kristen Doty, Shari Pratt, Judy Melvin, Mark Glavina, Yukimi Annand, Maureen Dyson Berris and Betty Locke, who introduced her to the wonderful world of watercolour. These classes were focussed on mixed mediums and some also included lettering.
The next step was to create backgrounds using a variety of mediums such as watercolour, acrylic ink or paint, stained glass, mono print, alcohol resist, spray booth, stencils, pastel chalk, rubber stamps, punchinella and drywall tape. Violet gave us a demo of each method and then we experimented.
Margaret Kells
As we were adding layers to our backgrounds, strategies of lettering, such as textural, continuous, spiral, partial, cross, positive and negative writing were discussed. We also experimented with blind contour writing, bleeding letters and masking tape.
Janet Peters
Violet Smythe
June Maffin
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Carroll McLaurin
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Jeanne Ralston
Ria Lewis
There were several ah ha moments for me including ... using a split ring to hold your exemplar cards for future reference; removing masking tape tackiness on your jeans; using a wine bottle cork to store your X-acto knife blade; using scotch tape to remove contact paper from a stencil; and a few more.
Betty Locke
Barbara Qualley
The inclusion of the workbook meant that if you didn’t have time to finish all the projects in class, you had all the instructions to do them at home. Plus you didn’t need to take notes during class. I was privileged to sta y at C a r o l y n n Dallaire’s house with Violet and get to know her better. If you have the chance, make sure you take her workshop. You won’t be disappointed. It was two funfilled days of e x p er i me n t i n g and learning.
Marilyn Lundstrom
Kathy Bedard
Linda Lax
- Jeanne Ralston - additions from Carolynn Dallaire
Jeanette Rawek
To add another dimension to our pieces, Violet showed us a variety of photo transfer methods, how to add stencilled images and letters and how to work with Gesso. 24
Denise Rothney
WARMLAND CALLIGRAPHERS - REFLECTIONS
Violet Smythe
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Carolynn Dallaire
November 2018 Galleria Create a brush lettering piece. Letters, texture and background must be done in brush only and must contain at least ten words.
Ruth Rutledge
Ria Lewis
Paullette McLaren
Pat Wheatley Leslie Healy
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Betty Locke
Mieke van der Vliet
Joyce Gammie
Marilyn Lundstrom
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Marilyn Boechler
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Jeanette Rawek
Carolynn Dallaire
Marion Craig
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Linda Lax
Charlotte Whiteley
Judi Hopewell
Anne Atkinson
Judy Lowood
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MERRY CHRISTMAS
Barbara Qualley
Violet Smythe
Pat Wheatley
Carolynn Dallaire
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Anne Atkinson
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Susan Miller
Ria Lewis
Marg Kells
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Marilyn Boechler
Charlotte Whiteley
Linda Yaychuk
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Jeanette Rawek
Marion Craig
Linda Lax
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Carroll McLaurin
Betty Locke
Laurie Williams
Denise Rothney
Judy Lowood Anne Atkinson
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January 2019 Galleria Do a piece that measures 14" x 18" before matting that is 50 words or more… Use a theme: Music, Nursery rhymes, seashore etc. Piece can be done in any hand or combination of hands.
Judi Hopewell
Betty Locke
Mieke van der Vliet
Pat Wheatley
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Ria Lewis
Linda Lax Judy Lowood
Ruth Rutledge
Denise Rothney
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Trish Peebles
Marion Craig
Margaret Kells
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Jeanette Rawek
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Meeting Programme September - Seattletters Group Presentation Twelve Guild members attended Seattletters, the 37th International Conference held this year from July 14 - 21 at Western Washington University in Bellingham. Today se ve n me mb er s s h ar e d t heir experience. Carolynn Dallaire and Judith Lovell attended Romans: Pattern and Texture presented by Annie Cicale. Carolynn presented a slide show illustrating the progression throughout the course from paper choice, spacing, seraphs, moving into colour, monoline texture and bookmaking. Lucy Hylkema, Judi Hopewell and Paullette McLaren attended Denis Brown’s presentation Celtic and Gothic Hybrids: Breeding Modern Varieties of Scripts. In this session they were tasked with repeating letters over and over, as a reminder of how important practice is. They were exposed to Denis Brown’s stunning work, and described him as an excel-
lent teacher who encourages using new techniques for the digital age. Marilyn Lundstrum and Janet Peters attended a session by Reggie Ezell on Foundational: Trusting your Instinct. This session was described as very well organized, very focussed and one which pushed students beyond their limits. Marilyn and Janet described hints they had learned on rounding the tip of a Mitchell nib using a nail file and magnifying glass, cleaning nibs with gum arabic, and grinding their own ink. Betty Locke attended Rebecca Wild’s course on Nature Inspired Art and Text. This course demonstrated the use of pastels, matte medium and layering. Betty stated that the course was well organized, and participants received a great package of notes. We were shown examples of Betty’s achievements from the course. June Maffin attended Cherryl Moote’s 26 Things To Do With the Alphabet.
June felt she did not learn a lot of new stuff in this course, but she did introduce a word she had learned which wa s n e w t o mo s t o f u s Boustraphedon - bi-directional text in which every other line is reversed. We were shown an example of this text.
Liz McDonald attended Think ItPaint It - Write It and Expressive Pointed Pen both with Barbara Close, declaring that she enjoyed the natural free-flow method of teaching in both sessions. Ria Lewis and Barbara Qualley also attended the conference and will describe their experiences at a later date. - Marg Kells
Meeting Programme October - Ria Lewis on Seattletters This programme was presented by Ria Lewis, one of 12 Guild members who attended Seattletters, the International Calligraphy Conference held in July 2018.
background techniques. She showed many examples including jazz writing on a watercolour border (scribble writing using a fine Pigma pen), and
Ria participated in two workshops, the first entitled 'Uncialicious', presented by Jane Shibata. Ria was very enthusiastic about this workshop and enjoyed developing her Uncial skills. She showed exemplars and a booklet made from her work sheets outlining her progress over the 2 1/2 days of the session. The second workshop Ria attended was presented by Barbara Close entitled 'Think It - Paint It - Write It'. Ria found this to be a very busy workshop using different media and different
ful information sheet of background techniques to the membership. To conclude the presentation Ria gave out cardboard strips and tiny pots for ink, and members practised one of the techniques that Ria had learned from Barbara Close. The photos certainly show that members enjoyed the quick and easy art. - Margaret Kells
shadowing around letters using a pencil. Ria exhibited a booklet she had made containing results of the workshop. She also distributed a very use-
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Meeting Programme November - Barbara Qualley on Seattletters November’s programme was a presentation by Guild member Barbara Qualley on her experience at the International Calligraphy Conference, Seattletters, in July 2018. This talk was one of the requisites for receiving a mentorship award from the Guild. Barb began her presentation with an overview of what it takes to plan an international conference. Eleanor Harris and Barb Qualley were co-Directors for the 27th International Conference, Island Magic 2007. It was enlightening to hear about the many facets of putting on such an event... transportation, classes, greenhorns, goodie bags, t-shirts, excursions, faculty, envelopes, exhibitions, name tags..... and a few more. To
those of us who had attended Island Magic, it was wonderful to revisit the conference and hear this entertaining behind-the-scenes report. So much goes into a conference. The Seattletters conference took place at the University of Washington in Bellingham, WA July 14 to 21, 2018. Barb began this part of her talk with acquainting us the University of Washington. She showed photos of the campus, the lecture hall, her dorm room, name tags, her classroom, cafeteria, John Neal Bookseller shop in the Library, and some of the other buildings. Barb studied Copperplate hand with Pat Blair, a Whitehouse calligrapher, for the week. She outlined their
course of study... traditional letters, spacing, flourishing, working on projects. We all enjoyed looking at the photos of Pat Blair’s work, the work of people in the class and, of course, Barb’s work. Barb shared various ‘tips’ and her final projects. The presentation was completed with an overview of the amazing talk by Donald Jackson on the seven volume project of the St. John’s Bible. We enjoyed Barb Qualley’s informative and interesting presentation on her experience at Seattletters. It was easy to see the positive impact it has had on her calligraphic life. thank you Barbara. - Carolynn Dallaire
Meeting Programme January - Scribbled Lives The January program conducted by Betty Locke was a presentation of a secret site on Facebook called Scribbled Lives. The aim of the group is to work within a creative and supportive community on journaling that celebrates the creative life, letters and more. The site was created by Carol DuBosch and is made up of a limited number of members who sign up in November for a year. Last year there were 55 members and that number has swelled to 79 this year. Each week the group is given a prompt and members produce calligraphic pieces and post them on the Facebook page. Feedback is given by the participants. Some of the prompts have been; begin, moon, sparkle, activism and anticipation. Betty discussed a number of pieces produced by herself, Judi Hopewell, Carolynn Dallaire and Paullette McLaren. We were able to enjoy new methods and hands used in the works. I think we were all impressed that these ladies were able to produce such wonderful pieces every week. - Linda Yaychuk 38
WARMLAND CALLIGRAPHERS - REFLECTIONS
Betty Locke’s year JUNE 2019
Meeting Programme march - Speedball B Nib with Lucy Hylkema Various mediums work very well with the B Nib. Sumi ink is thin and gives a nice finish. The nib also takes watercolour and gauche very well and works on a variety of papers including handmade ones which include leaves and petals. Some of these papers may need to be sprayed with a fixative such as cheap hairspray.
This is a strong round-ended nib which uses a great deal of ink as the end floats on the ink as it crosses the paper. Begin writing by rocking the nib. This will ensure that your letterform starts with a curved edge. Maintain contact with the paper as you move. Then rock again to make a clean round finish. The whole arm must be used to maintain contact. The pen can also be pushed up across the paper which is almost impossible to do with other nibs. Moving the pen slowly creates a smooth dark line. Quick movements leave deckles along the edges which can be quite effective. The B Nib comes in various sizes. The smaller the nib the more slowly you need to move the pen. Letters can be
B Nibs work well with other kinds of nibs to create texture or variety in your pieces.
improved by filling in corners or edges to create smoother edges or create thick or thin lines.
Lucy considers works done with the B Nib look accessible and playful. People are drawn in and not intimidated by the letters. Its wide use in various forms throughout our society confirms this idea. - Linda Yaychuk
Meeting Programme April - MYLAR PALETTE WITH CHARLOTTE WHITELEY The April program was a presentation by Charlotte Whitely on 1) the colour wheel, and 2) the use of a Mylar sheet as a palette. A diagrammatic chart was given out showing the positions of primary, secondary and tertiary colours on the colour wheel. Charlotte discussed colour harmony and tint tones, a visual demonstration of which was given in the viewing of various colour charts. There was a lot of information to be absorbed and people made copious notes as Charlotte spoke. She also made mention of Isaac Newton who created the first colour wheel in the year 1666.
The mylar palette is especially useful for travel/workshops: the pea-size dabs of paint make for quick drying.
www.janeblundellart.com, as further references in support of her presentation. - Margaret Kells
Charlotte suggested that the palette could be personalized: traditional warm/cool colours, colours used in a particular workshop etc. Charlotte mentioned the book “Blue and Yellow Don’t Make Green” by Michael Wilcox, and the website of Jane Blundell, artist at
The second part of the presentation was instruction on how to prepare and make a Mylar sheet into a colour palette. We had been asked to bring a Pigma pen, circle templates and tubes of water colour paint, all of which we put to use in creating the palette.
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Meeting Programme May - Using Colour in Calligraphy Using colour in calligraphy was the topic of a two-part program conducted by Marilyn Boechler and Ruth Rutledge at our May meeting.
The third sample was created by painting in the background to make a white outline (a moat) around a letter.
Each person created a booklet in which to record samples. The Neuland hand was used as the letters have large spaces to hold colours.
The fifth sample was a passage written with light paint such as yellow. Gradually darker colours were added to the nib creating a piece with variegated colours.
The program was very enjoyable and I'm sure we're all looking forward to the second part next season. - Linda Yaychuk
Sample four was a series of words written with a wash that becomes lighter as more water is added to the wash during the writing. The first letter was washed with water and various colours were dropped in. The next sample’s words were placed between wavy lines and the counterspaces were painted with various colours.
Save the Date! The ABC 2020 Committee is excited to announce that tradition continues in August 2020 when the Red Deer Lettering Arts Guild hosts another ABC conference. Date: August 9-14, 2020 Location: Red Deer College Choices of 2 and 3 day classes. Ten top instructors are coming our way. Stay tuned for more information on instructors, registration details and ways that you can be involved in the event. We look forward to seeing you in 2020! 40
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February 2019 Galleria Do a NEW piece that has been inspired by the work done in a workshop you have taken through the Guild. We have had many fine presenters and this is a chance to use what you have learned from them.
Marion Craig Leslie Healy
Marilyn Boechler
Mararet Kells
Jane Sheers
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Jane Sheers
Jeanette Rawek
Leslie Healy
Judy Lowood
Janet Peters
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Ruth Rutledge
Linda Yaychuk
Anne Atkinson
Betty Locke
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Pat Wheatley
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Mieke van der Vliet
Joyce Gammie
Carolynn Dallaire
Kathy Marven
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Folded Pen with Kerri Forster February 7 & 8, 2019 My “ah ha” moment in Kerri Forster’s class came in the first few moments after her introduction by Betty Locke. As Kerri faced the palpable anticipation of the class, she said, with an infectious laugh and broad smile, “You just have to permit yourself to play!” Kerri is a consummate instructor providing support and encouragement by example and words “You’re going to make a lot of stinky letters, big sloppy letters and wet paper...position and speed will change the forms and allow you the freedom to lose yourself from being rigid.” As a novice “wanna be” calligrapher I found the stress to achieve immediate perfection slide away and just to enjoy the experience. Kerri’s six-page exemplar was handed out with a caution “…exemplars are useful but not slavishly.” She highlighted the importance of learning the historic letter forms as those are the foundation for any calligrapher. They will help you to discern the difference between a beautiful letter and what you think is a beautiful letter. And with the folded pen to learn the rules and then learn to break them with taste is all part of the process and the joy.
Kerri “this pen is like gymnastics it likes to jump around and have some fun!” Using a folded pen is learning to break each letter into separate and distinct strokes, stop and start, be intentional when you change position. Contemplate the thick and thin strokes that creates that individual letter. Then look at how it will interact with other letters and the words in the sentence,
turn the paper around to enable you to achieve the best possible stroke. And yet, Kerri encouraged us to write with
should be able to make a stroke and walk away, clean the fridge (just kidding!) and come back and complete the letter.” Kerri said with a broad smile. This may result in turning the paper that allows you to see how to make that stroke and create the perfect flourish. Take your time and allow yourself to enjoy the process.
Betty Locke
The pen likes just about any ink or paint, however it demands to be kept clean. If you walk away put the little devil in water and then clean it. The
Kerri and Ruth Rutledge
The curve of the pen determines its versatility and each have a different personality, not better or worse as that is our job to find out but what that particular pen likes to do. To quote
attitude, “bounce” the pen as that creates the unique waist line of the stroke. Use every part of the pen, the tip, both sides and the flat, make your thin lines as thin as you can because that will make the thick lines look better. Because of the rhythm, the start/stop, of manipulating the folded pen “You
WARMLAND CALLIGRAPHERS - REFLECTIONS
Cathie Harrower
“radius toothbrush” available at health food stores is a good one but even your every day toothbrush is just fine. Watch for burrs on the metal that may impact on the smoothness of your stroke and use 600 grit sandpaper to clean those off. Lee Valley has a plastic sandpaper which is particularly JUNE 2019
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Due to document size limitations set by Issuu.com, the last 15 pages of this publication are not available.
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