After many days, months, years, I am resuscitating this blog which I'm sad to say I'd forgotten I'd started and found by accident recently.  

For the meantime I will add my upcoming classes which will be fun and enjoyable as we discover and collect beautiful letters to make up an alphabet that each person will collect and cherish. 

An 8 week course on The Development of Letterform: 

Creating a Perfect Alphabet Letter by Letter.

Tuesday morning & Thursday evening

Both groups will be doing The Mystery of the Alpha Bet. 

R700 for 4 sessions payable in advance.

Tuesday morning 10h00 to 11h30: 

11, 18, 25 May 1 June & 8, 15, 22, 29 June

Thursday evening 17h00 to 18h30 

13, 20, 27 May, 10 June & 17, 24 June 1 July

This will be an interesting and enjoyable journey as we explore the development of letter form & how to create our own 'Perfect Alphabet'.

We will re-look at various alphabets and hone our skills using 2 weeks each for Uncial, Foundational, Gothic & Neuland, Italic & Modern. 

An understanding of letterform and calligraphy is recommended.

As always booking or confirmation is essential. All notes and connections will be sent before each session. 

On a book sale some time ago, I found a fascinating book on the alphabet (well how can you resist a book about letters?) called appropriately Letter by Letter with a sub-title An Alphabet miscellany. The ideal book to dig and delve into to find a perfect letterform. Each letter is discussed and tracked from the origins and is rather fascinating. We all know that Aleph is the first letter (in the Western world anyway - don't let's even consider going further than the Mesopotamian valley. And the book just adds bits of knowledge with beautiful letters to marvel over.

In time I will add creative challenges, calligraphy bits and pieces and some added information as I discover something new and different. 

In the meantime enjoy a break and always remember to breathe.

Project Update

Although many 'girls' were absent today well done everyone for the great work you are doing. There is a marked improvement in writing skills and your 'layout' eyes are open and creating beautiful small word vignettes for the 'quote tins'.

I discovered the tins at Woolworths filled with soap. I thought they would make an ideal 'small quote container' and they smell good too.

 I had great fun completing my tin using coloured Canson paper and quotes found and stored for just such an occasion. I added ribbon and a small fountain pen for the recipients' own quotes and will have mine photocopied on board to fill tins with quotes for gifts.

Completed tin filled with quotations, extra paper and a small pen. I am thrilled with the results and wouldn't mind receiving one myself.

Homework:
I look forward to seeing students' completed work next week. That means concertina books as well.
Please practice writing and be prepared for another project next week.

On another tack altogether. I hardly ever (ever) have any open water or cups of tea or coffee around my work space be it computers or art work. I have been 'working hard' for the exhibition and had just cut completed pieces off the stretching board after discussing process with students.

I placed the pieces in front of me and was drinking a cup of coffee chatting to the group. I lifted the mug, only to have it slip and land neatly on my work. The result? Coffee everywhere. Of three pieces, two were salvaged. (Although one of my students gathered it out of the bin to use portion as a card - what next I wonder?).

Lesson learned? I do hope so. Luckily I'd stretched paper earlier so I took the opportunity to redo the one piece (which really does look better) and paint the other two with spilt coffee. Of course  there is not a cup or mug in sight and my painting water is in a container which is in a container. Talk about crying over spilt ink.

Was I furious and did I do a dance of absolute fury? No, what's the point? I simply removed the pieces, wiped the table and started my new projects. I truly think they look better than the originals and I will add images next week.

Homework and Other Creative Things

We all know that practice experimenting are the best ways to further the discipline we have chosen to follow.

My son John is an artist and draws every day. He carries a creative notebook with him all the time and makes notes continuously. My other son Dave is a paediatrician and in research and continues to probe, ask questions and make notes continuously. David, my husband, is a great photographer and always carries his camera with him - who knows what will catch his eye? Elizabeth our daughter is studying and is required to research and read continuously.

While this sounds like a litany of my family's work what I am illustrating is that no matter what you choose to do, an enquiring mind is how one is able to continually be creative. Creativity doesn't ever come to an end. The more you follow your passion, the more you will find.

From now on I sill be adding homework set during class to the blog so that everyone can follow progress in-between other posts.

Lyn's Abstract Piece

We are working towards the Penfriends Calligraphy Studio 30 year celebration in November. So creative work is being encouraged and completed.

We are making Portfolios for loose leaf work and for long-standing students, we encourage them to go through years of work so all can see the variety of hands and work that has been created.

Portfolios for your own exquisite work for the exhibition:

Requirements: Canson A1 sheet. The heavy weight Canson. Colour of your choice

Gros grain ribbon

Over the years we have made several small concertina books. This year we created some exquisite decorated letters with words to match. These now have to be covered.

Cover for Concertina Books:

Requirements: Use the backing page from any of the pads you use for practice

Cut 2 pieces 1/5cm larger than the size of your book. [Front and back cover]

Find paper suitable for your book which will cover the above pieces of cardboard

Gros grain ribbon 

I am always on the look out for various ways to create new ideas. Woolworths has some beautiful tins with soap inside. We have given the soap away and will be making pages using different lettering and quotes about art and calligraphy.

Tin books:

Choose 5 Canson colours [A4 is fine] that match the tin you have chosen

Cut 10 pieces - 2 of each colour 1/2 cm SMALLER than the size of the tin. 2 pages will be the front and back covers.

It is a good idea to have a template, try it out first and then cut.

This was an inspiration from a friend of mine Paddy. She gave me a series of 6 blocks for each student. We painted these a neutral colour and created abstract designs, using the calligraphic stroke as inspiration, from images found in magazines. We had some wonderful results.

Abstract design [Blocks}

Final decision re mounting the blocks: 1 piece BLACK mountboard 37cmx26cm [Any framer should be able to assist]

Double sided tape

Please mount your original 'inspiration' and 6 block-practice paper onto an A3 piece of paper [neutral colour]

And of course there is always Lettering. The reason we go to calligraphy classes. At the moment we are looking at Uncial and Compressed with wonderful reference material from Sheila Water and Edward Johnston. What a challenge we have.

Lettering:

Please practice Compressed/Uncial

Note the shape of the 'O' and then the other letters will follow.

Please find quotes on Art, Calligraphy, Lettering

Next week I will continue with each group's homework and progress. 

Happy creating

Thursday Mornings

The group is back and ready to go!

This year we will study the origins and structure of the Alphabet with focus on the skeletal forms which are, after all the basis for letters.

Starting with Rudyard Kipling's tale of How the Alphabet was Made we will progress through the story to ponder on the creation of the alphabet as we know it and perhaps move onto creating our own 'African' based letter collection.

At the end of the year, the garden will be adorned with creative 'installations' using letter forms, paper, sticks and wood, which will form part of an open day exhibition.

November Notes

We are back in the studio in the last few weeks of creativity for 2010. Here is the set project. Perhaps you would like to try a few creative pages.

Take two sheets of paper in spring/summer colours. Canson works well.
Divide each sheet into 4.
Choose 8 quotations: summer, floral, joyful
Do thumbnail sketches and think collage, numerous nib sizes, different hands: Uncial, Foundational, Italic.

Quotations:Nothing is so beautiful as spring, Hopkins. Spring is sooner recognised by plants than by man, Chinese Proverb. A life without love is like a year without summer. Swedish Proverb

Suggestions: Write in a circle. Write in a square. Write using pale colours. Write using strong colours.Write in a design- the shape of a flower or bug.
Write the name of a flower in more than one colour more than once in different tones of the same colour.

Take a deep breath and smile!

When 8 pages are completed make into a small booklet.
Bind with ring binders or punch holes and tie with ribbon.