October Activities

Early Bird  
 

Welcome to the Scriptorium

Thursday, October 5, 2006, 6:30-7 PM 

If you have ever wondered how those beautiful medieval manuscript books were created, this is a chance to get a little taste of what happened in the Scriptorium.  We will demonstrate the preparation of vellum and quills, the order of lettering and art work, and the compilation of all into a  book sewn on a sewing frame.  Hopefully, there will be time for you to try your hand at each of these activities. 

PROGRAM

A Brief History of Illuminated Letters

Thursday, October 5, 2006, 7-9 PM

 Leslie Winakur

Our roots as calligraphers lie in the ancient and medieval manuscripts, so it is natural that we love to study those manuscripts.  Tonight we will look at the illuminated letters of the Middle Ages.  We will discuss the evolution of the illuminated letter, and we will take some time to “dissect” these beautiful and complicated letters into their essential parts.    Our goal will be to have a better understanding of what makes an illuminated letter and how to plan to design our own such letters.  There will be a slide show with plenty of examples of illuminated letters and there will also be a display of some letters to inspire us.  Perhaps this will help to prepare us for the Ken Harris workshops.

This will be a “user friendly” class, so don’t miss this chance to learn to use a very cool little gadget. 

Thank you to our September Hospitality crew for the goodies. Maggie Gillikin, Shirley Ginn, Pam Thomas, and Leslie Winakur provided our refreshments, and Carol Keith and Mary Bumstead were there to keep us organized. If you have not yet signed up to provide refreshments this year, please contact either Carol or Mary to put your name on the list.

The new Membership Directory was available for pick-up at the September Meeting. If you have not yet gotten yours, please be sure to look for Jill Adams who will have the Directories at the October meeting. The Guild thanks you in advance for saving us some postage. Extra Directories are available at $2 per large Directory, and $1 per mini. If you have any corrections or additions to the Directory, please contact our Membership Chair, Angie Chaos-Peters, or one of the newsletter editors. We will be sure to publish any corrections in the next newsletter.

Major Workshop Message: Ken Harris will be here in October. We still have some room in his classes, so contact Jill Adams if you are interested. These will be fabulous classes in medieval gilding and painting techniques, and they are definitely for all levels, including beginners! Scholarships are available for this workshop. Please contact Kaye Yarbrough for further information and/or see page 48 of your new directory.

In lieu of being read, the General Meeting Minutes will be posted on the Bulletin Board, which will be situated near the sign-in table and the name tags when you enter the meeting room. Please keep an eye out for them, and for any other announcements posted on the bulletin board. Thank you.

The Northwood Presbyterian Church Fall Art and Craft Show will take place on Saturday, October 14, 2006. Karen Veni will man our table, along with anyone else who has goods for sale. All members of the guild are welcome to sell their creations, but space is limited. So please contact Karen if you are interested.

Congratulations to the September Door Prize Winners: Gayle Venticinque, Eleanor Russell, Jo Drake, Rebecca Crauswell, and Jill Adams were the lucky recipients of the items donated by Bill Waddington, Nicole Lozano, and Sylvia Stanley. Door prizes are always in demand. Contact Sylvia Stanley if you would like to donate. Remember that you can’t win a door prize if you don’t sign in when you arrive at the meeting. If you don’t feel you need a door prize, you can always say “no thanks.”
If you were a participant in the Lisa Engelbrecht workshop in June, please remember to bring your work to the October meeting for display. It’s always fun to see what others have created.

We are fortunate to have been invited back to Los Patios for another Spring Exhibit, which will take place throughout April and May. It is not too early to be thinking about what you would like to hang in that exhibit. Entry fee will be $10 for the first piece, and $5 for each piece after that. For further information and details, please contact Jill Adams or BJ Grant.
 

Birthdays

October

2  Anne Cheney
12 Laura Heye
14 Sylvie Rodgers
15 Rod Smith
19 Rosemary Rodriguez
21 Nancy Meier
22 Priscilla Earl

Ken Harris received his BFA degree from Brigham Young University and his Master’s from Western Oregon University. While working as a graphic designer for Pasadena City College in Los Angeles, he studied with Donald Jackson and Maury Nemoy. IN 1978 he was one of only sixteen Americans selected to study with the Society of Scribes and Illuminators in London. Ken worked for many years as an artist for American Greetings and now has his own decorative painting company. He has taught many calligraphy workshops across the US and has taught at seven international calligraphy conferences as well. We are extremely pleased to be able to offer these two classes, which have been major hits at the summer conferences for many years. They are for all levels, from beginners to advanced calligraphers. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to study medieval techniques with a master. Ken says his goal is for everyone to leave with a finished piece that is ready for the framer. And remember - the holidays will be just around the corner and these pieces will make awesome cards.


TRADITIONAL GILDING TECHNIQUES
Saturday and Sunday, October 7-8, 2006, at Discovery School

Classic gilding, such as raised and burnished gold, involves techniques that have come down to us from the Middle Ages. In this class, participants will grind the ingredients to create gesso (ground) that supports the gold, lay the liquid gesso on their designs, apply the gold, and then polish it to a mirror brightness. Other techniques will include using gum ammoniac (the 14th century’s answer to crazy glue) and shell gold (24k gold powder in paint form). Once the designs are finished, they will be ready for the next process, which is the application of color.


MEDIEVAL PAINTING TECHNIQUES
Thursday and Friday, October 12-13, 2006, in the Carriage House at Christ Episcopal Church

Participants will learn the painting styles and techniques of the medieval scribe and illuminator, cut quills and prepare vellum (calfskin) for painting. Watercolor and gouache are the traditional painting media and you will learn layering techniques along with classic white vine work. The goal is to work toward a completed piece of artwork..

PUBLICITY

The Guild would like to thank Darla Peek for her continued efforts on the Publicity front, and we would like to welcome Rudy Gonzalez to the Publicity Committee.  Rudy recently made a striking flyer to advertise the Guild and its activities.  Copies are available for anyone who would like to distribute them. 

Saturday, November 4, 2006, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
In the usual meeting room at the church

ANGEL ALTERED BOARD BOOK
with Lynn Rothe

We will be altering a children’s board book and creating an unusual Angel book, complete with face, halo and wings. This makes a great gift to give yourself or
someone else. Join us for this fun “makeover”.

Class fee: $20.00 plus a $10.00 supply fee.
Please contact Betty Lou Jordan at 654-4045 to sign up or for further information

Supply List:
Pencil
Bone folder
X-acto™ knife
Scissors
12” ruler
Cutting mat
Waste paper (plain newsprint) for gluing
Masking tape: ½”
PVA glue
Glue stick or double sided tape
Water container
¼” – ½” paint brush
Paper towels
Optional: favorite Angel sayings, metal charms, ephemera, embellishments, collage pictures, etc.

Instructor will supply:
Board book, chipboard for wings and body, Angel sayings, polymer clay faces, doily, sandpaper, feathers, hot glue, buttons and threads, Gesso, color wash for the wings, gold and silver paint, cardboard frames, decorated papers and card stock, tie for book closure.
 

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