Flourishes

MMO

It's really winter, but most days are just glorious 'til the sun goes down and Valentine's Day is upon us! Joannie Schmitz did a really great job of teaching us the joys and mysteries of flourishing at the Jan mini-workshop. Leslie Winakur and I attended the Southwest Calligraphy Conference, in Houston this year. Only Kansas City was unable to attend. All of us seem to use a "team" concept -- many are following the Austin example, while we and Houston use committees as our teams. Both seem to work well. Lots of information was exchanged -- we'll give a full report at the March 7th meeting -- but our Guild is on such a roll that our report was so easy to give and smile about! And that's thanks to all of you -- T.H.A.N.K.S!
Our meeting in February saw a full turn-out on a chilly night, with two new members joining, a full set of calligraphic tools and containers for our "stuff" on display for the "mini-peek" at the Early Bird, and followed by a super program on the "in's and out's" of handling, purchasing, and caring for all that equipment -- a very well prepared evening -- thanks go to Sally Gooze, Melanie Capps, and all the little elves who contributed goodies. Speaking of goodies -- that February crew made such food -- real creations -- and the decorations were just great.
We decided on a Theme for our 2003 Calendar -- the overwhelming favorite was an echo of our Spring Exhibit Theme -- "Arts and Letters" -- with a deadline of the meeting in May for the artwork -- think about signing up for a page; they were going rapidly that night.
Almost all of our library books were turned in -- thanks to those who scoured about to find and return them. We also have 3 new books on creative writing and bookbinding in our library.
The Major Workshop with Jacqueline Sullivan was so good -- Beautiful work was produced from experienced and first-timer collage artists alike. And the notebook she presented to us is a real treasure trove of reference and creative material. An A+ job!
Our own mini-workshop -- at long last -- the decorated letter--will be wonderful. I am certain. Be sure to check if you're on the list (from November) ... thanks to Helen Rasplicka for patiently waiting -- See you there!

Maggie

Please keep Denise Adler, Priscilla Earl, and Shirley Ginn's Mom in your thoughts.

March Activities

Early Bird

Join us in viewing handmade manuscript books of all kinds. You wilt see some offerings from the Reggie class, travel journals, books full of quotations, original poetry, and contemplations, all in a variety of hands, including everyday handwriting. If you have any of these to bring, please remember them and bring them in time to set up for the Early Bird. We ask only that these be books that have not been exhibited in the past for SACG, unless, of course, you have added new entries you would like to share. There will be plenty of time to turn the pages and peruse the structures and beautiful writing within.

Writing From Within

Marilyn Croman will present the March program, entitled "Writing From Within," which explores our own ability to write quotable words. Calligraphers have a journey to make and it is a journey that goes within.

It is a voyage to the soul. This is an attempt for all of us to remember some of the meaningful moments that have lodged somewhere within us that we cannot reach. This session should help you reach these moments and allow you to turn these into memorable significant words. The presentation will include exercises in writing, so be sure to bring a paper and pen with you.

Marilyn Croman, a co-founder of the Writers' Institute of Our Lady of the Lake University, is a journalist, poet, and fiction writer. Her articles and poetry have appeared in national publications, and she has a novel, Joseph's Coat, under consideration. She has worked as a movie reviewer, restaurant critic, book reviewer, freelance editor, and producer of readers' theater. She has been an instructor with the Writers' Institute for more than twelve years. She received her BA from the City University of New York and has done graduate work at New York University, Hunter College, Columbia University, and Southwest Texas State University.

Mini-Workshop
Foundational Lettering

On March 21, from 7-9 PM, in the usual meeting room, Leslie Winakur will teach basic foundational lettering and some variations thereof. We will begin with the basic foundational hand that is also called book hand or round hand. Time permitting, we will explore one or two variations which involve pressurized letters and foundational done on a slight slant with a pointed pen.

Please bring a writing fluid of your choice--ink or gouache, pen holder and Mitchell nibs, #3 and # 4, and a pointed pen nib such as the Brause EF66. We will also need paper-graph paper is fine for beginning, but nicer paper such as Arches text wove would be nicer for special effects. 6ragh paper is slick and has a tendency make the letters feather. If we use nicer paper, we'll be able to save the pages for binding in a book or for collage at a later date. Also, please bring a ruler and pencil for lining paper. There win be a repeat demonstration of the Liner Liner and ruler system, so bring those if you have them.

bulletin board

THANK YOU to Bonnie Houser, Helen Rasplicka, Nancy McHugh, Jill Adams, and Anita Hyman for the wonderful Valentine’s spread at the February meeting. What a beautiful centerpiece!

CONGRATULATIONS to our February door prize winners. Betty Caffey won the tote donated by Maggie Gillikin, Jill Adams won a book donated by Pauline Sager, Hanni Jane Thomas won the sponge and stickers donated by Sandra Reyna, Loni Carlson won the stationary donated by Beverly Carter, and Mavis Caudill won the sponge and candy donated by Sandra Reyna. The Door Prize Committee is always happy to accept donations, especially the hand made ones. Thank you so much to Sandra Reyna for volunteering to head this committee all by herself, now that Pam Thomas has relieved Jill Adams of Membership Committee Chairperson duties, so that Jill can concentrate on all of her other jobs. We’re lucky to have so many people willing to work to keep our guild active.

WELCOME to our new members: Juliet Bickley, Gail Quintero, and Toni Cheshire. We hope you’ll join in all of our ongoing activities and choose to work with a committee that interests you.

Please send any e-mail address changes to Thea Moore. You can reach her at moore@world-net.net . This is a big help when it becomes necessary to notify members in an emergency.

Maggie Gillikin, BJ Grant, and Leslie Winakur will be working on a new brochure to represent the guild. If you would like to help or have any ideas, please notify them. They welcome your help.

There will be a workshop in AUSTIN on April 19,20,21, given by CARL ROHRS. He will be teaching tool manipulation. This is similar to the class he is offering in Minnesota at the summer conference. Please contact JENNIFER PHILLIPS if you are interested, 512-288-3271, jphillips@qxo.com.

SECRET PALS 2002 is under way and they apparently have some exciting things in the works. Bev Carter, Angie Murray, Francene Smith, Laura Heye, BJ Nichol, Karen Veni and Sally Gooze, the self named “Seven Sexy Secret Pals,” invite you to sign up and have some fun this summer. There was a sign-up sheet at the meeting, and you can still sign up by contacting Sally Gooze, at her home number 684-6262, her work number 678-2130, or by e-mail: sallygo@swbell.net . Or you can sign up at the next meeting. This promises to be a busy summer.

The CALENDAR 2003 theme was chosen at the last meeting. It is ARTS AND LETTERS. If you volunteered to do a page, remember that your artwork is due at the May meeting. Contact Jane Fair, committee chair, if you have any questions.

There will be a SCRIBE STORE at the CALLIGRAPHY CONNECTION summer conference, and ACA has invited all to contribute work, whether or not you will be attending. Contact Shirley Hart at 515-268-0224 or hartarts@yahoo.com if you would like to showcase your talent. Two and three dimensional items are welcome. You must respond by March 1, 2002, in order to receive a consignment packet, and art work must be submitted between June 1 and June 21. The conference is June 22-29 in Collegeville, Minnesota.

We have some new books in our LIBRARY: Unique Handmade Books, The art of the Scrapbook, and Making Journals By Hand. The inventory is complete and a list will be compiled and made available to all members in the near future. Please keep in mind that the NEWSLETTER LIBRARY is maintained by Beverly Carter and is available for browsing and checkout at all meetings. It’s great fun and very informative to review the newsletters of other guilds around the country.

Thank you to SALLY GOOZE and MELANIE CAPPS for their very entertaining and informative program entitled “Tool Time I.” We all learned so much from this first chapter on tools to have handy in the studio and for workshops. Some time in the future, Tool Time II will be coming to a meeting near you.

Our Fundraiser for 2003 is officially in progress. The HOUSE OF CARDS made from the 26 Letter Poster will be a limited edition of 100 art decks in a little cloth covered box, with a Friendly Plastic closure. Play days will be scheduled this summer so that we can all work on this project and learn about the boxes and closures in the process. If you remember what fun it was to get together to work on the accordion book in the slip case, you’ll want to set aside some time for this one too. And if you don’t remember, you’ll definitely want to be there.

If you have any photos from the holiday party in December, please contact Pauline Sager, our HISTORIAN, so that she can put them in our scrap book.

Thank you to all who took part in the VALENTINE EXCHANGE at the February meeting. There were some gorgeous cards to be seen. And special thanks to those who brought cards and gifts for the Battered Women’s Shelter. JANICE ANABTAWI took everything to the shelter and said that our gifts were very much appreciated. Thank you, Janice, for delivering for us.

MEMBERSHIP is working on a new name tag for us to wear at meetings. The new name tag will be large, easily read, on cord, to be worn around the neck, so that there will be no holes in our clothing and so that they will be less likely to be worn home. While we are waiting, please be sure to wear a temporary name tag at the meetings. We have many new members who cannot figure out who we are, and they will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

At the SOUTHWEST CALLIGRAPHY CONFERENCE, it was painfully obvious that some guilds are currently struggling with membership numbers and member involvement in guild activities. Since our guild is so successful at the present time, we need to be thinking of ways to preserve our energy and avoid a drop in activity in the future. To that end, we have a suggestion that the veteran members buddy up with our new members and embrace them, include them in our activities as much as possible, personally invite them to join a committee, come to lunch, come over and play on a Saturday afternoon, etc. If you are interested in being a friend/buddy/mentor to a new member, please come and sign up in March. If you would like to have a buddy to help you get acquainted with the guild, the members, the tools, the exhibit process, etc., please let Pam Thomas know and/or come sign up at the March meeting.

MEMBERSHIP DUES are coming due. Please come prepared to pay your $24 on time so that your name will be in the directory. Pam Thomas is our Membership Chairperson and she will be ready to accept your check. Please remember to complete the membership form, even if you are a renewing member, so that we will have current and correct information in the directory. All directory data comes from these forms. Also, take note of the committee list at the bottom of the form, and please try to sign up for something that interests you for the coming year. This does not mean that you need to be a chairperson. However, a committee is plural, by definition, so we do need more than one person to get each job done. We need new and veteran members alike to assist with everyday guild activities in order to keep everyone involved and to keep anyone from suffering serious overload and burnout! “New blood” on each committee will keep our guild healthy and interesting.

Paul Freeman
Nominations

JANICE ANABTAWI has been chairperson of the Hospitality Committee for three years, checking to make sure we have refreshments at all our meetings and most of our other events. She has helped with the calendar for three years, and through her persistence was the main person responsible for the Calendar 2001 making a profit. Janice brings free envelopes and paper to all the meetings for us to take home and enjoy. That involves a lot of picking up and lugging around that most people wouldn’t want to do. She is faithful in attending all meetings and board meetings. She serves as member-at-large on the board. Janice consistently supports our exhibits by entering her work and has made herself available to the exhibit chairperson to help in any way she can. She has also actively supported our workshops and mini workshops with her attendance.

SHIRLEY GINN was Treasurer for two years, and kept us clear headed and within our budget even when the rest of the board got so excited about the 26 Letter project that we nearly forgot we even had a budget! She has been Vice President for the past two years, and has worked very hard, mostly behind the scenes, writing, planning, caring, carrying things, bringing food, and loving fish! She has supported the guild in every way possible, attending almost all meetings, board meetings, workshops, and mini workshops. Shirley has served on many committees, including the Budget Committee, the Planning Committee, and the Exhibit Committee. Also known as Vanna, she has a “contagious great attitude” and does all of her work with a “cheerful and colorful disposition.”

JO PACELLI has quietly supported the guild for several years now. For the past two years she has been our Exhibit Committee chairperson. In this capacity, she has done a wonderful job of organizing and producing our annual show, always with a fresh approach and a smile on her face. She headed the committee during its deliberation regarding the clarification of exhibit guidelines, and she brought a calm, wise, and democratic approach to what might have been a divisive issue. Jo has been a supporter of major and mini workshops and all other guild activities. She brings her strength and humility to all of her endeavors.

PAULINE SAGER is a long term member who has continued over many years to participate strongly in the guild. Over the last year she has been our Historian, our ACA liaison, our Calendar Chairperson for 2001, as well as our Saturday Specials chairperson. On occasion, she does also sleep! She has served well in all of these varied areas, and always with energy and creativity to be admired. Pauline has served in the past as President, Newsletter Editor, Historian, and many other positions, demonstrating her long and devoted service to the guild.

JOAN SCHMITZ is a long term member whose generosity knows no bounds. She hosts the board meeting at her home for several years now, and we somehow never seem to overstay our welcome. Joan was the hostess for Reggie Ezell, making sure he was picked up at the airport, treated to dinner and a comfortable home, delivered to the workshop early enough to set up, and then returned to the airport on time, even when he had to be there 2 hours early. She was hostess to Reggie for the entire year and never once asked for help. Joan made the exhibit poster and invitation last year. She attends all meetings and board meetings and is always available for lessons to new and veteran calligraphers alike.

FRANCENE SMITH is a long time calligrapher who has served as a member of the Secret Pals Committee for four years, and chairperson of that committee for two years. Her creativity and enthusiasm have kept excitement high on this committee, resulting in a very close group of people who refuse to give up their position on the committee. What other committee can boast of such devotion? Francene is also our coordinator for the web site, working closely with her son-in-law to keep us abreast of our own activities and also of other happenings in the calligraphic world and the world of the internet. Arizona’s loss was clearly our gain.

PAM THOMAS has been a member for only a short time, but her participation in the guild’s activities has been phenomenal. Pam has served on the Hospitality Committee. She supported the Reggie Ezell year long class as a participant in just her second year of life as a calligrapher. She has been Door Prize Committee chairperson and now also is Membership Committee chairperson. Pam is a great asset to our guild and an outstanding ambassador for SACG. And she’s done it all in only two short years!

KAYE YARBROUGH has worked extremely hard to make our newsletter an informative and attractive publication for the past two years. And her hard work shows. She serves in any capacity when asked, and she volunteered to serve on the current Nominating Committee. Kaye brings a big friendly smile to every meeting and every board meeting. She is a long time member who has supported the guild even when she was living far away. She happily edits the newsletter because she feels it kept her in touch with the people and activities of the guild even when she couldn’t be here, and she now wants to provide that service for others. Kaye works very quietly behind the scenes to make sure that our members who don’t drive get a ride to meetings, that our ailing members get a cheerful phone call, and that our program presenters get a lovely thank you note. And now it’s our turn to thank her.

Workshop Reviews

On February 9 and 10, twenty of our members were fortunate enough to take part in the Calligraphic Collage workshop taught by Jacqueline Sullivan. Here are some impressions.

From Beverly Carter, a novice collage artist:

When I told the teacher, what a fun day I had, she said, "well tomorrow you will have to think"…oh no, I thought, I'd rather just have fun. But the second day of our Calligraphic Collage Workshop by Jacqueline Sullivan was also fun and quite rewarding for me. I finished my collage and was very proud of it. I'm a very poor student in these workshops. I go to learn the "how to", but when it comes to the "show and tell" at the end of the class, my project is conveniently packed away to be finished at home.

The first day we went over the basic steps in making a collage. We learned how to make textured papers with oriental lace paper, cheesecloth (my favorite), sand and sawdust, charcoal, and using various watercolor techniques to apply them. This was the day we were told: TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH! The second day we learned the elements - line, shape, value, color, movement, etc., and principles of design - harmony, contrast, rhythm, balance, unity. With these in mind, we were to use what we had made the previous day to make a collage. NOW WE HAD TO THINK!

We were very fortunate to have Jacqueline give a workshop for our Guild. She gave us individual attention and encouragement - she is a generous and caring instructor. I thought she was a wonderful person.

From Angie Murray, an experienced collage artist:

The question was: "What is it that you want to learn from this workshop?" The answer was, "I have been doing collage for 35 years and I still don't know how to do it!" Well, I not only had step by step instructions, but motivation and stimulation, and I even came home with a finished, frame-able piece that I am really proud of. The workshop was so well done, so informative and so productive.

Here are some of the comments:

“Informative on all levels, beginners to advanced. Included aspects of layout and color as well as texture. Jacqueline was very adept at analyzing each situation and offering suggestions."

"The workshop was great. We got to play and learn all kinds of neat techniques. The instructor was

Excellent, patient and very helpful.”

“I didn't make a piece but I got a lot of design sense out of watching 19 other women working through their design problems. Seeing the collage pieces go through stages of completion was fascinating. Jacqueline is so good at seeing what a piece needs and guiding students in the right direction.”

“To say that the workshop was great is an understatement.”

A Contemporary Book of Hours

Carol Pallesen
April 6 -7 2002

Historical books of hours are personal collections of prayers and devotions which were made to be read and contemplated at various times of the day. They have been described as “the late medieval best seller” (Dr. L. Delaisse). In this workshop, Carol Pallesen will guide us as we decorate and paint paper to be bound into a Middle Ages style book. We will discuss the secret canon which will provide the basis for our page layout. Our contemporary books of hours will contain words closest to our hearts, inspirational words we will want to read and ponder daily.

Carol Pallesen really needs no introduction in our guild. She has been a very popular workshop instructor for us on a regular basis. Her cards, books, and letter arts are in demand nationwide. We are very pleased that she will be joining us once again in San Antonio. Sign up with Jill Adams. Fee: $75.

SUPPLY LIST:

Long ruler, 36-40” if you have one; 18 or 24” metal ruler with cork back
18 or 24” T-square; 10 or 12” triangle, either 30-60˚ or a 45˚
Pencils, number 2 and a 6H; pencil sharpener; eraser, such as kneaded or white plastic
Bone folder
1” and 3” inexpensive hardware store brushes, like the ones with white bristles and wood handle
Large sumi and/or watercolor brush (approximately size 8, optional)
2 Chopsticks, to stir paint and make marks with
2 or 3 Plastic spoons
2 Small jars or yogurt cups, with lids (about 8 oz. Size)
Small bucket or large jar to accommodate 3” brush
Paper towels
Needle nose pliers (can share with a neighbor)
X-acto knife with #11 blades; scissors; utility knife, like Stanley #99; awl
40-50 sheets of scrap paper (used computer or Xerox sheets, 8½ by 11 or a bit larger is fine, to put behind folios as we paint them)
Sponge, for clean-up and/or texturing paint
Small spray bottle with water (optional); gloves to protect your hands (optional); apron; rag
Cutting surface (mat board scrap will do—to protect table when punching holes in leather)
Pigma micron pens, or similar, .01 black and one other color
Masking, drafting, or Scotch 811 removable tape (can share with neighbor)
Pillow to sit on (optional)
Slant board, if that’s how you usually work
A variety of your favorite nibs, including ½, 1, 1½, 2 and 3 mm sizes
Notebook for notes
Package of Dritz or similar tapestry needles, size/no. 18/22 (can share with neighbor)
Black in or gouache, your favorite. I’ve tested Pelikan fountain, India, green bottle sumi, Higgins Eternal, W & N jet black gouache, and all seem fine for this
Several colors of gouache, including gold and silver, optional, along with small brushes and palette for mixing
A few favorite quotes: a few 1 or 2 liners and a few short paragraphs or poems. Choose ones which possibly relate to times of the day or week, seasons, to certain special times in your life
A couple of Xerox copies of photos or images which you feel might “illustrate” your quotes (optional, and if you do bring them, make them 3” x 3” or so, regular or color or both)
Gum sandarac (optional)

March 2002 Flourishes' Web Page is proudly sponsored by
Sandee's Sewing Shop in Seguin, TX USA - whose web site is:
www.axs4u.net/home/riptron

March Birthdays