Calliarts - November 2020 - Writing on Canvas

 Dear Members,

The November Calliarts and the final one for 2020 (can you believe it) is Canvas Preparation for Calligraphy with Valerie Keevers.

Writing on canvas presents some unique twists so come along and learn.

Where: Sylvania Community Hall, Canberra Road, Sylvania NSW

Date: 14 November 2020

Time: 1-4pm

Cost: $10.00

Bookings: southscribes@yahoo.com.au

Materials List:
Canvas Types. Bring anything that you have, any size:
Book of canvas sheets.
Canvas board
Deep edged canvas.
I will demonstrate on small canvas boards and small deep edged canvas.
Brushes. Bring what you may have of the following:
Old brush for priming…..Bristlebrush (which I use), old Hair brush, or small house paint brush.
The bigger your canvas the bigger the priming brush needs to be.
Primers. Bring what you may have of the following.
There will be a small extra cost if you need to use what I bring to the class.
Transparent Gesso.
Opaque Gesso.
White Gouache.
Small piece of fine sandpaper.
A piece of watercolour paper to fit one of the canvases you bring.
Paints and Inks. Any Watercolours, Inks or Gouache and brushes for these.
Glues: Flour paste, craft glue or spray fixative. Bring if you have, do not buy any especially.
Containers: Paper plates for primer. Palette for Paint/Ink. Water jars.
Pens/brushes for Calligraphy.
Masking fluid if you have some.
Small quote to apply to canvas if we have the time.

Valerie Keevers

 

One of Members Exhibits

 Dear Members and Followers,

The committee of Calligraphy Southscribes, Inc. have kindly allowed me to post a group exhibition I am participating in. You can view it person or online.

Regards,

Cathy

Calliarts - September 2020 - Calligrams

 Dear Members and Followers,

September for us here sees Spring and a Calliarts on Calligrams with Gloria Scott.

"A calligram is a word, phase,poem or quote in which handwriting or script is used to form the artwork.  A calligram can be created with many different words for many different purposes: e.g. Associations, cards, signs, illustrations, chalk art, etc."

 

Materials List:

• general calligraphy gear 
• slope board if you have one 
• A3 layout pad + pencil, ruler and eraser 
• dip pens – chisel pens – of various sizes 
• 0.4 black art line pen or similar 
• tracing paper 
• ink or gouache/watercolours 
• some A4 good quality paper (if art pad type, smooth or similar) 
• one or two quotes or short verse etc.

When: Saturday 12 September 2020 - 1pm to 4pm.

Where: Sylvania Community Hall, Canberra Road, Sylvania

Cost: $10 - due to Covid-19 direct deposit is preferred payment option

Bookings: Essential for a place - email southscibes@yahoo.com.au for booking and payment details.

Copyrighted Cathy Sayer

Batarde for Calliart and Workshop

Dear Members and Followers,

We are still able to offer a Calliarts afternoon and a mini workshop for August, so we would love to see you.

The Batarde script is a generic term for a cursive writing of mixed Gothic parentage, used as a parallel script for less prestigious works, it developed into a variety of scripts in their own right eg. Bastarda, Bastard script, Secretary Hand and Schwabacher.  Speed was important but letter forms still had to be impressive, so some variations of script developed many loops and linking letters.  They covered the Gothic era from 12^th to 16^th Centuries.  These French, German and English scripts give some quite modern styles for you to use in Calligraphy today yet still retain their authenticity.

Requirements for Calliart and Workshop.

General Calligraphic gear…assorted sized Chisel Pens any maker.

A3 pad.  Pencil, Ruler and Eraser.

Ink or Gouache /Watercolours.

Water jar. 

Mixing Brush and Palette if using Gouache or Watercolours.

Quote or short poem.

Extra requirements for the workshop

A4 piece of good quality paper

Ruling Pen or Coke Pen (Optional).

Due to COVID-19 restrictions - bookings to either/or Calliarts and Workshop are necessary -
bookings or more info - southscribes@yahoo.com.au - direct deposits required.

Dates: 8 August 1pm to 4pm - Calliarts; 15 August 12pm to 4pm - Workshop
Place: Sylvania Community Hall, Canberra Rd, Sylvania

Copyright Valerie Keevers

Calliarts - And We are Back

Dear Members and Followers,

With the gradual easing of restrictions we are back in operation though with a strict COVID-19 plan in place.
You will need to register for a place in the class to ensure you are able to participate (we don't want to have to turn you away), we are also encouraging payment of the class fee via direct deposit.

Please contact us at southscribes@yahoo.com.au to register and for banking details.

Copperplate Part 2

CALLIARTS 11 July 2020

Tutor:  Glenis Sheather

It seems such a long time since the Copperplate Part 1 Calliarts and I hope those of you who attended that workshop have been using the period of isolation to do some practice.  The opening of Sylvania Hall means we can now hold the second workshop, where we will concentrate on the beautiful capital letters of this graceful script.  While it would be advisable to have attended Copperplate Part 1 before embarking on Part 2, people who were unable to do that workshop can come along and receive some tuition on the lower case letters.
 

MATERIALS LIST

·        Bleedproof Layout Pad, preferably A4 size.

·        Elbow nib* and pen holder OR a straight pointed nib and an oblique pen holder.

·        Ink (Chinese or similar) or gouache of your choice.

·        2B or HB pencil

·        Usual Calligraphy Gear.  However, you will not need a slope board.

*Elbow nibs can be purchased at Eckersley’s.  If you are unable to buy one I will have some for sale on the day for $3.50 each.  Please have the correct money.

Copyrighted Glenis Sheather

Copyrighted Glenis Sheather

Going Around in Circles

Dear Members and Followers,

I set the next challenge to send our members around and around in circles.

I guessed that we all had that spare toilet roll or similar sitting in the recycling so why not use it and being inspired by other great calligraphers I set our group the challenge of creating a piece of calligraphy using the roll, some paint and some suitably worded quotes.

The results were inspiring so please enjoy.

Copyrighted Patricia Moody

Copyrighted Patricia Moody

Copyrighted Penny Laver

Copyrighted Valerie Keevers

Calligraphy Southscribes - Getting Creative.

Dear Members and Followers,

We restrictions have eased we are not yet back into our workshops or into our Calliarts but that hasn't stopped our members from being creative.

Just to prove it we have some more Hello's and the first of our circle challenge issued by yours truly. While I cannot organise workshops, I can challenge people to be creative.

Enjoy!

Gloria's

More from Valerie

New member Janet participated. Great work Janet!

Glenis'

And from Kay

Hello From Us

Dear Members and Followers,

While we aren't meeting for workshops and calliarts we are still working away with challenges.

In these distancing times I sent out the dare to our members to pick up a pencil and write Hello in three different languages. It could be in graphite or coloured and the responses, I just had to share.

So from Calligraphy Southscribes Inc in Sydney Australia a big "Hello"

Colleen's

Kay's

Patricia's

Penny's

Valerie's

Calligraphy Southscribes and Alcohol Inks

 Dear Members and Followers,


I hope everyone is well and copying with the all the news each day.

For today, I am sharing some work and tips and tricks from Penny regarding Alcohol Inks. Thank you Penny for being so generous with your information and pics.

Hi Everyone,

There are a couple of tips I have picked up along the way, which you may have already seen but just in case..........

1. Make sure you get better than 90% isopropyl alcohol, I started with some from the chemist but it had various additives, antiseptics etc.  usually called rubbing alcohol and it doesn't work. I went to Bunnings and got some 100% which is  perfectic (this could be the brand name, my spell check is going crazy, so I'm unwilling to change - Cathy). The only down side is the smallest amount is 1 litre which would last 10 life times but it is worth it.

2. Don't be conned into buying the blending solution - you can make it yourself, it is just the alcohol with a few drops of glycerine. The reason you use it is to slow down the drying a bit and lets the colours bleed more. It is a bit trial and error how many drops to use, just fiddle around a bit. 

3. I notice the experts mostly use a Ronson hot air brush hairdryer as you need a low heat and low force. They are fairly expensive and so I just use a straw since I am only doing small bits for cards.

4. You do need the plasticised paper, it is called Yupo, but I did read somewhere you can use overhead projector sheets as they too are non-absorbent but I haven't tried that yet. 

As you say there is heaps of examples on You Tube and general info out there, it seems alcohol inks are all the rage in the US. 

The deal at Riot seems pretty good as they are generally round the $8 mark. 

Have fun and stay safe and well.

Cheers,

Penny 

Copyright Penny Laver

Copyright Penny Laver

ANZAC Day 2020

Dear Members and Followers,

As we near one of the most sacred days in the Australian Calendar, let us pause and while not gathering we can still observe.

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."

Lest We Forget!

Courtesy of Cherrie Grant

  

Calligraphy Southscribes and COVID-19

Dear Members and Followers,

Due to the COVID-19 crisis and in line with government rules, Calligraphy Southscribes has postponed their current workshops and calliarts calendar to ensure the safety of its members and the community. 

We thank you for your understanding and please continue to read our block for more exciting calligraphic news.

On behalf of the Calligraphy Southscribes, Inc committee.

Podcast - The Essay - Anglo Saxon Portraits - Eadfrith the Scribe

Dear Members and Followers,

I put the call out not long ago for our members to send me items they though we could use or access during our social distancing and this one cam from one of our members Pam. Thank you Pam this will be a great 15 mins of time well spent over Easter.

 The podcast that Pam has recommended for your listening. Entitled "The Essay - Anglo Saxon Portraits - Eadfrith the Scribe from BBC Sounds. Click on this link and then on play https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b01ngr4r

Southscribes and Socially Distancing

Dear Members and Followers,

I have had some great responses from members providing items for these posts and the emails that I am sending out at this time. I'll send and post them out at different times, so you don't get overwhelmed with too many things to do all at once.

One just to hand is from Pam Forbes which is time sensitive, thank you Pam this course looks great.

Pam writes:

In reply for your request for interesting items - there is a free course from Trinity College Dublin, currently running online about the Book of Kells. It started 9 March, you can still join but you have limited time to finish.

It covers

• Where and how the manuscript was made
• The social context from which the manuscript emerged, including early medieval faith and politics.
• The artistic context of the manuscript, reflecting local and international styles.
• The theology and interpretations of the text.
• How and why the manuscript survived
• The Book of Kells and contemporary culture.

You can join at Ireland and the Book of Kells History Course - FutureLearn

Ireland and the Book of Kells History Course - FutureLearn Discover the fascinating world of medieval Ireland through the world-famous Book of Kells, with this online hist...

Keep safe and remember to check on your friends.

Cathy

Copperplate Part 1

Dear Members and Followers,

Our March Calliarts is Copperplate with Glenis Sheather. Glenis is renowned for her Copperplae works and describes the workshop as:

Copperplate has become the name given to English Roundhand, the elegant script developed by the Writing Masters in England following the popularity of the lettering being used by engravers in the 16^th Century.   A fine cursive hand, Copperplate is written with a pointed nib, using the pressure on, pressure off technique.  In Part 1 we will cover the lower case letters.

MATERIALS LIST

• Bleedproof Layout Pad, preferably A4 size.
• Elbow nib* and pen holder OR a straight pointed nib and an oblique pen holder. 
•  Ink (Chinese or similar) or gouache of your choice.
• 2B or HB pencil

·         Usual Calligraphy Gear.  However, you will not need a slope board.

*Elbow nibs can be purchased at Eckersley’s.  If you are unable to buy one I will have some for sale on the day for $3.50 each.  Please have the correct money.

Copyrighted Glenis Sheather

Where: Sylvania Community Hall, Canberra Rd, Sylvania NSW
When: Saturday 14 March, 2020
Time: 1pm to 4pm
Cost: $10
Level: All levels catered.
Questions: southscribes@yahoo.com.au