Calliarts - February 2024

 Dear Members and Followers,

To begin the year, we revisit Uncial, which is great hand to have in your skill set. The opportunities to use Uncial are endless, cards, wrapping paper, etc.

When we think Uncial, we think the Book of Kells https://www.tcd.ie/library/research-collections/book-of-kells.php

Uncial is a majuscule script (what we now know as capitals) commonly used from the 4^th to 8^th centuries AD. Over time the lettering has evolved into the modern variations we see today.  It’s a script that remains popular because of its ease of writing and legibility, making it an ideal script for our new members to learn.

  Materials List:

·        A3 bleed proof layout pad

·        Broad-edged pens (nibs and holders) – different sizes

·        Ink or gouache of choice (colours please)

·        Water jar

·        Fine paint brushes

·        Ruler

·        Graphite pencil

·        Tracing paper

·        Coloured felt tip broad-edged pens – great for beginners and our mini project i.e. duo

·        Slope board if you have one (some on site for the day’s loan)

Date:     Saturday, 8^th February, 2025  

Time:     12.30pm – 4.00pm  

Cost:      $20.00 – Members, $25.00 – Non-Members  

Place:    Sylvania Community Centre - Canberra Road, Sylvania  

              (Near Southgate Shopping Centre)  

              Bookings Essential: southscribes@yahoo.com.au 

Payment Options: Direct Deposit, Cash on the day or Cheque. When booking, please advise which payment option you will be making. 

Calliarts - October 2024 - Japanese Stab Book Binding

 Dear Members and Followers,

This month Valerie is going to show us how to make small notebooks finished off with Japanese Stab Binding.

Traditional Japanese Stab Binding was made with a material cover.  Today we are going to make a small non-traditional book with a paper covered card cover, or possibly just the light card cover, the choice will be yours.  These little books are great gifts as notebooks, personal jotters or just for filling with your notes, alphabet designs or drawings.

N.B. Unless you choose to make the pages in light watercolour paper they are not really suitable to wet paint designs.

Materials Requirements:

PAPER:  for the pages you will need 3-4 sheets of A4 size computer paper about 90 gsm. Or any light weight paper any colour.  (Watercolour paper see note above.)

LIGHT CARD:  For the book cover you will need Ix A4 piece of light card any colour.

WRAPPING PAPER:  For the book covering you will need 1x A4 wrapping paper, paste paper etc. any colour or design.  (Colour co-ordinated to page colour looks nice.)

NEEDLE:  1 strong sewing needle with a largish eye that can take the thread you use.

THREAD:  Fine crochet cotton, Cordonet twisted thread, Linen thread etc.  Thread can be any colour to match book or as contrast.  Thread needs to be fairly strong but not too bulky to pass through the holes.

GLUE STICK:  To glue wrapping paper to cover etc.

OTHER THINGS:  Cutting mat, sharp craft knife or Stanley knife, steel ruler, pencil.

Bring what you have of the following:

1.      Pin awl or carpenter awl.

2.      2 bull dog clips with jaws that will open about 1cm or more.

3.      Bees wax.

4.      Beads to decorate optional.

Date:     Saturday, 12^th October, 2024  

Time:     12.30pm – 4.00pm  

Cost:      $20.00 – Members, $25.00 – Non-Members  

Place:    Sylvania Community Centre - Canberra Road, Sylvania  

              (Near Southgate Shopping Centre)  

              Bookings Essential: southscribes@yahoo.com.au 

Payment Options: Direct Deposit, Cash on the day or Cheque. When booking, please advise which payment option you will be making. 

Sacred Technologies: Calligraphy and Illumination in Practice

 Dear Members and Followers,

A free Keynote Lecture for the Vancouver School of Theology's 2024 Inter-Religious Studies Conference by Lettering Artist Georgia Angelopoulos.

Sacred Technologies: Calligraphy and Illumination in Practice

Tuesday, 21 May, 7 - 8:30pm PDT

(for us in eastern Australia, this is Wednesday, 22 May at 12 midday to 1:30 pm)

This presentation will be speaking to sacred writing traditions from the ancient Greek, early Christian and Byzantine worlds. The main premise is to illustrate threads of continuity in the writing of peoples, from antiquity to contemporary practices. In this lecture, Georgia will demonstrate how writing, or calligraphy, is art and how it, like illumination and the arts in general, have an ancient and beautiful lineage worthy of safeguarding at a time when modern technologies are quickly racing forward.

For more information or to register for the Zoom link visit:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sacred-technologies-calligraphy-and-illumination-in-practice-tickets-861710107127

Lecture abstract:

This presentation will be speaking to sacred writing traditions from the ancient Greek, early Christian and Byzantine worlds. My main premise is to illustrate threads of continuity in the writing of peoples, from antiquity to contemporary practices. In this lecture, I will demonstrate how writing, or calligraphy, is art and how it, like illumination and the arts in general, have an ancient and beautiful lineage worthy of safeguarding at a time when modern technologies are quickly racing forward. My discussion hopes to kindle a re-enchantment of this most important of cultural tools, showing how writing is still relevant even in a digital world. For example, many of the typefaces we use are designed by calligraphers and the practice of calligraphy, though always a niche activity, continues to grow in popularity. The importance of preserving handwriting is highlighted in schools, where children often learn to write with computers rather than with a pencil and paper. The loss of writing by hand raises some concerns about what kind of culture we would be advancing and what may be lost in our haste to give up the pen for the keyboard.

About Georgia Angelopoulos:

Georgia was introduced early on to calligraphy and illumination by schoolteachers in the British Arts & Crafts Revival Tradition and by family in Greece involved in the Arts. She is interested in historical letterforms, iconography and gilding. With a background in art history, Georgia considers writing practices as technologies that talk about the cultures that developed them. Her research enriches and deepens her practice as well as exploring and bridging the richness of cultural identity.

Brush Up - Revisiting Using Your Brushes - May Calliarts

Dear Members and Followers, 

This play and practise Calliarts session in May will introduce you or re-introduce you to your brushes, how they react and what you can do with them on paper. We will look at various calligraphic letterforms and how they can be manipulated, depending on brush type, paint, ink and paper. Join Valerie Keevers for a fun afternoon. 

 Requirements list: 

 Please bring any type of brushes you have, do not buy any new ones. The brushes being discussed will include: 

 Materials List: • Round pointed hair brushes 000 to size 16 • Dagger brushes, Mop brushes, Chinese Brushes, Rigger Brush • ½inch Flat brush, hair and bristle • 1inch flat brush, hair or bristle• House painting brush and stippling brush

You Will Also Need: • A3 pad, any paper pieces about A3 size any colour OR brown paper roll / plus some newspaper • Gouache, Paint, Watercolour or Acrylic, ink etc. Bring what you have • Mixing brushes, water jars and tissue or rag • Some white plastic paper plates or palette with large holes that can be used with big brush • Pencil and ruler 

Bookings Essential. Direct Deposit perferred - email the workshop co-ordinator - southscribes@yahoo.com.au or cash/cheque on the day. 

Date: Saturday, 13th May 2023 

Time: 1.00pm – 4.00pm 

Cost: $20.00 – Members, $25.00 – Non-Members 

Place: Sylvania Community Centre - Canberra Road, Sylvania (Near Southgate Shopping Centre)