Gilding the Lily

with Dan Mooney

TCG 2-day Workshop Weekend

November 16 and 17, 2019

“PLAYING WITH GOLD” or “GILDING the LILY” 

[After four years of long anticipation, TCG members once again get a chance to play with gold, to continue from the last workshop we had with Dan Mooney, on Sept 26/27, 2015: see our previous blog post: Dan Mooney, the Gilding Workshop.

by Kerr Pelto:

Dan is well known for his gold work and tooling of gold as well as his beautiful painting and calligraphy. If you want to see some of his work, visit his website: www.scribedan.com.

Some of you will remember his TCG sponsored workshop here in 2015. After that weekend, I felt like I could actually work with real gold. Dan is an excellent teacher, he took us step by step through the process of gilding and painting, and we each completed a beautiful project. Of course, he has a different project in mind for this workshop!

by Harriet Davis, Nov 21 2019:

Dan showed us how to gild his fleur-de-lis design and then how to use watercolors to paint the acanthus leaves surrounding it. There were many beautiful color interpretations. I heard lots of positive comments – and Dan told me he had a great time, too.

Gilded letter, Dan Mooney Workshop 2015, by Harriet Davis

]

A workshop on illuminated and decorated letters

The Nov 2019 workshop will focus on some fun, hands-on small projects and one lavish finished piece to get you familiar with the joy of using gold leaf. You will have no more fear or uncertainties of how to use gold leaf effectively. You will walk away from this workshop with confidence and dependable tips under your belt to always be ready to add a sparkle to your work.

You will have a blast creating a finished piece learning fool proof techniques of gilding using Jerry Tresser’s pink size as a base along with raised gilding using instacoll as a base. After you’ve applied the gold leaf, you will learn to tool the gold to enhance it and make it come alive. After the gold is applied, you will learn some basic watercolor techniques and tips to use on the finished piece you’ll be creating.

You will also observe Dan demonstrate the technique of using hand made gesso as a base for raised gilding, polishing the gesso and then polishing the 24K gold leaf to achieve a perfect mirror finish.
CLASS LEVEL: For beginners as well as advanced.

SUPPLIES LIST:

Item numbers shown are from John Neal Bookseller

www.Johnnealbooks.com

(NO SUBSTITUTIONS)

(S478) Ball burnisher-stylus with 2 tips (sharp and ball)

also for extra sharp point is (S255) bookbinders awl – TCG has some of these we can share

(S620) Clear Dappen Dish (critical)

(I38) Dr, Martins Bleed Proof White ink

 

Misc. that you probably already have:

Dawn Detergent (dish foam if possible)  TCG will supply this to share

(S464) plastic triangle

straight pen holder and a pointed nib (like Nikko)

mixing pallet for watercolors (a flat dish is fine)

(M17) Pigma micron marker size 005 or 01 or a similar technical pen with waterproof ink for thin lines.

Reading glasses!

professional water colors, (any green, blue, red & yellow)

light box or autograph pad with an extension cord

A light, not critical but you’ll be glad you have one. (I use the compact portable lamp from John Neal)

2H pencil or mechanical lead holder

paper towels

Q-tips or blending sticks,/stumps from smudging pencil

water jar

distilled water and eyedropper (critical)

toothpicks for stirring instacoll

white eraser

watercolor brush size 1 with a good point! (BR47) Kolinsky 8408 is great!

drafting tape or drafting dots

Dan will supply all of the 140# hot pressed watercolor papers, tiny brushes, sheets of 24k gold leaf, Instacoll size, Pink Tressor size, miniatum ink and more.

About Dan Mooney:

Dan lives in Harwich Port, Cape Cod, MA and has been playing with pens and gold for over 40 years. Dan is Vice President of Colonial Land Surveying Co., Inc., Past-President of Masscribes, Inc. (New England Calligrapher’s Guild) and past President of Colonial Calli-Graphics, L.L.C.

Dan’s work has been published in Letter Arts Review, Bound and Lettered; and a colorful published work entitled “Your God” was included in the beautiful coffee table book, Nice Rendition: Cheryl Wheeler’s Lyrics in Calligraphy.

Dan received further intercontinental fame with a commission in 2017 to create nine intricate maps for the book With Their Bare Hands written by Gene Fax, published in Great Britain by Osprey Publishing.

Dan enjoys sharing his passion and teaching gilding workshops throughout the country.


All images by Dan Mooney

Map Your Space

Annie Cicale of CLAS presented both a program on maps and mapmaking on Friday evening, Oct. 4, at NC State Crafts Center in Raleigh, and a two-day weekend workshop, Map Your Space, hosted by TCG on Oct. 5 and 6. The workshop was presented by CLAS and hosted by TCG.

Map Your Space, a Presentation by Annie Cicale

October 4, 2019
Hors d’oeuvres at 6:00pm, Presentation at 7:00pm
NC State University Crafts Center
210 Jensen Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606
Parking is free and located in the deck across the street

Map Your Space program, with Annie Cicale, hosted by NC State University Crafts Center, Carolina Lettering Arts Society, and Triangle Calligraphers’ Guild.

 

MAP YOUR SPACE, a map design workshop

 WITH ANNIE CICALE

OCTOBER 4 – 6, 2019, CARY, NORTH CAROLINA

Fundamentals of map design will lead you to basic design skills, while thinking about many kinds of maps, from geographical depictions to imaginative maps of places unknown.

With GPS and Google Maps, you might think mapmaking skills are no longer needed, but a handmade map can be a treasure. In this workshop we will talk about the many kinds of maps and then learn ways to make them. We’ll talk about the different information included on maps, see some historical versions that might surprise you, and think about how we engage with the territory.

You’ll choose a topic and then learn some cartographic techniques. You can make a camera-ready version of your space or you can make a fine painterly map to hang on a wall. Those Tolkien maps of Middle Earth can’t be found on your smart phone, and you too might want to design a map of your own imaginary space.

What kind of maps can you imagine making? It is easy to think of a map to your home or a wedding, or a map that captures a trip you have taken. There are also mind maps that display ideas arrayed around a central concept. What about a pair of hiking boots with “scars” from different hiking trails? Or an artist’s apron with splotches of paint from diverse projects? Or even a favorite pizza with information about the assorted ingredients?

We will review the letterforms you know, adapting them to various places on your maps, from simple place names to complicated titles. We’ll learn some of the cartographic traditions to make your map accessible and reliable for your audience, whether it is a map to your house from the airport, a map to a wedding reception or a map of a fantastic place you made up yourself. The emphasis will be on learning the skills needed to make a map – with a bit of fun thrown in as well!

In preparation for our weekend’s work, Annie is offering a Friday evening slide show.

A preview of things to come, the discussion will set the stage

for an interesting and enjoyable learning experience.

** All levels of experience are welcome. Come as you are. **

Annie's map of John Campbell Folk School

Annie’s map of John Campbell Folk School

SUPPLY LIST:

  • Pencils (mostly an HB, if that’s your favorite)

  • Eraser(s)

  • Basic calligraphy supplies, including broad edged, pointed and monoline pens. We’ll use the monoline for small writing; you can use a roller ball or other favorite small instrument.

  • Ink: your favorite basic black, or walnut, or color

  • Gouache if you prefer to work in color, with palette, gum Arabic, a few mixing brushes and appropriately sized paint brushes

  • Tracing paper

  • Graphite transfer paper if you have some (Annie will demonstrate how to make your own.)

  • Optional: colored pencils and/or watercolors

  • Scissors and X-acto knife or snap-off craft knife

  • Cutting mat for X-acto

  • Glue stick, such as UHU (the yellow one)

  • Old phone book or catalog for pasteup

  • Road atlas or map of places you might want to use as a source for your map, or sketches and photos of an imaginary place

  • Good rag paper if you want an original frameable map, and/or other papers you might want to try. Annie will be bringing some paper for parts of the projects, so just bring what you think you might want. If you are making a map that is just going to be photocopied, you can work on good tracing paper or 100% rag paper designed for drafting, available from Annie.

About Annie:

The world of books and writing has captivated Annie since she was a child. After a short career as a chemical engineer, she turned to the visual arts, specializing in calligraphy, painting, printmaking and drawing.

The visual qualities of writing became her focus when she discovered the expressive power of calligraphic forms. She brings visual expression to words to expand their meaning, using both abstract and illustrative imagery. She is fascinated with the visual nature of text on paper, working in both traditional and contemporary ways.

With an MFA in graphic design, she teaches lettering, drawing and painting for calligraphers throughout the United States and Canada, in Japan, Spain and Australia, as well as at most of the international calligraphy conferences. Travels to Europe and Asia have expanded her visions of the calligraphic form. She has had numerous one-person exhibits in Montana, Tennessee, Illinois and North Carolina.

Her work has been included in many calligraphic publications, including Bound & Lettered and Letter Arts Review. Her artist’s books are in private and public collections, including Yale University. She is the author of The Art and Craft of Hand Lettering, (revised in 2018). She was co-director of A Show of Hands 2016, the 35th international calligraphy conference, held at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina.

Her interest in maps came from her love to travel, finding that she is often the navigator with a map in her hand. A course in cartography completed the circle, and she began designing maps for clients, as well as assigning map projects to her college students. These highly inventive maps fueled her interest in teaching mapmaking to others.

ANNIE SUGGESTS …

For a fascinating book on maps in general, look for MapHead, by Ken Jennings.

It’s a delightful history of all kinds of maps, with many insights and some clever jokes.

To date, Jennings is the ‘winningest’ Jeopardy contestant of all time, which means

he brings a great amount of intriguing trivia to this discussion.

Note: Map and description of workshop are from the CLAS website. For more info,  please see: http://www.carolinaletteringarts.com/past-events/

Classes and Exhibits by TCG Members, Summer 2019

— Jessica Yee will teach:

  • Calligraphy 102, a beginner’s class in Blackletter, Carolingian and Roman, Tuesdays, Jun. 4 to Jul. 9, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Sanderson High School.
  • She will also help students create their own style of beautiful handwriting in the class Modern Calligraphy I, which will meet Thursdays, Jun. 6 to Jul. 18, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Fuquay Varina Middle School.

Contact Jess at ilovepenmanship@gmail.com for more information.

— Dara Linn will teach:

  • Hand Lettering on Canvas (ages 16 and up):
    • Section #124997 will meet at Cary Arts Center on Mondays, Jul. 8, 15, 22, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
    • Section #124879 will meet at The Hive in Cary’s Amberly neighborhood on Wednesdays, Aug. 7, 14, 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
  • Intro to Modern Calligraphy Workshop (ages 11 to 15):
    • Section #124716 will meet Sat., July 27 1–3:30 p.m. at Cary Arts Center
    • Section #124741 will meet Wednesdays, Aug. 7, 14, 21 at The Hive.

Contact Dara at southernscribe@nc.rr.com for registration information.

— Kerr Pelto will teach:

  • June 6th, “Easy Peasy Brush Lettering.”
  • July 9th, “Uncial, a Medieval Script.”

These all-day classes actually go by quickly. And they are easy classes, so you won’t be overloaded. My brush lettering class has easy handouts that just about explain themselves. The Uncial class only has 26 letters to learn instead of 52. I can take up to 12 students, 6 per table, but I will hold a class if I get at least 5 students. Each class is $90. Contact Kerr at kerrlligraphy@gmail.com for details.

— Anne Baugh teaches in Durham.  Contact Anne at ambtb7@gmail.com for details.

— Carol Nix , who taught us the wonderful class on Roman Capitals at our regular meeting in February 2018, is planning an exhibit of her work titled ConTEXT – A Calligraphic Journey. It will be at NC State Crafts Center Sept. 20 through Nov. 15, 2019.

2018 Spring Calligraphy Exhibit

Calligraphy Exhibit by TCG member Ann Erickson:
“The Wing’ed Pen – in whose flight the soul’s expression soars”

Dates: Apr 27 – Jun 23, 2018
Artist’s Reception: April 27, 2018 6-8 pm.

Exhibit is presented by the Town of Cary, at the Cary Arts Center

A versatile collection of calligraphic quotes in many alphabet styles rendered in various media such as 24K gold leaf, gouache, Chinese stick ink and embossing on surfaces such as handmade paper, sheepskin vellum and hot press watercolor paper.

The exhibit shows some of the varied applications of Calligraphy as an art form. Whereas calligraphy is often relegated to the wedding industry, to “crafting” orientations, or thought of as emanating from dusty scriptoriums, it is finally accepted today as fine art.

As a professional calligrapher for more than 35 years, Ann has used her gifts to produce illuminated manuscripts, resolutions, poems, quotes and scripture verses, as well as all aspects of wedding work. Illuminating with gold leaf is her favorite.

Connect with Ann on Facebook –  Ann Erickson: Illuminations Custom Calligraphy

Hear Julian Waters at NCSU, on March 2, 2018

Julian Waters postcard

Come and hear renowned calligrapher, type designer, and teacher Julian Waters speak at the N.C. State University Crafts Center. The program will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the main gallery of the Craft Center, located on the NCSU campus. Admission is free.

The event will be held during the March 1-4, 2018 workshop, by Julian Waters:
At Our Spring 2018 Workshop we will spend four days with Julian Waters studying Beautiful Blackletter: From Textura to Fraktur. Julian describes this workshop as, “A very good grounding, not only in specific styles, but how things work together for consistency and to create style variations, with a lot of emphasis on spacing, and that helps with all other calligraphy.”

We are so fortunate to be able to bring this renowned teacher to our area and work with him on these great classic hands. Whether you already love them or are just introducing them to your repertoire, this is a great opportunity! Look online for much more information about Julian and many examples of his beautiful work.

Julian Waters is the son of calligrapher Sheila Waters and the late bookbinder/conservator Peter Waters. Starting in the late 1970s he studied extensively with the legendary German type designer Hermann Zapf, who later picked Julian as his successor to teach the summer masterclasses at Rochester Institute of Technology. Julian’s clients have included the U.S. Postal Service, National Geographic, many agencies, institutions and companies. He has been a typographic designer and advisor for numerous exhibit designs and memorials.

His typeface designs include the award-winning Waters Titling Pro from Adobe and several custom corporate typefaces including a Transitional style family for the new Visitors Center at Jefferson’s Monticello where he was a typographic designer/advisor. Among his collaborative efforts was with muralist William Cochran on the large public text art project “The Dreaming” in Frederick MD, 2007. He has received many awards from the Type Directors Club, Graphis, Art Directors Club, Print, and Letter Arts Review, among others. Julian’s work has been represented in many international exhibitions and publications.

Julian has had solo exhibitions in Washington DC, Norway, Iceland, and in 2009 he was one of only two contemporary western lettering artists to be included in the St John’s Bible exhibition at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. During the 1990s, Waters taught lettering and typography in the graphic design program at the Corcoran School of Art, and in 1997 he was the Rubenstein Memorial Artist in Residence at DC’s Sidwell Friends School, in conjunction with a large retrospective exhibition and lectures.

In 2001, Julian was one of 14 international type designers invited to exhibit in the seminal “Zapfest” exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library. Waters has been the keynote speaker at international design conferences, and over the last 30 years he has taught countless specialized workshops for lettering professionals throughout the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia and Asia. He has taught several week-long summer sessions at Wells College Book Arts Institute, including digital font design using FontLab.

 

Graceful Envelope contest

Calligraphers everywhere are encouraged to enter the Graceful Envelope Contest, conducted by the Washington Calligraphers Guild and the National Association of Letter Carriers. Deadline is March 26, 2018 and there is no entry fee. Let’s have some entries from Triangle Calligraphers! Our March 10 meeting program will include some pointers and design opportunities. You can visit the link below for more information.

This year’s theme: “Whatever the Weather
There’s always something to say about the weather. From severe storms to sowing crops to using the sun and wind for renewable energy, the weather affects everyone. Summon a brainstorm to capture what’s outside your window—or outside the box—and design a winning envelope!

The contest urges artists to “find new ways to use hand lettering, graphic design and postage stamps to enhance your entry. It may be a small canvas, but you are capable of big ideas.”

Learn more and view past winning Graceful Envelopes at: http://www.calligraphersguild.org/envelope.html

YOUniquely Uncial

With Catherine Mauney Langsdorf
TCG 2-day Workshop Weekend:
September 30 and October 1, 2017

YOUniquely Uncial:

“The reason for this workshop is YOU!” says calligrapher and teacher Catherine Mauney Langsdorf. Enjoy two full days with this talented, accomplished and engaging scribe, learning to strengthen your marks and create stronger letterforms by taking personalized steps to enrich your calligraphic technique.

Catherine will work with each student to discover what is unique about their personal calligraphic style, sharing gleanings from her 30 years of study with master scribes. As a basis for study, the class will use the historical Roman Uncial hand, with Catherine calling on her experience for the best ways to help each student apply principles to create their own signature hand.

“Our eyes will guide our hand to create personal interpretations of this classical alphabet,” Catherine says. “We’ll study the letterforms using a pencil and a broad edge tool, further exploring the hand in pencil, pointed pen and pointed brush.”

An active calligrapher and teacher, Catherine is an eight-time winner of the Graceful Envelope Contest, including one Best of Show. She also creates designs for Crane & Co. Stationery.

A very small number of spaces remain in this workshop, which will be held at the N.C. State University Club in Raleigh. Lunches and snacks are included. Members, $125; nonmembers, $160. There will be a $5 supplies fee for materials Catherine will bring for the class.

A Note from Catherine:
“I want to challenge you NOT to bring all your stuff. Bring what you own. Buy a few things if you do not have something of a similar nature. Pack light.

With that said, the list below is what I will be bringing with me. If you do not have the exact thing, please bring what you are comfortable with in that same category. Items marked with * – optional, are things that I enjoy and like having along. If you own them, bring them along. If you do not have them yet, then it is your choice to purchase before class OR wait to see their results and decide if they are of interest to you.”

Supply List
(The numbers after some items are John Neal Booksellers product codes. This list can also be found at JohnNealBooksellers.com. We will do a combined order with John Neal the week before the workshop to save on shipping. Call John Neal at 800-369-9598 to participate.)

Continue reading YOUniquely Uncial

“Other usual tools and materials”

by Adrianne Proctor, VP-Programs, Feb 2017

At times, we mention “other usual tools and materials” in the meeting supply lists, so I came up with the list below. As you read it, don’t be alarmed: kind and helpful fellow members can probably help you fill in the blanks.

* Clean-up cloths (I pre-fold 15 or so paper towels, which are easy to grab.)
* Small water container that won’t tip over.
* If you’re using a dip pen (alternative to the Pilot Parallel pen), bring nibs and a straight (not offset) penholder (H39 from John Neal is priced well at $1.70).
* Black ink, such as Higgins Eternal (good beginner ink). Cut a hole in a kitchen sponge to seat your ink container. Or use a dropper to transfer ink a little at a time to a dinky dip (both also available from John Neal), seated safely in a sponge or holder (also available …).

Continue reading “Other usual tools and materials”

Brush Duet: The Interplay of Edged & Pointed Brush

brush_duet

By Eliza Schulte Holliday
TCG 2-day Workshop Weekend:
February 24th & 25th, 2017

Duet: The Interplay of Edged & Pointed Brush:
It won’t be long before Eliza Schulte Holliday will be traveling here from Cholula, Mexico to teach our guild her 2-day workshop during the weekend of February 24th & 25th.

The La Quinta Inn here in Raleigh (2211 Summit Park Lane) has already been booked. Her flight has been paid for. So now all we need is you!

Eliza has written two books in collaboration with Marilyn Reaves, both on brush lettering. Her first book is “Brush Lettering: An Instructional Manual in Western Brush Calligraphy.” Her second is “The Lively Brush” and it comes with a DVD of 2 1/2 hours of pointed brush instruction. I have both books and will be studying them as well as watching the DVD to prepare myself.

Continue reading Brush Duet: The Interplay of Edged & Pointed Brush

Modern Storybook Script Workshop

Kathy Milici

Kathy Milici

By Kathy Milici
TCG 2-day Workshop Weekend:
November 5th and 6th, 2016

Modern Storybook Script:
This playful alphabet has FUN written all over it! This charming, casual, easy script gives a fresh, modern twist to the traditional alphabet. In this two-day workshop by Kathy Milici, you’ll first learn some of the tools of calligraphy and how to use them. Then you’ll learn a series of simple strokes that form this whimsical yet elegant alphabet; first lower case letters, then upper case capitals. We’ll also examine letter endings, connectors, ligatures, numbers and punctuation. Strokes into letters, letters to words, words to sentences…and voila! You have a brand new, useful and versatile alphabet style that is so easy to make uniquely your own!

More info on Kathy Milici: 24 Karat Designs

Where:
La Quinta Inn, 2211 Summit Park Lane, Raleigh, 27612

Continue reading Modern Storybook Script Workshop