PAINTING THE EssENcE OF GREEcE - The Colleagues of Calligraphy

In This Issue
Painting the Essence of Greece (Rosie Huart)
Front
Calendar, Workshop News, President’s Message
2
The Unsinkable Felicia Forder, Library Update
3
Mini-Workshop Project Photos (3 of 5)
3
Mini-Workshops Information and Registration
4
Pointed Pen Artistry Workshop Info & Registration
5
Enchanted Letters: Free 1-Day Workshop
5
Midwest Art & Lettering Retreat
5
Traveling Through the Past
6
More Mini-Workshop Project Photos, Demo
Colleag
ues of Calligraphy
Minn
eapolis/St. ul, Minnesota
Pa
Back
March 2012
Painting the Essence of Greece
In the Autumn of 2011, Rosie Huart, a mixed-media artist
and teacher, led a workshop of artists aboard a cruise
ship to the Greek Isles and Venice. On Friday evening,
March 16, at 6:30 PM, Rosie will be here to share her
experience with us through a visual presentation and
lecture. Her presentation will include some of the pages
she painted and collaged during that trip. (These pages
were incorporated into a Japanese stab-bound book).
During that trip, Rosie took many
photographs and wrote poetry to
accompany them. As a result , she
wrote a book, titled Painting the
E s s e n c e o f G re e c e : P a i n t i n g
Poetry with Photography and
Haiku. She will discuss her process
of the making and writing of this
book.
ogy from Sinclair Community
College.
The path of
papermaking opened
the door
t o R o s i e ’s
creativity. In
the 1980s
she studied papermaking in Japan and today teaches both
Eastern and Western methods. She
teaches workshops in mixed media
and leads retreats connecting art
and spirituality. She has also taught
abroad in Italy and the Greek Isles
and is currently planning a workshop
in the southwest part of France.
Here is an excerpt from Rosie’s
biographical statement:
“Rosie Huart is an award-winning
artist living in Dayton,
Ohio.
She graduated from the
University of
Dayton with
a degree
in art and
psychology and a
degree in
mental
health
technol-
Rosie paints in an abstract impressionistic style. Her poetic
strokes and gestural rhythms have an emphatic voice in her
mark making and are prominent elements in her paintings.
She believes the making of art is a transformative process
that impacts the soul’s search for meaning. She has studied
throughout the United States, Japan, Spain, Italy and
France. When people view her work, she hopes they find a
quiet place inside where they respond to their own spiritual
essence.”
Note that this is an evening meeting!
Unless otherwise noted,
all meetings will be held at
Plymouth Congregational Church,
1900 Nicollet Avenue South,
Minneapolis.
Bus Routes: Nicollet/Franklin
Social 6:30 PM
Meeting 7:00 PM
More workshop opportunities in
March and May! See calendar to the
left and pages 4–6.
Information on our Midwest Art
and Lettering Retreat may be
found on page 6.
cl as s e s by m e m be rs
Come early to observe lettering
demonstrations & browse exhibits.
More information is posted on the
Resource Page of our web site:
2011–2012
❧❧ “ CALLIGRAPHY:
PEN TO
PAPER”, with Jean Formo
on two Saturdays, March 18
& 25, from 10 AM – 5 PM at
Minnesota Center for Book
Arts, Minneapolis. You will
explore the elegant and timeless UNCIAL ALPHABET.
Learn calligraphy basics—
pen angle, basic pen strokes,
letter construction and spacing, while working on a
bookmark design. Register
online at www.mnbookarts.
org or call 612-215-2530.
❧❧ “ Beginning Calligraphy” with Pat Barrett.
Learn the basic steps to the
lower-case Italic alphabet
on three Saturdays, April
28th – May 12th, 10:00 AM
– 12:00 PM at White Bear
Center for the Arts. Registration information may be
found at http://whitebeararts.org/?201402019792
March 16 (evening): Rosie Huart,
a collage artist from Ohio, who combines her calligraphic marks with
handmade paper and paint on canvas.
March 17–18 (Saturday & Sunday):
Workshop
with
Rosie
Huart,
“Connecting Art and Spirit”.
March 25 (Sunday): River Falls
Library exhibit opening and demos,
1:00-3:00 PM.
April 21 (Saturday): Mini Workshops 5 to choose from! (See page 4.)
April 22 (Sunday): River Falls Library
exhibit closes.
May 19 (Saturday): Free-to-Members,
all–day program plus potluck lunch.
Heather Held will present the allday program/workshop, entitled
“Enchanted Letters”. (See page 6.)
May 20–21 (Sunday & Monday):
Workshop with Heather Held,
“Pointed Pen Artistry”. (See page 5.)
Check
out
our
web
site’s
“Events and Workshops” page
for more information!
Send photos or scans of recent
calligraphy projects to write2lori@
hotmail.com.
How-to questions? Email me, or
call 612-756-4586,and I’ll walk you
through it.
River Falls Library Exhibit
Reminder: Colleagues members
can hand off exhibit work to Janey
Westin or Jackie Davis at the March
16th Colleagues meeting. Exhibit
forms (2) must be included with your
work. For Exhibit info and forms
click here, or call Janey at 612834-3799 or Jackie, 715-425-5796.
Nearly thirty Colleagues attended our
February meeting at the James Ford
Bell Library. See notes and photo
snapshots from the event on page 7 in
this newsletter. Many thanks to Janey
Westin and the library staff that helped
make this meeting such an incredible
success!
I have only heard from two people
interested in a trip to St. John’s Hill
Museum and Manuscript Library.
Please let me know at president@
colleaguesofcalligraphy.com if you
are interested. I will make arrangements if there is enough interest.
Note that the March meeting is
on a Friday evening, and there is a
great workshop to take advantage of
that same weekend. See page one
and the Colleagues’ web site for dates
and details.
Our library rebuilding effort has begun
under the fine and careful guidance
of Jean Formo. Thanks, Jean! We will
keep you informed of progress.
Anyone interested in being the
Colleagues’ Signet newsletter editor,
with duties starting later this summer,
should send a request along with
background experience information to
president@colleaguesofcalligraphy.com.
See you at the meetings!
Sav o r th e o rdin ar y
Spirit exp ress es all f o rms
S ee th e mira cl e
-R o si e Hu a r t ( H aiku )
Signet is a publication of the Colleagues of Calligraphy. Submission deadlines are 30 days prior to the next monthly meeting. The editor is responsible for final decision on content. Mail
submissions to Signet, Lori Tews, 8791 Allison Dr. Unit F, Westminster, CO 80005 or write2lori@hotmail.com. Information and products mentioned in articles do not imply endorsement
by the COC or BOD. Copyright 2012 by the Colleagues of Calligraphy. No portion of the Signet may be reproduced without the written permission of the COC.
For membership, see www.colleaguesofcalligraphy.com or write COC, P.O. Box 4024, St. Paul, MN 55104.
2
The Unsinkable Felicia Forder
a n up d at e
Felicia Forder took time out from the necessary recovery
work, due to the total loss of her home and possessions
in a recent fire, to attend the Colleagues of Calligraphy
February meeting at the U of M’s James Ford Bell Library.
Everyone was happy to see her and know that her spirit
was intact. Even the worst clouds have a silver lining!
The Aitkin community came together with immediate
support for the Forders. They are now living in the vacant
furnished home of a friend, working hard with the insurance
company and planning to rebuild on the same site. Felicia
says the hardest thing is the knowing they can’t go home
again, thinking about all the possessions they have lost.
Library Update
rebuilding enthusiasm
Plans are well under way for the rebuilding of our library.
It will make its first appearance at our September
2012 meeting! Hopefully, you will go home that day with
several brand-new library books, taking care, of course, to
return them with a smile in October! Until then, the “library
elves” will be hard at work, taking a look at what remains of
the current library and envisioning its careful and gradual
expansion according to a balanced plan. The new library
will contain old and new resources, including books, DVDs
and other media, periodicals and guild newsletters. It will be
made up of some still-existing books which were checked
out at the time of the fire, some selected donations and
finally, some newly-purchased acquisitions.
Many Colleagues members have kindly offered to make
donations of their own books to the library. At this point,
we are not quite ready to accept donations from members.
We ARE ready to hear about the possibility! If you have
“donation books”, please email their titles to me at
letterdesign@gmail.com.
A fund has been set up for the Forders at the Security Bank
in Aitkin, Minnesota. Donations may be sent to:
The Security Bank, Forder Fund
P.O. Box 170, Aitkin, MN 56431
Checks should be made out to “William and Felicia
Forder”.
It is my belief that cards and emails would also be welcomed. Felicia’s current address and email in the CoC
address book are still operative: 43405 - 320th Place,
Aitkin, MN 56431; and feliciamccann@yahoo.com.
-Joann Schulte
Mi n i -Wo r k sh o p Pr o j e c t s
S e e pa g e 4 f o r d e tail s!
Spencerian
Script
with Dawn
Darner
Monoline
Lettering
with Gary
Feyen
We will accept donations at a later date, based on a specific
list of titles that will most meet our goals for the library. In
the meantime, please return any books that you may have
checked out in past months. You can return them to me at
our March, April or May meetings—the sooner, the better!
We are moving ahead with enthusiasm and thoughtful
planning!
-In Books, Jean Formo
Nature
Printing
with Sue
Filbin
3
M i n i -Workshops
Saturday, April 21 from 1:00 - 3:20 PM
✒
Plymouth Congregational Church
N EUL AND S CU MBLE!
Instructor: Dot Prater
Transform an inexpensive canvas bag into a keepsake tote with
Dot Prater’s scumbled and layered “Soybean Neuland”. Using
acrylic paints, a broad-edged brush and Dot’s tips & tricks, you
will quickly build up dry-brush letters to create depth and complex
color. If you can letter with a broad-edged pen nib, you can do
this!
SUPPLIES: Brushes: broad-edge flat shader #10, and a #4 if you
have one. Small pointed brush, old, small watercolor brush, apron,
sharp pencil, Exacto knife, or scissor, small cutting mat, 2 large
yogurt/sour cream containers with lids, paper towels, masking
tape, layout paper, scrap paper to wipe brush, folder for handouts, ideas of what you want to write on tote bag. OPTIONAL:
stencils for border designs, stencil brush, needle, thread, beads,
buttons, sequins, reading glasses
SUPPLY FEE: $8.00
N AT U R E P R I N T I N G F L O W ER S &
D ELI C ATE SPE CI MENS
✒
SUPPLIES: One oblique pen holder, 2 Nikko G nibs, water container, paper towels. The supply fee will cover everything else you
need. (Pen holders and nibs are available from Wet Paint Artists’
Materials and Framing in St. Paul, 651-698-6431, http://wetpaintart.com).
SUPPLY FEE: $7.00
B A C K GR O U N D S F O R LET T ER I N G :
Experiment With New & Old Techniques
Instructor: Lynn Ohlhorst
Have you ever prepared to letter a special quote, but wanted to
write on something other than plain white paper? Come play with
watercolors and various techniques to create interesting backgrounds you can letter on. Experiment with different papers to
create a variety of results.
SUPPLIES: Several tubes/pans of watercolor paint, several
containers for water and mixing paints, paper towels, a 1-inch
stack of newspapers, mixing brushes, drafting tape. Do not buy
anything special for this workshop. Bring what you have and we
can share.
Instructor: Sue Filbin
SUPPLY FEE: $6.00
Have fun learning to print flowers, herbs, and evergreens to
accompany your calligraphy. We will reinforce some pressed
specimens, then apply oil paints with a dauber to capture fine
detail and create subtle color variations. This is a very different
method of printing from using soft-rubber brayers and watersoluble printmaking inks.
M O N O LI N E LET TER I N G
SUPPLIES: soft paper towels such as Viva, pencil, masking tape,
plastic grocery bag, small sharp scissor or #11 X-acto knife, small
cutting mat. (Sue will have extras of some of these to share).
SUPPLY FEE: $2.00
SPEN CER I AN S CR I P T—A Case for the
Lower Case
Instructor: Dawn Darner
The fanciest of capital letters are nothing without the support of
lovely and flowing lower-case letters. This workshop will set you
on track for creating the lower-case letters that make the backbone of this beautiful American script. (It is also great preparation
for our May 19th free, all-day workshop with Heather Held).
$15.00 Fee
Instructor: Gary Feyen
Experiment with monoline writing tools, making many different
non-traditional alphabets. We will start by making practice strokes
and defining parameters for the letters we will draw, including
press and release techniques, fancy capitals, and variations of
what you already know. This will be a no-stress, playful workshop.
SUPPLIES: Pencils (one hard, one softer, like a 2B and 6B, or
HB and F – just any two that are different. Colored pencils (4 different colors), a ball point pen, Speedball B Series nib (any size),
penholder, ink or watercolor, a bullet-point marker (anything that
is not a brush or chisel edge), 6 sheets of practice paper (8.5 x
11 copy paper is fine, or whatever you have, 1 – 2 small sheets of
good paper to letter a short quote with one of your new alphabets.
NO SUPPLY FEE
(Supply fees are payable directly to the instructor at the
workshop).
Photos of instructors’ examples are scattered
throughout the Signet!
Cut & send this portion to Jean Formo, 6616 Chadwick Dr., Savage, MN 55378
(Make your $15.00 check payable to “Colleagues of Calligraphy”)
Name:
Address:
Phone(s): Email:
Please number your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices:
4
Neuland Scumble Spencerian Script
Nature Printing
Backgrounds for Lettering
Monoline Lettering
Pointed Pen Artistry
Two-day Workshop with Heather Victoria Held
May 20 - 21, 2012 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Edina Art Center
Offhand Flourishing is a unique, non-lettering art form
created with a pointed steel pen. Elegant flourishes that
appear complex and labour intensive are broken down
into simple strokes that can become second nature to the
dedicated student. The process is creative and meditative.
Designs can be done rapidly with little pre-planning.
vintage forms that are unique to the art such as cartouches,
scrolls and quills while adding contemporary touches to
the designs. We will expand our strokes and techniques
to include simple line and wash that will embellish delicate
floral swags and borders.
We begin the workshop by getting comfortable with the
pointed pen, developing a light touch and learning the
basic strokes of offhand flourishing. We will explore the
Check out both of Heather’s web sites for inspiration and
prepare to be hooked: www.heathervictoriaheld.com
and www.inkflourishes.blogspot.com.
Your only limit is your imagination!
Fee: $90 Members; $125 Non-members*. Make checks payable to “Colleagues of Calligraphy”.
Please complete the registration form and return it to
Dawn Darner, along with your check by April 7, 2012.
Call Dawn at 651-295-8495 or email her, Dawn@
LetteredInInk.com with any questions.
Established COC workshop guidelines state that registration fees are not refundable unless we can fill your place
with someone from the waiting list.
*Non-member fees include a one-year membership to the Colleagues
of Calligraphy in addition to entrance to the workshop.
Cut & send this portion to Dawn Darner, 5152 Woodlane Drive, Woodbury, MN 55129.
Name:
CoC Member
Non-Member
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Phone(s): Email:
I would like to help with (please number your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices):
Digital Photos Instructor’s Lunch
Teacher's Assistant - Sunday
Teacher's Assistant - Monday
Everyone will be expected to help clean up!
Write workshop review
Heather Held 05.20-21.12
Get your registration in by April 7!
5
Enchanted
Letters
Saturday, May 19 from 9:30 AM—4:30 PM
Plymouth Congregational Church
1900 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis.
This one-day workshop is free to all paid
members of the Colleagues Of Calligraphy.
(Non-members are welcome, see below for fee
details).
This workshop is an exploration in designing
and decorating a contemporary illuminated letter. The letters are based on a rounded script
alphabet and transformed into meandering ribbons.
The student will be guided through the pencil
design stage of their letter of choice. Pointed
pen flourishes are added to the design which
can be further embellished with color. The final
design is evocative of the graceful capital letters found in Victorian illustrated books. Some
knowledge of the pointed pen and a rounded
script alphabet will be helpful although an
exemplar will be provided.
POT LUCK LUNCH! Please bring your favorite
dish to share with our fellow Colleagues.
Advanced registration is requested, so we can
plan for you! Please complete and return
to Dawn Darner by April 7, 2012. Members
may register by email or snail mail.
Email registration: Simply include your email
address and phone number in your message to
Dawn Darner at Dawn@LetteredInInk.com.
(If you choose snail mail, send to the address
below).
Non-members must register by snail mail,
including the form and a check for $35.00 payable to the Colleagues of Calligraphy.
Snail mail registration: send your form (and
check, if a non-member) to Dawn Darner,
5152 Woodlane Dr, Woodbury MN 55129.
A supply list will follow.
Cut & send this portion to Dawn Darner, 5152 Woodlane Dr, Woodbury MN 55129
(Non-members only: make your $35.00 check payable to “Colleagues of Calligraphy”)
Name:
Address:
Phone(s): Email:
Sponsored by Minnesota’s
Colleagues of Calligraphy
At Carleton College,
Northfield, MN,
August 9-12, 2012
BREAKING
YOUR
BONDS
AND
All information and the registration form may be found
on the web site: https://sites.google.com/site/
midwestretreat/home HAVE QUESTIONS? Email Joyce
Francis at midwestartandlettering@gmail.com
Do you dream of having the time to finish at least one art
project or to even begin one? Wouldn’t it be wonderful
to have someone cook dinner for you while you are busy
playing and creating? Don’t forget about having an artsy
buddy playing along with you! Well…..
You need a creative summer vacation at the MIDWEST
Art and Lettering Retreat to be held at Carleton College,
August 9-12! Instructors Sandy Bartholomew, Georgia
Deaver, Cheryl Moote, Carrie Imai, and Roz Stendahl will be
there to play through four, fun-filled days.
6
TRANSCENDING
YOUR
LIMITATIONS
But don’t take our word for it! Here are some comments
drawn from the evaluations we received after the retreat
last summer:
❧ ❧Classroom space was WONDERFUL, size of group
was perfect.
❧ ❧Small class size; there was more interaction
between teacher and student and between students
and teachers in other classes. Retreat is an important
concept…makes it much more appealing than a fullblown conference.
❧ ❧I loved the big blocks of time to work with our
instructor and to have free “practice time’ in the evenings. This was a real “working calligraphy retreat;” the
lineup of instructors was stellar.
To read many more enthusiastic comments, visit the
retreat’s web site!
Traveling through the Past
james ford bell library field trip
There were twenty-eight
Colleagues who stepped into the
past at the James Ford Bell
L i b r a r y , but somehow it was
comfortingly familiar. Before us
lay pages, books, manuscripts,
and maps written centuries ago
with quill and ink on surfaces
many of us have never had the
opportunity to use or even touch.
J a n e y We s t i n introduced
t h e C u r a t o r, M a r g u e r i t e
Ragnow, who massaged our
curious minds with facts and
c o n j e c t u re o f w h e re , w h e n ,
and by whom the documents
were communicated. We were
allowed to touch these
extraordinary manuscripts
and books dating back
as far as the twelfth and
t h i r t e e n t h c e n t u r i e s . We
were able to compare the
precise, formal lettering of
o ff i c i a l c o m m u n i q u é s t o
the everyday handwriting
of a merchant’s insurance
contract. Oh, the joy of being
able to touch these pages—
the thrill of peering at each
stroke of the pen through our
magnifying lenses!
Many pages of biblical
translations were displayed
for us with all their flourishes
and illumination. Of special
interest were notes made in
the margins of some pages
indicating that scholars
and scribes from centuries
past made mistakes and
h a d d i s a g re e m e n t s o n t h e
c o n t e n t o r t h e w o rd i n g o f
the document. Alongside the
manuscripts were two maps of
the “then-known world” used
by mariners depicting islands,
as well as graphic motifs,
that must have dazzled the
imagination of every explorer Photos above of ornate documents, bottom
wishing to claim the prizes and one including notes in the margins. Colleagues
pictured at right include ?, Jean Heidenreich,
glory of unexplored lands.
Last, but not least, Dr. Ragnow
showed us the wonders of The
Bell Room which was built to
resemble that of an 18th-century
country gentleman’s library. One
wall of this room was lined with
a six-panel Chinese map of the
world, circa 1602. The room
was complete with stainedg l a s s w i n d o w s , c h a n d e l i e r,
wood paneling, furnishings,
and inkwells of the period. The
a m b i e n c e i n t h a t ro o m w a s
amazing, leaving each of us with
the feeling that we had stepped
across the threshold of time
into a world of excitement and
adventure unmatched since the
days of Father Matteo Ricci
and his quest to convert
China to Christianity (15881610).
T h e b e a u t y o f t h e s e
handwritten documents
with their flourishes, flaws,
and illuminations enriched
our minds and souls. As we
stepped out of the library into
the real world of elevators
and traffic, we were each
encouraged to pick up our
own pen and ink to ensure
t h a t t h e w o rd s w e s c r i p t
today will be as revered as
those that were penned so
long ago.
-Article and photos by Sue Sterling
?, ?, and Dave Johnson.
7
P.O. Box 4024
St. Paul, MN 55104
Ornate letter J from the manuscript collection at the
James Ford Bell Library field trip. Photo by Sue Sterling.
Coming in March...
gary berosik
March 16 at 6:30 p.m.
contemporary italic
Backgrounds for Lettering
with Lynn Ohlhorst
Neuland Scumble
with Dot Prater
These two images are examples of what you
can learn at the five MINI-WORKSHOPS in
April. See page 4 for details!