02.17.2012
Zhou Mingdi
by PM
Just in case you thought you had mastered your craft, this gentleman raises the bar…
http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/zhou-mingdi-the-ultimate-calligraphy-artist.html
About the Friday Forum
One of the “perks” of serving as the President of MAC is having access to lots of information not only about MAC, but about and from other guilds across the country, and local and national events as well! This new area of our website is intended to serve as a true Forum that incorporates news, ideas, comments, tips and so on. I intend to post weekly updates but want to invite any MAC member who wishes to spread the word about something of interest to become a guest author for a week! All you need to do is send me the information you’d like to see posted and I’ll do the rest. I hope this market-place of ideas and information will entice you to visit our website frequently.
If there’s something YOU would like to know – please email Vicki Corwin! Hope you have a great week!
Past Forums……
02.10.2012
Working on Quality Paper
by Vicki Corwin
Jacqueline Sullivan told me that some of our members questioned doing layouts on “good paper” when the idea was introduced in her workshop held in January. This week she shared a posting on Cyberscribes that was written by Gemma Black. As background information, for those of you who don’t know her, Gemma is a distinguished Australian Calligrapher and Civil Marriage Celebrant. Her work has encompassed regular commissions from both the public and private sectors throughout the country. In 1986, Gemma was one of three friends who founded the Canberra Calligraphy Society which today is a strong likeminded group which share a common passion for letters. Gemma’s creative journey has seen her study with highly skilled calligraphers worldwide. If you check out this website, you will see that she has become one too! http://canberragem.blogspot.com/
Gemma graciously granted permission to use this for our Friday Forum this week. (Note from the editor: I have also re-written 8 line pieces (on good paper) this many times, but I cannot confess to having had such a good natured attitude about it. Next time, I’ll channel the lovely Gemma!) =)
Thank you to Jacqueline for sharing this and here isGemma’s posting on Cyberscribes:
Over the past few hours I have been working on an eight-lined song for a client.
Apart from my layouts I do all my work on quality papers, vellums etc. with artist quality gouaches, inks, watercolours and so on. On my first attempt at the real thing on paper, remembering it is only eight lines, I left an “e” off where. The lettering is 6mm high, so no worries, do it again.
On my second attempt I spelt whither “wither”. So no worries, eight lines only, start again.
On my third attempt my centered spacing on the second line was way out so I though “ah” – “I have left a word out”. I re-read it and “no” I didn’t leave a word out … must have been my measuring… so I changed the subsequent lines to make the layout asymmetric. Brilliant! Genius! I got to the end and thought I had better re-read this. I “had” left a word out and didn’t even see it!
So no worries, eight lines only, start again. You will be pleased to know I made it! I don’t think I have made so many mistakes with such a short work ever. I am not out of sorts about it, a little amused maybe. :-)
Gemma
Tasmania, Australia
… who has lots of fine art paper to decorate and make bookmarks, book covers, backgrounds and so on …
02.02.2012
Love
by Vicki Corwin
L O V E is in the air!
Soon it will be Valentine’s Day!!
Here are but a few quotations that celebrate the wonderfully
diverse meanings of L O V E. I hope you’ll
be able to make at least one Valentine this year
for someone you L O V E.
Life without loveis like a tree without blossom and fruit.
– Kahlil Gibran, poet
In the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything, and two minus one equals nothing.
– Mignon McLaughlin, journalist
Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination.
– Voltaire, writer
Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love.
– Albert Einstein, physicist
If love is the answer, could you please rephrase the question?
- Lily Tomlin, actor and comedian
The essence of love is kindness.
– Robert Louis Stevenson, writer
Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.
– Antoine de Saint-Exupery, writer
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.
– Jimi Hendrix, musician
Where love is, no room is too small.
– Talmud
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
– Lao Tzu, philosopher
The Eskimo has fifty-two names for snow because it is important to them; there ought to be as many for
LOVE.
– Margaret Atwood, writer
01.27.2012
Folding Tips
by Vicki Corwin
Here are four “Folding Tips” taken from the Calligrapher’s Recipe Book which was published by the Marietta Calligraphy Society in Marietta, Ohio. Many thanks to this wonderful Guild for such a unique collection of recipes for success!
To prevent bone folders from leaving shiny marks on papers when creasing, place a piece of tracing paper or glassine paper over the crease before using the bone folder.
For a nice crisp fold line on card stock you can use your paper cutter to score it. Lift the blade to its highest point. Use the measuring marks to find your fold placement. Put a plastic thimble on your index finger (don’t use metal – it will leave a shiny mark) and run it over the edge of the paper cutter where the blade would normally cut. This will give you a nice clean score line.
When making accordion books, you will find that 80 lb stock is the heaviest card stock that still folds nicely.
Always fold paper with the grain whenever possible. The fibers often break if you fold against the grain. For the smoother fold, find the gain by bending the paper slightly in both directions. The side that beds easiest is lengthwise with the grain.
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01.20.2012
Envelopes
by Vicki Corwin
The 2012 Graceful Envelope Contest: Make MAC Proud by entering the WINNER !!!
Call for Entries: Graceful Envelope Contest
Letter lovers everywhere are invited to participate in the 2012 Graceful Envelope Contest. The contest is open to all ages, with two separate categories for children. There is no entry fee.
This year’s theme, “D-liver D-letter D-sooner D-better.” Create your envelope around anything that begins with D. Postmark deadline: Monday, April 30, 2012. Address the envelope to: The Graceful Envelope Contest, Washington Calligraphers Guild, P.O. Box 3688, Merrifield, VA 22116
The complete Call for Entries and a flier suitable for newsletters is posted on the Washington Calligraphers Guild website at http://calligraphersguild.org/envelope.html
The National Association of Letter Carriers agreed to partner with WCG to sponsor the contest and exhibit the winners. Winning envelopes are also exhibited online at http://calligraphersguild.org
01.13.2012
Envelopes
by Wink Covintree
Hi Everybody!
For a number of years Wendy Cowley has been organizing an envelope exchange for Cyberscribes and a number of calligraphy societies. This invitation is open to all Calligraphers and Artists – and that obviously includes ALL MAC MEMBERS!!! Photos of some of the envelopes I sent out this year are included and shown above. If you’re interested in taking part in this fun activity, please read the details below and click on the link Wendy has provided. The exchange begins in February, so don’t delay if you want to do it!
Wink Covintree
Here are the details -
1. Send out one envelope a month. That is—you will COMMIT to doing one envelope a month from February to December.
2. Each participant will get a grid showing who they send to and who they should receive from each month.
3. I will try to spread participants out equally from participating countries.
4. Participants agree to let the receivers of their envelopes share the envelopes they receive with anyone to whom they will show it in person. The envelopes will NOT be put up on the web or printed in any journals or newsletters. YOUR ENVELOPES CAN BE ANY SIZE YOU LIKE. REMEMBER EXTRA LARGE SIZE ENVELOPES MAY REQUIRE EXTRA POSTAGE.
5. Contents: You do not need to put anything calligraphic into your envelope (you certainly can if you wish, but there is absolutely no pressure to do so.) You must put SOMETHING into your envelope—just a note saying what techniques you used for the envelope or a note or postcard about the beautiful spot you live–I find empty envelopes disappointing. You can certainly just type out a brief note on your computer and put the exact same note into each exchange envelope. This is not meant to be onerous, but rather give us a chance to know each other a little better.
PLEASE NOTE: Sign up for the exchange is different this year. I am going higher tech, to sign up you need to fill out a Google doc form. The form can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dEJWWHB2bElJZkZNWUZLbE9ydDFyWGc6MA#gid=0 – Copy and paste this into your browser.
Using the form will allow me to organize the lists much more easily. It also ensures that you don’t forget any required information!
Lists will be sent out by the end of January. Envelopes may be mailed ANY time during the month–an envelope mailed on the last day of the month is ON TIME. Late envelopes are definitely better than NO envelopes as well.
It is nice to send a thank you for envelopes received, but that is NOT a requirement. I tend to be very bad at remembering to do that. It doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the envelopes that I receive, just that I am bad at e-mailing replies for things received via snail mail. E-mail addresses are included for participants in order to facilitate sending a note of thanks. If no e-mail address is provided the participant does NOT have e-mail and you would need to communicate with them via snail mail. (Having e-mail is NOT a requirement for participation, so if you have a friend or colleague who would like to participate you can fill out a form for them for the exchange. Don’t put your e-mail address in the block of information that will be copied onto the grid sheet. Put your e-mail address in the e-mail box and the list will be sent to you.
Please direct any questions to: Wendy Cowley at wacowley@telus.net or Wink Covintree at wcovintree@mac.com
12.30.2011 & 01.06.2012
Playtime
by Vicki Corwin
Contributor Barbara Mann has provided an opportunity to wind down from the holidays with a little play time! Click on this link to create a few snowflakes – it’s fun and easy!
http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com/
12.23.2011 & 12.30.2011
Happy Holidays from your Webmaster and President!
by Vicki Corwin
12.16.2011
Paper Lovers!
by Vicki Corwin
Every Calligrapher I know is also a paper lover. We all seem to have more than we need and yet we hate to part with very much of it! So, when this video came to my attention about a woman who tells her stories without words, but by using only paper, I was intrigued. She calls herself a Papercutter. Well, she’s got that right!! Wait until you see what she walks out onto the stage in! She says she loves languages, words stories, and of course, paper!! I liked the sound of her voice and found this video quite charming. It’s always a pleasure to see someone who has a great talent share it so freely with the rest of the world. I hope you’ll enjoy her too, don’t let the length of the video scare you off – you can start and stop. Just click on the link below.
http://www.ted.com/talks/beatrice_coron_stories_cut_from_paper.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-11-01
12.09.2011
Paraprosdokian
by Vicki Corwin
Jeannette Green sent me the idea for this Friday’s Forum. We’re suggesting everyone take a break from all the many activities that never seem to end in December and just share a smile with some Paraprosdokians!! What the heck is a Paraprosdokian? It’s a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected and frequently used in a humorous situation. Some of these would make great sayings to practice our calligraphy – but who has time for that, right?
- Knowledge tells you a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
- To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
- Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, ‘In case of emergency, notify: I put ‘DOCTOR.’
- Never argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
- I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.
- You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
- I used to be indecisive. Now I’m not so sure.
- You’re never too old to learn something stupid.
- To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.
- Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
- Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
- A diplomat is someone who tells you to “go to hell” in such a way that you look forward to the trip.
- Hospitality is making your guests feel at home even when you wish they were.
- When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.
- A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have work station.
12.02.2011
Discounts!!
by Vicki Corwin
American Frame has recently informed MAC that effective January 1, 2012, YOU, as an individual buyer, will now enjoy a 5% discount on purchases as opposed to MAC receiving a 5% donation based on what our members have purchased. American Frame has provided MAC with membership in their Alliance Program for many years and we have appreciated their significant donations.
This change in policy is a bonus and benefits our members directly and we urge you to take advantage of their generous offer of a 5% savings whenever you order from their website or their catalogs.
In order to take advantage of the 5% discount offer, you will need to have the proper code!
The Code is: ALLIANCE12_5%.
As always, American Frame offers free shipping on orders over $50.00. Please visit their website at www.AmericanFrame.com. If you have any questions, please call 1-800-537-0944.
11.25.2011
Happy Thanksgiving from your President and your Webmaster!!
by Vicki Corwin
11.18.2011
Farewell to Fall
by Vicki Corwin
As many of you know, I’ve kept a journal of quotes and sayings that cross my desk, my screen, my paths. I’ll never be able to write them all in Calligraphy at this point – there are WAY too many. But, I do use them for practice, and for cards, and for inspiration – it has truly become a little sacred book to me. I was going through it this morning and thought I’d share some of the sayings about autumn (I limited myself to five)! It’s time to say goodbye to Her – and I do so with gratitude for the glory of Her beauty.
Keep the faith as winters in Michigan can be both brutal and beautiful …. rest assured there will be a few quotes about that too in future Forums!
A tangerine and russet cascade
Of kaleidoscopic leaves
Creates a tapestry of autumn magic
Upon the emerald carpet of fading summer.
- Judith A. Lindberg
October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came –
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
- George Cooper
Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile.
- William Cullen Bryant
Delicious Autumn! My very soul is
Wedded to it, and if I were a bird,
I would fly about the earth
seeking successive autumns.
- George Eliot
Every leaf speaks bliss to me,
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
- Emily Bronte
11.11.2011
Once a Good Idea – Still a Good Idea!
by Vicki Corwin
This week’s Forum reprises some still-helpful-tips from an old column we used to print in our Newsletters entitled “Connie’s Corner”, written by long-time member, Connie LaBenne.
- If you have trouble pulling your pointed nibs from an oblique holder, smear a small amount of Vaseline on the nib base before inserting it. Work the nib around a big before pushing it all the way into the holder. This works with other nibs and holders, too.
- Pro-White or Dr. Martin’s Bleed Proof White mixed with gouache will give a raised effect when doing Copperplate or ornamental lettering.
- To create some unique and interesting backgrounds, try color coping exciting or textural fabrics onto watercolor paper!
- Use a 4 x 6 photo journal (the kind with plastic pockets) to hold brass stencils, die cuts, paper/ink samples, anything small and flat. Attach a ribbon as a tie and your stash stays closed!
11.04.2011
Weathergrams!
by Vicki Corwin
Before the snow flies, friends, why not create and hang a Weathergram? It’s super easy to make one – you only need a grocery bag, a piece of twine, some Sumi Ink and a VERY short quote! If you decide to make one, please take a photo before you hang it and plan to bring (or send) the photo and the Weathergram itself to our March Meeting! Here’s some additional information for your enjoyment!
From The Calligraphy of Lloyd Reynolds by Gunderson & Lehman
Weathergrams are poems of about ten words or less. They are written on narrow strips of kraft paper cut from used grocery store bags. They are hung on bushes or trees in gardens or along mountain trails. There are generally seasonal and are left out for three months or longer. The name means ‘weather writing’ — notations by sun, wind, rain, and possibly ice. Written with the proper inks, the writing lasts. Let them weather and wither like old leaves. In composing one, let the meaning grow out of things, with some action involved if possible — in a hear and now. The meaning is not all on the surface. The unexpected is essential. It is not a condensation, but a moment of vision.
Lacking development and magnitude, can it be called a poem? If not, just call it a Weathergram:
09.23.2011
by Vicki Corwin
All Things St. John’s Bible!
TGIF might be appropriate for the Friday Forum – but TGID (Thank Goodness it’s Done) is surely appropriate when it comes to the St. John’s Bible! The announcement of its completion was found in the following article posted online which was shared by Wink Covintree. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/state-of-the-arts/archive/2011/09/the-completed-st-johns-bible-is-unveiled.shtml
The Saint John’s Abbey and University commissioned renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson to produce a hand-written, hand-illuminated Bible in 1998. This work of art unites an ancient Benedictine tradition with the technology and vision of today, illuminating the Word of God for a new millennium. For complete information about this project, you can simply click on this link: http://www.saintjohnsbible.org
I mentioned in an earlier Friday Forum that pages of this work of art are currently on display at the Loyola Museum of Art in Chicago through October 23rd. More about this exhibit on this link…. http://www.luc.edu/luma/flash/saint_johns_bible_2011.html
My husband and I had a chance to see this exhibit ,which features pages from the Creation and the Psalms, during our three day excursion to Chicago In August and it is MORE than magnificent.
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is currently exhibiting pages of the Bible as well through November 13th. Information for this Exhibition at http://www.artsmia.org/index.php?section_id=2&exh_id=4302
And, finally, if you want to keep some of these images close at hand, you can order the 2012 St. John’s Desk Calendar through John Neal Booksellers. http://www.johnnealbooks.com
What a calligraphic triumph! Congratulations and a hearty AMEN to all those who participated in thought, word, and deed, and blessings to all those who enjoy the fruits of their labors.
10.28.2011
An Encore for the St. John’s Bible!
by Vicki Corwin
Donald Jackson has referred to this project as his “Sistine Chapel” and I think every Calligrapher can understand his feeling that way! It is truly a Masterpiece of epic proportion. On Wednesday, October 19, 2011, Mr. Jackson was featured on the Today Show and thanks to Barb Mann for sending the link, you may watch the segment too. MAC Members can be proud that they participated with financial support but one of our members lamented that she wishes she could have written but ONE LETTER in the St. John’s Bible. I totally get that! In honor of the completion, perhaps we should all write with a quill this weekend!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44958686
10.21.2011
Calligraphy Changed the World?
by PM
With the passing of Steve Jobs this week we can’t ignore the way in which he changed the way the world communicates. More interesting is how calligraphy had a hand in influencing Steve’s life and in turn, ours.
In this week’s Friday Forum we have an article that explains how this happened. Perhaps you are reading today’s forum on your smart phone…
Steve Jobs’ ex-Trappist monk calligraphy teacher put him on the spiritual path to changing the world.
by Tim Appelo
I know where Steve Jobs’ inspiration came from, because I walked into the same place three months after he’d left in 1974: the calligraphy building at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. “My first impression was that all the other students really liked him,” says Jobs’ first calligraphy professor (and mine), Robert Palladino. “That surprised me, because there were all these geniuses floating around, and Steve was a dropout. But they detected greatness even then.”
Jobs was a genius dropout with drive, so after his one 1972 semester as a paying student, he hung out at Reed for 18 months more, studying calligraphy as single-mindedly as a monk. Later, Jobs joined a Reed friend (and future Apple employee) to study like a monk in the Himalayas, barefoot, with shaved head and robes. But his first monastery was Reed’s calligraphy room, run by Palladino, who’d been a Trappist monk for 18 years.
Silicon Valley’s future most famous screamer studied with a monk who spent years taking a vow of silence. “Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country,” Jobs said when he gave Stanford’s 2005 graduation speech. “Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed…I learned about serif and sans serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture.” Calligraphing like a monk gave Jobs an esthetic sense most math-nerd tech giants (like Bill Gates) lack.
“About two years later Steve came back to Reed to tell me he was working on computers out of his parents’ garage,” says Palladino, now a retired priest doing masses in English and Latin in Oregon. “He wanted to consult with me about my Greek letters.” As Jobs told Stanford’s graduates, “When we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it’s likely that no personal computer would have them.”
It wasn’t just a calligraphic skill Jobs picked up at Reed. It was a mindset. At orientation, freshmen were told, “You’re here to measure your mind against the person sitting next to you, and the greatest minds who ever lived.” Reed’s dropout, suicide, and grad-school admissions rates were sky-high. Social skills and gradepoint averages were low. At Stanford, any grade below a C was erased from students’ records. At Reed, there was no gentleman’s C, and you were expected to be too pure to even ask what your grades were. Your goal was perfection. It was all about questing individualism, original thinking, ruthless meritocracy. The school mascot was an image of burning ambition: a griffin blazing like the sun.
“Steve had a flamethrower mind,” says Tim Girvin, a calligrapher who started out on the Reed scene and went on to design logos for 400 films, from Apocalypse Now to The Adventures of Tintin, and also for Jobs, who invited him to work on a mouse-activated computer — a “M.A.C.” “Steve said, ‘You have to come down to Apple, I have something I’ve got to show you.’ I was amazed to be flown down to work on experiments in type design for this technology still wrapped in secrecy. I came in from the outside to work for him as a renegade, to think differently about how to approach that design.
“The mouse, the cursor device, was contained in some kind of cardboard with wire coming out the end. ‘Could you draw a logo for the Mac computer by hand with this cursor, on the computer itself?’ he asked. I couldn’t. The screen was tiny, the pixels large. So instead, by hand, I made drawings for the logo and of the computer, all done with a calligraphic brush tool.”
Jobs loved the result. Good thing he liked it. “If you were on his good side, it was always, what is the next tier of perfection? What’s the next thing you could do that would be better? And if you were on the bad side, then you were gone. Steve had a real temper. There was yelling — not tied with me. There was furniture kind of tossed around a room. He had a real focus, a path he was on, and you were either on the path and going there or you were not. People write about being terrorized by Steve Jobs, and I think it was because of that crazy passion and fire he had. He was wildly passionate about doing new amazing things.”
“Ethically, Steve was as nice a guy as you could meet,” says Palladino, who never saw Jobs in his chair-throwing days. “A real nice fellow.” Palladino’s attempts to get back in touch with Jobs after fame struck were rebuffed by Apple, whose office responded with a silence stonier than any Trappist’s. Since Jobs’ death, Palladino has gotten calls from as far away as China, asking for insights into where Jobs’ talent came from. Asked which actors should play Jobs and himself in the potential Sony movie adaptation of Walter Isaacson’s Jobs bio (published Oct. 24), Palladino says, “I don’t see many movies. I never saw a TV until I got out of the cloister.”
Jobs hired Girvin to do more designs many times over the years. “When he started NeXT [the computer company Jobs launched in 1985], he said, ‘Can you brew up some kind of visual expression for how we tell the story of NeXT?’ He said that brand was so corporate and disciplined, he needed to add some magical expressive power to that.” To Steve Jobs, calligraphy was the magic that enlivens science. “Almost all of my correspondence with him was handwritten. That was part of our connection, the return to the hand.” Girvin says the last time they were in contact, seven or eight years ago, Jobs was a changed man. “He became much more calm. In the beginning, he was so young, so passionate, so crazy, and so direct, it was a different kind of energy. I think he just became more serene in his character.”
“The day of Steve’s death, I took my iPad and started drawing sketches about the Mac, starting exactly where I was with Steve 30 years ago,” says Girvin. This time, he didn’t need a calligraphy pen — and the iPad is actually cheaper than the Pelikan pen that Palladino uses. “Now the iPad gives you the ability to take pictures and notes and drawings and ideas, and converge them in one space, seamlessly.” At last, Girvin can do what Jobs asked him to do way back when (see drawing above). “It goes right back to the initial computer dream,” says Girvin.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward,” Jobs told the Stanford grads. “You can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
10.14.2011
Calligraphy and Handwriting: It’s Newsworthy!
by Vicki Corwin
Thanks to MAC Members Myrna Hitchman, Barbara Mann, Jeannette Green, Kathy McCreedy and Dale Frankel. Each of these members have sent me posts or articles they have found on-line, as well as the New York Times, USA Today, and The Detroit Free Press that have to do with our favorite topic: Calligraphy! This type of sharing is exactly what I hoped the Friday Forum would present from time to time. Here now are some articles and thoughts for YOUR consideration. I hope you will find some time to read them.
Kathy McCreedy found the following article entitled “Individuality is Lost as Art of Handwriting Dies”. In this article, the author writes “By the time school started this year, 45 states (including Michigan) had adopted the Common Core State Academic Standards in their public schools, a curriculum, which in part phases out cursive writing in the classroom.“ I find this SO interesting…… http://detnews.com/article/20110923/OPINION03/109230310/1279/OPINION0306
……Especially in light of the article Myrna Hitchman sent from the USA Today which notes that CHINA’s Ministry of Education has mandated elementary schools to hold a weekly calligraphy class for grades 3 through 6 !!! A link to that article follows next. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-08-30-China-culture-calligraphy-education_n.htm
Jeannette Green and Barb Mann (as well as several contacts in other Guilds) sent me a Commencement Address delivered in 2005 by Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple Computer.
A link to the entire speech is offered below – it’s relevant to us because of his remarks about his introduction to Calligraphy at Reed College and the application of what he learned later in his career. There are two statements in this speech that really speak to me, the first is: “It (calligraphy) was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture, and I found it fascinating”. The other is “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life….don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2BRnH3/news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html
The tributes to Steve Jobs have been numerous and it seemed appropriate to remember him in the Friday Forum as well. He left us so much, but he left too soon. May he rest in peace.
Barb Mann shared another article that pays tribute to Steve Jobs in many ways, including his Calligraphic connections; you can read it by clicking on this link: http://southsanfrancisco.patch.com/articles/steve-jobs-calligraphy-lover
To end Our Forum on a lighter note….Just when you think you’ve seen it all…..check out this little story about “letters” sent in by Dale Frankel !!!! http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/garden/tableware-with-something-on-its-mind.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=tableware%20with%20something%20on%20its%20mind&st=cse
10.07.2011
“Don’t Judge a Book by its …..”
By Scott Wettlauffer
Last Sunday I went to the WSG gallery on Main St in Ann Arbor to check out “Beyond Words: A Celebration of Book and Paper Arts” (there till Oct 16th). I was stunned by the variety and complexity of the books in the show and so I stayed for the gallery talk which featured Gene Alloway of Motte and Bailey Booksellers (and also an ex digital librarian), and Ruth Bardenstein, a book artist.
The talk was centered around “Is the print book dead” (or at best dying). Barbara Brown started off the conversation with the question, “what constitutes a book?” I immediately had a vision in my mind of a paper book with leather binding that you have to open to read. No sooner did I have that vision that I realized that that idea of a book was extremely limited. I listened while the group began to form an idea of what they thought was encompassed in the term book. A book “has a beginning and an end” and in between it “has sequential communication”. The conversation rolled around to comparing a 2 dimensional work of art that you can take in pretty much immediately to a book that takes some time to read, or in the case of some art books, take time to visualize. I put my two cents in by asking whether calligraphic art, where the image is related to the letters and the letterforms can take on a beginning and an end and give “sequential communication” from top to bottom, could be considered a book (just to be fair, I don’t consider our 2 dimensional art to be a “book”).
We refined the idea by suggesting that a book has a four dimensional aspect. It has height, length, and width along with the fourth dimension being time. So, how does this relate to the the Kindle or the iPad or any of the new technological iterations of electronic communication? Many meet the four dimensional criteria, many do not. OK, so we clearly need to rethink our idea of what a book can be, but does this mean that the printed book is going the way of the Dodo bird? Certainly the book arts will thrive as a form of individual expression within the context of what the discussion group defined as a “book” and I personally feel that as long as you have people that enjoy curling up in a comfy chair next to a fire and reading a communication device made from paper products, you’ll keep the printers in business.
09.30.2011
Calligraphy with a Beat
by PM
Two Friday Forums ago we saw how Massimo Polello was able to allow his writing and art to transcend paper through the use of music and video. This week we have an example of an artist who added a programmed drum beat and a little video editing to his pen-strokes to create a whole new kind of “art” with a beat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNtUmPTtjUI&feature=youtube_gdata_player
09.23.2011
All Things St. John’s Bible!
by Vicki Corwin
TGIF might be appropriate for the Friday Forum – but TGID (Thank Goodness it’s Done) is surely appropriate when it comes to the St. John’s Bible! The announcement of its completion was found in the following article posted online which was shared by Wink Covintree. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/state-of-the-arts/archive/2011/09/the-completed-st-johns-bible-is-unveiled.shtml
The Saint John’s Abbey and University commissioned renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson to produce a hand-written, hand-illuminated Bible in 1998. This work of art unites an ancient Benedictine tradition with the technology and vision of today, illuminating the Word of God for a new millennium. For complete information about this project, you can simply click on this link: http://www.saintjohnsbible.org
I mentioned in an earlier Friday Forum that pages of this work of art are currently on display at the Loyola Museum of Art in Chicago through October 23rd. More about this exhibit on this link…. http://www.luc.edu/luma/flash/saint_johns_bible_2011.html
My husband and I had a chance to see this exhibit ,which features pages from the Creation and the Psalms, during our three day excursion to Chicago In August and it is MORE than magnificent.
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is currently exhibiting pages of the Bible as well through November 13th. Information for this Exhibition at http://www.artsmia.org/index.php?section_id=2&exh_id=4302
And, finally, if you want to keep some of these images close at hand, you can order the 2012 St. John’s Desk Calendar through John Neal Booksellers. http://www.johnnealbooks.com
What a calligraphic triumph! Congratulations and a hearty AMEN to all those who participated in thought, word, and deed, and blessings to all those who enjoy the fruits of their labors.
09.16.2011
An Audio/Visual Treat!
Friends, thanks to Kathy McCreedy, this Friday’s Forum offers you a 9 minute feast for your eyes, ears, and dare I say, for your very soul! Kathy was kind enough to send me this video of Calligrapher Massimo Polello creating his art. Of course I knew I had to preview it before I could recommend it and when I saw it was 9 minutes long, I debated for a few seconds as to whether I had 9 minutes to spare! I know I’m not the only one who is rushing through the day but I can honestly say that after watching and listening to the music in this video this morning, I feel changed, and blessed and plan to slow it down a notch for the rest of the day. I also feel grateful to Kathy McCreedy for sharing this with me….with us. Pour a cup of coffee, make a cup of tea, click on the link and enjoy.
– Vicki Corwin
09.09.2011
by Vicki Corwin
For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.
For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.
-Edwin Way Teale
You’ve received flyers and email reminders….but one more time….you are cordially invited to be one of those who “gather together” on Monday Night for MAC’s General Meeting! The meeting will be held at First United Methodist Church located at 1589 West Maple in Birmingham, from 6:30 to 9:00 PM.
Your Board of Directors is pleased to announce that MAC is now able to take credit card payments through our Website for your Membership Dues, Workshop Tuitions, Mini-MAC fees, and Calligrapher for Hire fees. You can even make a donation! You can register for Workshops on-line as well! We hope this new feature will be convenient for you and trust you will find it as easy to use as I did. The new system is up and running right now so whenever you’re ready to enroll in a class or renew your membership – we’ll be ready for you – 24/7/365 !!!
09.02.2011
by Vicki Corwin
Tributes to Dee Ann Segula
I intended to simply say “Enjoy the Weekend” this Friday, but I have been asked by several MAC members, both current and former, to share some sad news with you, and so I shall.
Dee Ann Segula died on Sunday, August 28th. She had been in the hospital for 2 days to open an artery, expected to go home on Saturday but it was just too much for her body. She was surrounded by her family.
Jo Falk wrote: “Many new members would not know or remember Dee Ann Segula. For those who did know her, we were always impressed by her massive ability to create wonderful art in many mediums in spite of her failing health over the last several years.”
Cheryl Slyter wrote: “She was an incredible talented artist who changed her art as life changed; she overcame so many life obstacles and yet to the end produced amazing art.” Cheryl suggested Googling Dee Ann Segula to see multiple examples of her art.”
Delphine Frank also used the word “amazing” to describe Dee and provided the following link to view her latest Exhibit which ended July 31st of this year. http://www.wsg-art.com/frames/frames_Jun11.html
Wendy Casey shared her thoughts: “I always admired Dee for her great skill, creative spirit and undaunted courage through adversity and I will always remember her and her beautiful art in that way. A true artist has passed on.”
Millie Janka sent this: “My thoughts are winging their way from northern Michigan toward all my calligraphy friends as I take this walk down memory lane. I remember the valiant Dee, whose spirit seemed to transcend all the health issues she needed to deal with. Always full of creativity and wonder, her work will always be a gift to those of us who were privileged to share her journey of life with her.”
There will be a Celebration of Dee’s life on September 25th, 1:00 – 6:00 PM at the Washington Street Gallery in Ann Arbor, where she was a member and had many exhibits. Anyone who wishes to receive an invitation can email their postal address to deesegula@comcast.net or mail their address to her home:
Dee Ann Segula
Celebration of Life
549 W. Liberty
Milford, MI 48381
MAC and the whole world of creative arts will surely miss one of their best artists.
May her spirit rest in peace.
08.26.2011
by Vicki Corwin
This week I am so pleased to offer you 3 items of interest to check out on the Internet:
- The first one is just so much fun; I just know you’re going to LOVE this! It was submitted by our Vice President, Wink Covintree, and present it now just in time for your Labor Day travels! You should be so lucky to come across something so calligraphically relevant in your travels – and if you’re heading Eastbound on Interstate 80 through Johnson County, Iowa – well, this is what you’ll see when you pull into the rest area. Thanks so much for sharing this, Wink!
http://www.rdgusa.com/projects/johnson-county-eastbound-rest-area - Next up is a New York Times Book Review which was brought to my attention by Dale Frankel. The title of the book is “Just My Type: A Book About Fonts”. If you are like me, you cannot travel anywhere anymore without noticing logos, fonts and design elements on trucks, billboards, signs, printed advertisements, flyers, restaurant menus, etc. etc. It’s fun to study endless variations of letter combinations, right? Anyway – this review makes me want to take a look at the actual book. If enough people are interested in this subject matter, perhaps a new addition to the MAC Library might be in order. Thanks indeed to Dale for this submission to our Friday Forum!
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/22/books/just-my-type-a-book-about-fonts-by-simon-garfield-review.html?_r=1&ref=bookreviews - The third item this week is an interesting article that appeared in the Los Angeles Times, about a working calligrapher in LA. Particularly after reading the book review about Fonts — this quote from the featured artist really spoke to me: She is quoted as saying “Calligraphy is an art; typing isn’t,” she says. “When you see letters that have been handwritten, you make a connection that doesn’t occur with type. Hand lettering leads to a broader, richer relationship to language.” I hope you will have a chance to read this article too. This was brought to my attention by a friend who belongs to the Western Reserve Calligraphers, which is the Cleveland area Guild, and she has my thanks as well.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-calligraphy-20110809,0,3413757,full.story
What are YOU seeing out there? Send me the information and I’ll be thanking YOU soon, too!
Please send to:
08.19.2011
by Vicki Corwin
I thought you might like to know that I have recently been in touch with one of the most giving MAC Members we ever had, Mrs. Colette Maher! She and her family are thriving in Missouri!
Colette moved to Missouri a couple years ago and her presence, her energy and her enthusiasm for MAC are still missed by me, and by many. As the Friday Forum deadlines approach each week, I can’t help but think of all the wonderful, informative articles Colette wrote for MAC Newsletters. Colette researched and wrote about color, tools, trends, any topic of interest to a Calligrapher….and I thought older members would like to see some of these articles again, and new members would benefit greatly from seeing them for the first time. My fondest wish is that she will write for us once again…so keep your fingers crossed whenever you’re not holding a nib!!
Future Friday Forums will also feature reprints of an old Newsletter column called “Connie’s Corner” which provided “tips and tricks” in each publication that are most certainly worthy of a second look! This column was penned by one of our current MAC members, Mrs. Connie LaBenne!
Remember, if you would like to submit something for the Friday Forum, you have a standing invitation to do so!! Now, here are some excerpts from one of Colette’s articles, originally published in 2002, so you can learn something about…
What is a Paper Watermark?
Watermarks are designs or patterns put into paper during its production, by making thinner or thicker the layer of pulp when it is still wet, hence, the name. Paper watermarks can be seen by holding the paper against the light, or in some cases, over a black surface.
Watermarks originated with 13th century Italian papermakers, who used them to identify their products. A derivative of the guild system, the watermark served as a way of identifying the paper with the members of the trade organization who manufactured it. Just as with trademarks stamped into silver or firearms, the watermark indicated that the paper was the product of a trained artisan’s labors. They may originally have served to identify papers produced by different workmen within a factory (who were paid by the piece). However the watermark originated, this new development in papermaking technology was quickly adapted to new functions by the paper factories, which began using them as “trademarks” and to distinguish different grades or batches of paper. Curiously, the Chinese, who invented paper in 105 A.D. never used watermarks.
As the use of watermarks became standardized, so did their location in the sheet of paper. The watermark was normally positioned in the center of one half of the sheet, so that when the sheet was folded to form two folios, the watermark would appear approximately in the center of one of the folios. Sometimes this usage was varied; for example, papers were sometimes made with double watermarks so that when the sheet of paper was folded, each folio showed a watermark in the center.
From the simple study of watermarks, the science of Filigranology gradually developed. As any other thing, watermarks, or papers carrying a watermark are collected as a hobby.
If you would like a copy of the entire original article mailed to you, please send your mailing address via email to:
08.12.2011
by Vicki Corwin
Sharing a few things that have come to my attention regarding Upcoming Events that might be of interest….
- A big Clearance/Clean-Out Sale of Jo Falk’s Art and Calligraphy Studio will take place August 25/26/27. Beginners – this might be a great opportunity to stock your studios…. so mark your calendars. Jo will be sending additional information via snail mail soon to MAC Members.
- A chance to see some of The St. John’s Bible: August 20-October 23 in Chicago. You can see some of the original pages at Loyola University’s Museum of Art (LUMA) at 820 N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Soon this magnificent Bible will be bound and permanently housed at the St. John’s Abbey. Opportunities to view original pages like this are dwindling so hopefully you can take advantage of this display so close to home.
- This is a “Save the Date” well in advance but in case you want to know early to make airline reservations or plan vacation time…Calligraphy Northwest 2012 is the International Conference that was sorely missed by many this summer. The dates are June 24 – July 1, 2012 and it will be held at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Their website is: http://www.2012calligraphyconference.com/
- Another “Save the Date” for next summer is ….The 63rd Annual IAMPETH Convention which will be held August 6-11, 2012 at The Hilton Milwaukee City Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For additional information visit this website: http://www.iampeth.com/2012_convention.php
08.05.2011
A Medley of Matters by Vicki Corwin
There are several special offers to take advantage of this week:
- You will have to act fast to take advantage of this offer – it ends SUNDAY AUGUST 7th….but I just found out myself so I’m passing it along. It comes from our good friends at Paper and Ink Arts…
Hello to all…This is a quick reminder that our 20% off sale continues until Sunday, August 7. Find more details at www.paperinkarts.com. A large group of items on deeper (25%-30%) discounts has been was added to the website.
This is a thank you and overstock sale. We appreciate your support over all these years. You may also call 800-736-7772.
Cheers, Brenda
- You will have to act fast for this one too! Land’s End is offering FREE LOGOS through MONDAY, AUGUST 8th. Use Code EMLOGO to access this promotion for free MAC logos! For ordering instructions, please refer to the Friday Forum dated July 15, 2011.
- Check out this wonderful offer that was brought to my attention by Jacqueline Sullivan. The offer comes from our good friends at John Neal Booksellers:
We are celebrating our 25th volume of Letter Arts Review with a SPECIAL OFFER! Two subscriptions for the price of one!
Subscribe to Letter Arts Review for one-year (4 issues) and we will send you four issues of Bound & Lettered at no extra charge. You will receive EIGHT calligraphy magazines for the price of FOUR.
Bound & Lettered features calligraphy, bookbinding, and paper-craft with profiles, galleries, practical tips and step-by-step projects. Letter Arts Review is internationally recognized as the preeminent magazine for calligraphers and lettering artists. Four times a year it will delight you, inform you and inspire you. Letter Arts Review consistently reflects the highest caliber of work from every corner of the world. This special offer expires August 31, 2011.
Letter Arts Review Subscription Costs: Credit card or PayPal – USA: $48
These prices include 4 issues of both magazines. There is nothing else to pay. Take advantage of this special offer and save $26. Be twice as inspired!
To order online with credit card use this link:http://www.johnnealbooks.com/prod_detail_list/LARSpecials
For PayPal paid subscriptions, email info@johnnealbooks.com
In other news:
- The Livonia Arts Commission has sent MAC the “Call for Entries” to their 14th Annual Livonia Exhibition of Fine Arts. This All Media Exhibition and Sale is open to all artists 18 years and older living or working in Michigan. Works must have been completed within the last two years. Entries must be submitted in color print or digital CD format for the jury process. The deadline for entries is October 5th. If you would like an entry form mailed to you, please send a request and your mailing address to president@micallig.org
- One of our members, Harvest Crittenden was recently interviewed by both Fox News Morning and her local Newspaper after they got wind of an upcoming feature article in American Profile Magazine about her work and what it means to be a Master Penman.Unfortunately, American Profile has delayed the publication for several weeks (we will advise you once the new date is known) – but you can see her picture and read the article by accessing the following link! http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20110719/NEWS01/107190303/Resident-s-handwriting-earns-her-high-marks
7.29.2011
Practice Makes Perfect! by Vicki Corwin
Practice is the key to success…every calligrapher knows this! This week’s Forum provides a few tips for practice, a few quotes about summer since we’re in the thick of it here in Michigan, and a few fun pangrams so none of the letters get left out. You can keep it simple, or really dig in; spend 10 minutes or an afternoon; use a nib or use a pencil — but like Nike says — “just do it!!”
Practice Tips:
- Always practice from an exemplar. Don’t trust your memory when it comes to letterforms!
- Practice as if it matters…in other words, think of this variation on the old saying, Perfect Practice Makes Perfect! Construct your letterforms slowly when practicing.
- Listen to instrumental music or simply the sounds of nature. Hearing songs with words or other voices can be distracting and has led to more than one spelling error!
- Write the same quote in a different color for several days in a row.
- If you’re having difficulty with a certain letter, try creating “an alphabet chain” by writing that letter after every other letter in the alphabet. For example, if you’re having trouble with the letter “w” – write: awbwcwdwewfwgwhwiwjw etc.
- Try writing words of a certain genre that allow you to work through the alphabet. For example:
- Fruit: Apples • Berries • Cherries • Dates • Elderberries • Figs • Grapes, etc.
- Cities: Albuquerque • Boston • Cleveland • Denver, etc.
- Write some quotations or some pangrams to keep it interesting.
Here are a few to try…
A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing and the lawn mower is broken! – James Dent
Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. – Sam Keen
Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language. – Henry James
And lastly here are some Pangrams…
A quart jar of oil mixed with zinc oxide makes a very bright paint.
Whenever the black fox jumped the squirrel gazed suspiciously.
Sixty zippers were quickly picked from the woven jute bag.
The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.
Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.
The five boxing wizards jump quickly.
7.22.2011
Bound and Lettered Publication by Vicki Corwin
If you are not a subscriber to John Neal Books’ publication Bound & Lettered, you might want to think about becoming one! I have been receiving this publication for years but the latest issue makes me want to put it under my pillow at night – it’s that good! Sweet (calligraphic) dreams would surely follow! I’m using this Friday’s Forum to describe a bit about the Volume 9, Number 2 issue. Here are some listings from the Table of Contents and a few brief comments.
A Letter a Week – The author tells of an “aha moment” when she realized there were 26 letters in the alphabet and 52 weeks in a year and she could practice two complete alphabets each year – one letter at a time. The story of her collaboration with calligraphers, ceramicists, graphic designers, textile artists, and people who just like letters along with their diverse techniques and her presentation of one alphabet are a joy to read and see. I want to do this too. Anyone else interested?
Book Words and Creating A Deckle Edge – These one-page articles provide the “Twelve Rules for Book Repair” and ways to create deckle edges on different types of paper, and an inner colored deckle edge with a brush and a straight edged ruler. Straight-forward instructions…love that!
Folded Cards – I would not be surprised to see some of these great ideas appear at a future Tips and Tricks, or for a Make-It Take-It Meeting!
Iridescent Calligraphy Colors – This article is an “everything you ever wanted to know” type piece about Dr. Ph. Martin’s Iridescent Calligraphy Colors. I personally love using these products and after reading this article, I feel as though secrets have been revealed and now, I’m in “the club”!
All of this takes you through only Page 15! The article and pictures that make up the article called Storytime Doors will simply blow you away. And get this, the second half of this issue is every bit as enticing as the first half. To John Neal and his publications staff – Bravo! Encore! To you, the readers….if you would like to purchase a copy or subscribe to this publication, please go to info@johnnealbooks.com or find additional contact information for John Neal at the back of MAC’s Member Directory in our “Favorite Vendors” section.
07.15.2011
NIB Cleaner Recipe & Lands End Ordering by Vicki Corwin
Two “how-to’s” make up the Friday Forum today.
- NIB Cleaner Recipe:
This recipe for Nib Cleaning Solution has been floating around MAC for years! It’s been requested recently and frequently so one more time, here it is! NIB CLEANING RECIPE – Combine…
- ½ cup ammonia
- 3-1/4 cups water
- ¼ cup rubbing alcohol
- 1 teaspoon of liquid dishwashing soap
Makes approximately one quart – plenty to share some with your MAC friends!
- Lands End Ordering:
Here are the procedures to follow if you wish to order an item embroidered with the MAC Logo from Land’s End. The cost is $5.95 per item and you can choose from a variety of colors for the stitching. The default color is white. Lots of members have been sporting some nice looking items since these instructions first appeared and promotion MAC at the same time. Please note: Once you place your initial order, you will receive LOTS of promotional offers by email, such as “free logo day”, “free shipping”, and from time to time, the ultimate attention grabber of “free logo AND free shipping”!!! Here’s how to purchase step by step:
- Go to www.landsend.com and click on the Business Outfitters Icon at the top of their home page. Once the new home page opens, click on “register” the first time, and “sign-in” for return visits.
- First Time visitors will be asked to complete a customer profile. Remember your user name and password as you will need this for future visits when you “sign-in”. Use Michigan Association of Calligraphers for the Company Name.
- Once this process is complete you will be able to review your information and at the bottom of the screen in the area called “What’s Next?” … click on “Logo Library” to add the MAC Logo to your profile.
- On the next screen – give our logo a “nickname” – I used “MAC”. The Logo # is 1094324w. The Customer Number is 4741279. A preview will appear if you request it.
- Now you can shop from the categories at the top of the page! I always start with the “On Sale” category!
- If you have questions or prefer to order by phone you can call 1-800-587-1541…but you will need the Logo # and the Customer # listed in step #5 when you call.
07.08.2011
U of M Open Competition by Vicki Corwin
This week, an item of interest crossed my desk that I want to make you aware of:
U of M Dearborn is sponsoring their Annual OPEN COMPETITION Exhibition which will be displayed at the Alfred Berkowitz Gallery in Dearborn from 9/23 to 10/28. “The competition is open to all subjects and a wide range of work in various media eligible; both two and three-dimensional works are invited.” The initial Jury process will be done through digital images ONLY, and the second stage will be when actual works are juried for awards. AUGUST 1st is the postmark deadline for entry. For more information, please call: Joseph T. Marks, Curator of Collections & Exhibitions at 313.593.5087
I hope that a future Friday Forum features information about some of our member’s entries into this prestigious exhibition!
