Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Apprenticeship Indenture for Adrienne d'Evreus to Isabel Chamberlain



Project:Apprenticeship Indenture for Adrienne & Isabel
Words:Mistress Alys Mackyntoich & Mistress Isabel Chamberlain
Calligraphy:Lord Alexandre Saint Pierre
Paper:9" x 12" Parchment by David de Rosier-Blanc
Script:My own Secretary Hand
Pens:Mitchell #6 and #4
Inks:Ian the Green's Iron Gall Ink
Inspiration:Multiple, see below


Bureaucracy, red-tape and forms filled out in triplicate: not things most people think of when they think of beautiful documents. But in reality, almost as soon as humans invented writing, we started using it to record legal agreements between people. Medieval contracts are just as verbose as our modern day legalese. But in those days before carbon paper and ball point pens, they had a much more artistic way of handling the need for each party to a contract walking away with a copy: the Indentured Chirograph.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Tracing is Period & Good!

Pardon folks, but I'm a little fired up over something, and need to rant about it.

I often see new scribes who have been told or feel they must create original art, or that tracing from period sources is frowned upon or not allowed. Excuse me? There are so many things wrong with this idea that I'm having a hard time figuring out where to start... Oh... I know! Let's start with the fact that:


Tracing is a period technique!


Cennino Cennini provides methods for tracing and talks about why it is desired in his 15th century treatise, Il Libro dell'Arte.

"Chapter 27 - How you should contrive to copy and draw after as few masters as possible.  
... strive and delight always to copy the best things that you can find, made by the hand of great masters. And if you are in a place where there have been many good masters, so much the better for you. But I give you this advice: be careful always to pick out the best and the one that has the best reputation. And if, day in and day out, you follow one like that it will be odd if nothing of his style and manner rubs off on you."
-Broecke, Lara. (2015) Cennino Cennini's Il Libro dell'Arte: A new English translation and commentary with Italian transcription. London England: Archetype Publications. p. 47

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Anna Ophelia Holloway Tarragon - Tyger of the East - a.s. l



Project:Tyger of the East for Duchess Anna Ophelia Holloway Tarragon
Words:Lady Adrienne d'Evreus
Translation:Master Steffan ap Kennydd
Calligraphy:Lord Alexandre Saint Pierre
Illumination:Lord Alexandre Saint Pierre
Paper:9" x 12" Parchment by David de Rosier-Blanc
Script:Gothic Quadrata main text, Gothic Secretary Interlinear gloss.
Pens:~1mm Goose Quill for primary text, pointed metal nib for gloss & outlines.
Inks:Ian the Green's Iron Gall and Brazilwood inks.
Inspiration:folio 144v of MS Typ 0193 at the Houghton Library.


Adrienne d'Evreus - Order of the Silver Brooch - a.s. l



Project:Order of the Silver Brooch for Adrienne d'Evreus
Words:Lord Alexandre Saint Pierre
Calligraphy:Lord Alexandre Saint Pierre
Illumination:Lord Alexandre Saint Pierre
Paper:11" x 14" 230 GSM Natural Pergamenata
Script:Gothic Textura Prescisus
Pens:Mitchell #3.5 for the Calligraphy, Pointed for the outline.
Inks:Walnut ink for the calligraphy, and Ian the Green's Iron Gall for the outlines.
Inspiration:f. 36v from the Luttrell Psalter


Aneleda Falconbridge - Order of the Laurel - a.s. l



Project:Order of the Laurel for Aneleda Falconbridge
Words:Mistress Aildreda de Tamworthe & Master Lucien de Pontivy
Calligraphy:Lord Alexandre Saint Pierre
Illumination:Doña Camille des Jardins - Her gallery of the painting process
Paper:12" x 16" Parchment made by David de Rosier-Blanc
Script:Gothic
Pens:Goose feather quills for text & lines, Mitchell #3 for the musical notes.
Inks:Ian the Green's Iron Gall & Brazilwood.
Inspiration:14th Century Chansonnier, dit Chansonnier Cangé, f. 144v


Thursday, January 14, 2016

Working through a "Learning Plateau"

It's been a few months since I've posted anything, and one big reason why is that I hit the longest "learning plateau" so far of my scribal career. I'm working through it. After this post I plan keep the momentum going and get back to some more "lesson" posts.