First things first: I want to apologize for not posting anything in the last ~year or so. There's still a ton I want to get to, but I haven't gotten to it.
I have all sorts of valid excuses of course... In February of 2016 my lady and I started looking for a new home together, and started getting ready to put our old home on the market. In June we closed on a new home, and we moved in in the beginning of July. From July through September we worked on the old house, put it on the market, and sold it. Since July, we've been unpacking, making some improvements to the new home, doing more unpacking, etc.
With the arrival of spring looming, it felt like we were almost done with the improvements and unpacking, and would be just about ready to get working in our new Scriptorium!
Unbeknownst to me, their Majesties, Highnesses, my lady, and my friends were all conspiring on a large surprise for me...
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
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:
Cennino Cennini provides methods for tracing and talks about why it is desired in his 15th century treatise, Il Libro dell'Arte.
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.
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