I am hoping that Eileen captured some pics of Kathleen and Jean. I don't know how I managed to miss them!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Happy 90th Birthday Dorothy!!
After being so amazing at Diana's last weekend in not letting on that we would really be celebrating Dorothy's birthday on the actual day, August 23rd, calligraphers were very well represented at the afternoon party!
I am hoping that Eileen captured some pics of Kathleen and Jean. I don't know how I managed to miss them!
I am hoping that Eileen captured some pics of Kathleen and Jean. I don't know how I managed to miss them!
More Luncheon photos
Thank you to Eileen for sending some more photos from our guild luncheon at Diana's.Here is Diana with her mom Dorothy and the basket full of birthday cards for her 90th. Were we good or what?! Dorothy didn't suspect a thing about her real birthday party to be held on August 23rd.
Win, Kathleen and Jean
Trevor, Bev and Jean
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Summer Luncheon
Thank you Diana for hosting our Summer Luncheon!
As you all know, calligraphers are also great cooks and today was no exception! See what you missed......
Yes, those were Frank's yummy sausage rolls, and many great salads, chicken wings, dips and rolls.
We were celebrating something very special today - I mean other than calligraphy and summer - we sang Happy Birthday to our dear friend Dorothy for her 90th birthday next week!
Here is a picture of the birthday girl and the cake maker extraordinaire!
We missed all of you who were unable to attend. We hope Terry will be fit and ready for our meetings in the fall after his surgery, that Muriel's back is better, and we hope that Nan's Mom is improving, and that Jo's holiday in Alaska is wonderful, that Sandi's visit with her folks went well, and that Anita didn't overheat in the Vernon sunshine. And we hope that everyone else who could not attend, had as great a day as we all did!
As you all know, calligraphers are also great cooks and today was no exception! See what you missed......
Yes, those were Frank's yummy sausage rolls, and many great salads, chicken wings, dips and rolls.
We were celebrating something very special today - I mean other than calligraphy and summer - we sang Happy Birthday to our dear friend Dorothy for her 90th birthday next week!
Here is a picture of the birthday girl and the cake maker extraordinaire!
We missed all of you who were unable to attend. We hope Terry will be fit and ready for our meetings in the fall after his surgery, that Muriel's back is better, and we hope that Nan's Mom is improving, and that Jo's holiday in Alaska is wonderful, that Sandi's visit with her folks went well, and that Anita didn't overheat in the Vernon sunshine. And we hope that everyone else who could not attend, had as great a day as we all did!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Summer catching up
Where does the time go?!
With summer comes conference! Anita and I were lucky enough (?) to attend the Letters Mingle Souls International Calligraphy Conference in Naperville, IL - just outside of Chicago in mid July. Why, you ask, would anyone go to Chicago willingly in July?! besides the sweltering hot weather with extremely high humidity, we were there for the company of fellow calligraphers, the classes, the shopping at John Neal's and Brenda's Paper and Ink Arts and all the serendipity that happens when over 400 lettering artists converge on a small campus town.
The conference had added these great trolleys to transport us all around a spread out campus. They were great when you happened to find one going your way! The campus buildings were set in a residential area, some of the beautifully restored houses dating back to the 1860s. The college has been there since 1861. It is a lovely setting for a campus and historic downtown Naperville is just a very short walk away, complete with an Irish Pub in case we were thirsty!
My first class was with Ewan Clayton, looking at Early Roman Uncials. The details will be in the next issue of the Broad Edge. We also had a lesson on sumi ink. Try grinding a Japanese ink stick for some great letters and amazing hairlines! If you are lucky enough to have one from the 1950s it will likely have bee
n made with Japanese red pine soot and be highly sought after. Sumi in the bottle is different in that they have added salt to the formula and that's what rusts your nibs. Salt helps the liquid from hardening.
Did you know that Edward Johnston once camped on Saltspring Island? I learned that from reading Ewan's new book, 'Edward Johnston: Lettering and Life". It is available through John Neal.
If you ever get the chance, take a class with Ewan. You won't be sorry!
My second class was Contemporary Pointed Pen with Mike Kecseg. More details in the upcoming issue of the Broad Edge! Again, you would not be disappointed if you get a chance to take a class with the pointed pen "wizard"!
We learned so much, we were given so many possibilities to consider and try. It was a very full 2½ days!
And then it was the show and share afternoon where everyone gets to see what all the classes were doing. There was some incredible work shown and it would have been nice to be able to take all the classes.........
As an added feature, this year's conference had "mini classes" that were held during any free moment - sometimes during the dinner time and more after the evening presentation. I signed up for one, a Paper Bag Scrapbook. We made a fun structure using paper lunch bags, scrapbooking papers and embellishments. The examples that Marcia Freidman had where great and we could see where they would make a nice gift or a memory keeper from a trip. I'll bring mine to the September meeting for everyone to see.
What have you been up to? I know Anita was in Sheila Waters' class about colour theory and Ewan Clayton's class on Rustics. And as I am adding this some of our members are probably heading back north from their visit to Tacoma to see the St. John's Bible exhibit. Send me a report with some photos and I'll add it to our blog!
Hope your recuperation is going good Terry!
Don't forget there is a pot luck lunch at Diana's on August 16th! see you all there!
Almost forgot to mention!!! you heard it here first.......mark your calendars for August 2010.
Red Deer will be hosting another conference! By all reports the one they did a few years ago was fantastic and I'm sure they won't disappoint this time!
With summer comes conference! Anita and I were lucky enough (?) to attend the Letters Mingle Souls International Calligraphy Conference in Naperville, IL - just outside of Chicago in mid July. Why, you ask, would anyone go to Chicago willingly in July?! besides the sweltering hot weather with extremely high humidity, we were there for the company of fellow calligraphers, the classes, the shopping at John Neal's and Brenda's Paper and Ink Arts and all the serendipity that happens when over 400 lettering artists converge on a small campus town.
The conference had added these great trolleys to transport us all around a spread out campus. They were great when you happened to find one going your way! The campus buildings were set in a residential area, some of the beautifully restored houses dating back to the 1860s. The college has been there since 1861. It is a lovely setting for a campus and historic downtown Naperville is just a very short walk away, complete with an Irish Pub in case we were thirsty!
My first class was with Ewan Clayton, looking at Early Roman Uncials. The details will be in the next issue of the Broad Edge. We also had a lesson on sumi ink. Try grinding a Japanese ink stick for some great letters and amazing hairlines! If you are lucky enough to have one from the 1950s it will likely have bee
n made with Japanese red pine soot and be highly sought after. Sumi in the bottle is different in that they have added salt to the formula and that's what rusts your nibs. Salt helps the liquid from hardening.Did you know that Edward Johnston once camped on Saltspring Island? I learned that from reading Ewan's new book, 'Edward Johnston: Lettering and Life". It is available through John Neal.
If you ever get the chance, take a class with Ewan. You won't be sorry!
My second class was Contemporary Pointed Pen with Mike Kecseg. More details in the upcoming issue of the Broad Edge! Again, you would not be disappointed if you get a chance to take a class with the pointed pen "wizard"!We learned so much, we were given so many possibilities to consider and try. It was a very full 2½ days!
And then it was the show and share afternoon where everyone gets to see what all the classes were doing. There was some incredible work shown and it would have been nice to be able to take all the classes.........
As an added feature, this year's conference had "mini classes" that were held during any free moment - sometimes during the dinner time and more after the evening presentation. I signed up for one, a Paper Bag Scrapbook. We made a fun structure using paper lunch bags, scrapbooking papers and embellishments. The examples that Marcia Freidman had where great and we could see where they would make a nice gift or a memory keeper from a trip. I'll bring mine to the September meeting for everyone to see.
What have you been up to? I know Anita was in Sheila Waters' class about colour theory and Ewan Clayton's class on Rustics. And as I am adding this some of our members are probably heading back north from their visit to Tacoma to see the St. John's Bible exhibit. Send me a report with some photos and I'll add it to our blog!
Hope your recuperation is going good Terry!
Don't forget there is a pot luck lunch at Diana's on August 16th! see you all there!
Almost forgot to mention!!! you heard it here first.......mark your calendars for August 2010.
Red Deer will be hosting another conference! By all reports the one they did a few years ago was fantastic and I'm sure they won't disappoint this time!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Thomas Hoyer Workshop
Some Alphabeas members spent two days this past week learning the basics of the ruling pen. It was a great workshop and I don't think anyone was disappointed. We enjoyed Thomas as an instructor, he is very well prepared and there wasn't a dull moment. We heard lots of oooohs and aaaaaahs when the pens made wonderful splatters and when a letter worked out quite nicely. Sometimes there was just one letter on a page........
or maybe a word or two.........
and I think we all came away thinking this would take some practice to make all those down strokes the same width and get as fine a line as possible on the up strokes. It would have been fun to get in to working with the Ecoline inks to add colour to our work but we had chosen to stick with the basics first and I really think that was a good decision. Too much too fast and we would not have concentrated on basic techniques and basic shapes. Next time!! yes, we are already talking about a return visit.
And now it is on to the June meeting. This is a wind-up before summer with the stitching of the Broad Edge to do and revisiting some letters and work with markers and of course, a pot luck lunch! We've always remarked at our potlucks.........calligraphers know how to eat and I'm sure this one will be every bit as tasty. Come prepared to play in the afternoon!
Wherever your calligraphic travels take you this summer, remember we'd love a report! Whether is be the conference in Chicago or a workshop or a new book you discover, we're always interested.
If you are looking for something interesting to fill a day or two, check out letterboxing. What's that you say?! Have a look........ http://www.letterboxing.org/ kinda looks like fun! There are even some in Langley!
Happy Summer everyone!!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Where is Spring?!
Seems the best laid plans.........out the window!
We have had a busy year so far. Our meetings are always a fun filled day and the April meeting was no exception. In March, we had all made a little book in preparation for the crazy program where we do a collaborative book all in one day! Jo Y. was back from England and helped with the cover for the accordian book. Some choose to have their contribution ready to glue in place on the day but most usually go along with the real deal and write their words right in the books. The theme this time was "Travel" and there was a wide array of quotes and ideas with only a couple of duplicates I think.
This year we decided to assign specific topics for Galleria, although there will still be months where our homework or work generated from a workshop will be our focus. May is our first actual assigned Galleria...........use only watercolours. Have you done yours yet?!
And we are looking forward to June when Thomas Hoyer from Germany will be with us for a workshop on the Introduction to the Ruling Pen. Fay took Thomas' class at Island Magic and he came highly recommended. When Bow Valley Calligraphy Guild contacted us to share Thomas we didn't have too much trouble deciding!
We are planning a field trip this summer to Tacoma to see the St. John's Bible exhibition.
Tacoma Art Museum (Tacoma, Wash.), July 11 – Sept. 5, 2008
Having seen a couple of pages when I took a class with Sally Mae Joseph at the St. Louis International Calligraphy Conference, I think I can say that the trip will be well worth it. I am sure we will also make a stop at Daniel Smith Art Supplies, just in case anyone needs anything! We might find that there is so much to see and do that we have to stay over.
With an exhibition of our own coming up, it is time to be thinking about new exhibition pieces. Our deadline is fast approaching...
There are some wonderful opportunities to study this summer. Red Deer College always has a great lineup of instructors every summer and this one is no exception. Gemma Black from Australia will be there. This would be a perfect setting to spend a week learning with Gemma.
http://www.rdc.ab.ca/continuingeducation/visual_arts/series/index.html
The International Calligraphy Conference will be in Chicago this year. There is still time to register!
http://www.chicagocalligraphy2008.org/
Our upcoming meetings - May 10 - Layered Piece with Trevor
June 14 - Marker Lettering with Kathleen
see your Spring 2008 newsletter for the supply lists.
Don't forget the deadline for the next newsletter is the May meeting if you have something to be included in our Summer issue!
See you at the next meeting!
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