July Scriptorium: Attavanti Made Easy

Scriptorium is the monthly gathering of calligraphers, illuminators, wordsmiths, and anyone interested in taking up and learning more about these creative arts. We welcome all skill levels, from the most accomplished Laurels to those that have never picked up a pen or a brush. Become part of creating the atmosphere and visual splendor of the SCA!

This month, join us on Wednesday, July 20th, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at Kameshima and Isabel’s house in the North Hills. (Our address is listed in the Dark Pages, or you can contact us at scriptorium at debatablelands dot org for more information.) Our topic for July will be “Attavanti Made Easy” taught by THL Rachel Delicieux.

Easy shading and design tricks to get those perfect “mirror image” acanthus leaves and jewels to POP off the page. If you can free-hand a few acanthus leaves, draw a circle and can make a thin line with a brush, you already have all the skills you need. Please bring your own paints and brushes, as well as a fine lead mechanical pencil. By the end of the class everyone will be well on their way to producing a scroll blank in the style of the panels found in the artwork of Attavante degli Attavanti, with the knowledge needed to finish said blank on their own.

Please be aware, our house contains a cat, a dog, and an infant: medicate or otherwise prepare yourself as necessary.

Scribal Workshop, July 10th

The Scribes’ Guild announces:

SAVE the date!

There will be a workshop offered at CMU in the Debatable Lands on Sunday, July 10th from 10 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. This workshop will focus on the techniques used in The Book of Hours of Louis of Orleans or what I refer to as the “French Quilt” style- bands in the marginalia filled with acanthus and flowers. Have you wanted to learn how to flat gild, master acanthus and the French flowers and strawberries? This workshop is for you!

I assume everyone’s summer is as busy as mine so I am posting a tidbit so that you may save the date should you wish to participate in this workshop.

For more information email me at MistressAntoinettedelaCroixAT gmail.com (please replace the word AT with @ and leave no blank spaces.

PS: Gladzor Book of Hours is coming your way at Pennsic!

June Scriptorium: Project Night / Small Group Workshops

Scriptorium is the monthly gathering of calligraphers, illuminators, wordsmiths, and anyone interested in taking up and learning more about these creative arts. We welcome all skill levels, from the most accomplished Laurels to those that have never picked up a pen or a brush. Become part of creating the atmosphere and visual splendor of the SCA!

This month, join us on Wednesday, June 15th, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at Kameshima and Isabel’s house in the North Hills. (Our address is listed in the Dark Pages, or you can contact us at scriptorium at debatablelands dot org for more information.) Our topic for June will be Open Project and Small Group Workshop Night.

Bring your current assignment, or something that you’re currently learning, practicing or tinkering with. Lots of table space will be made available. Be careful if the recipient is a local scribe, though; we love looking over each other’s shoulders, and we wouldn’t want the surprise to be ruined! 🙂

Alternately, do you have something you’ve been curious about trying? Chances are someone in the local scribal community has already tried it! Send your requests to Kameshima at scriptorium at debatablelands dot org and we will do our best to try to arrange someone to work with you in a small-group scenario for some or all of the evening. Or if you don’t want to plan that far ahead, just show up and ask! We are a friendly bunch that love to share our knowledge and experience.

Please be aware, our house contains a cat, a dog, and an infant: medicate or otherwise prepare yourself as necessary.

Scribal Guild Update

Unto the Barony, greetings from Kameshima, head of the Baronial Scribes’ Guild!

First, I would like to thank everyone who attended last Wednesday’s Scriptorium Roundtable. We had several gentles from the Debatable Lands, Sunderoak and Gryffyn’s Keep, and held an excellent discussion of the kinds of things, including specific classes that people would like to see as well as evening organizational formats. We are looking forward to a productive and educational Scriptorium open to one and all.

Second, speaking of Scriptorium: next month’s Scriptorium will be a class on gilding note cards taught by Mistress Antoinette de la Croix. This class will be at a special time and place; for more details, please see the Baronial Scribal Guild page at http://debatablelands.org/activities/scribal.php. Starting in June, we expect to return to our regularly scheduled time and place, 7pm at our
house in the North Hills.

Finally, thank you to everyone in the Barony and surrounding areas who attended yesterday’s Macclesfield Psalter workshop, to Mistress Antoinette for teaching, and of course to Their Majesties for opening up Their lovely home so that students from across the Kingdom could gather to learn calligraphy, illumination and gilding techniques taken from this beautiful 14th c. manuscript.

Scribal activities are alive and well in the Barony, and I look forward to working with everyone who is interested in learning these rich and rewarding arts to help continue making the Æthelmearc College of Scribes the envy of the Known World.

In Honor and Service,
Kameshima Zentarō Umakai