The Washington (DC) Calligraphers Guild and the National Association of Letter Carriers are once again sponsoring the Graceful Envelope contest. This year’s theme is A MAILABLE FEAST, and entries must be postmarked no later than April 30, 2007. Visit the the Washington Calligraphers Guild website for rules, additional information, and past year’s winners..
Archive for February, 2007
Saturday-Sunday, April 14–15, 9 AM–5 PM
Lecture Saturday 7 PM
The class will look beyond traditional, formal hands to lettering that is more appropriate in contemporary personal, commercial, and fine art. Mike will offer some guiding design principles that will help in modifying or creating new lettering for a job or work of art. These principles also help us critique lettering and understand why it works and why it looks so fresh. We will use formal pointed and broad-pen scripts, as well as our own handwriting, as springboards to more contemporary scripts. Both freely drawn and built-up letterforms will be considered, exploring with a variety of tools, writing surfaces, and media. Our goal is to find ways to create unique lettering styles that beak many or all traditional rules, making work both personal and expressive.
SUPPLY LIST
1. Pads of paper:
Borden & Riley Triple T tracing paper
B&R Boris Layout Bond (or equivalents), 9×12”
2. Miscellaneous papers:
Various smooth and textured papers, white and color: Arches Text Wove, Bugra, Bristol, rough watercolor paper, whatever you have
3. Writing tools (don’t buy new; bring what you have)
Pentel Color Brush with black cartridge
Pointed brushes, Winsor-Newton Series 7 (1,3,5)
Oriental brushes, miscellaneous brushes you like
Assortment of pointed and broad pens
Recommend Mitchell 3,4,5,6
Flexible and stiff pointed nibs
Speedball C-1 through C-5
Automatic pens, medium to wide
4. Media
Higgins Eternal and/or Sumi ink and/or Walnut ink
Assortment of gouache, with black & white
Color inks (if you have)
5. Miscellaneous
Pencil, ruler, t-square, eraser, xacto, mixing brushes, water jar, apron
6. Favorite passages / quotes, if you wish
ABOUT MIKE GOLD: Mike has worked the last 15 years as a lettering artist at American Greetings. He has an M.A. in Visual Communications and 25 years’ experience as a commercial artist. Mike has taught around the country and at two international conferences with his friend and collaborator Judy Melvin. Collaboration has been a feature of much of his personal work. Mike’s work has been included in numerous Letter Arts Review annuals since 1991. Visit his website:
Registration form and payment must be sent to Lily Hoy by April 7. Workshop fee: $100 Guild Members / $120 Non-members.
Saturday – Sunday, March 3–4 • 10 AM – 4 PM
Myrna’s ongoing “basics” workshop continues March 3–4. Even if you didn’t attend the first one, in December, feel free to sign up!
The December course covered lower case letterforms (minuscules). The March workshop will thoroughly examine classically proportioned Roman capitals (majuscules). This all-too-short course is roughly based on a 14-week course taught to beginner students in the Design School at Carnegie Mellon University. For those who have neglected our roots, or for real beginners, this course will be good discipline and/or review. It will also be excellent for teachers who may want to consider a new or different perspective.
Myrna says: “When Phil Mickelson approaches a tournament, he goes to his coach and asks, ‘Teach me to play golf.’ That’s how a super-pro considers his performance. Calligraphers are no different: we always must practice, especially the hard parts,” Supplies: all of the usual things in your tool box plus slant board, etc. A supplemental supply list will be sent to participants.
Registration form and payment must be sent to Lily Hoy by February 19. Workshop fee: $85 Guild Members / $105 Non-members.
Edward A. Fisher, Jr., co-founder of the Calligraphy Guild of Pittsburgh, passes away
Published February 12, 2007 news 0 CommentsWe are saddened by the death of our longtime member Ed Fisher Jr. on January 13, 2007. Ed taught workshops for the Guild, helped with exhibitions, and designed and produced the occasional publication “Versal.” He had long been well-known and respected as a graphic designer and teacher.
Obituaries
Regarding the article on “Guild Legends” in the Newsletter. I would like to add to Lily Hoy’s comments on the history of the Christmas Legends. The first person to create the legends was Elizabeth Wrenn (Betty) Houston. Betty was a student of Arnold Bank and taught for many years at PCA, then called the Arts and Crafts Center. Both Myrna Rosen and I were her students. At that time there were eight trees with legends as well as an “introductory” legend at the entrance of Architectural hall. Betty did ALL of them — beautifully! When Betty died the task was passed along to me. That was about 1982. During my tenure the trees dwindled to six and the introductory legend was eliminated. I created all the legends for, as well as I can remember, five or six years. At the same time I created the booklets based on the legends for Senator John Heinz. The booklets were given to his guests as favours at his Annual Christmas Celebration held in Architecture Hall. When I retired from doing the legends, Virginia Rust took over, however, I continued creating the booklets for the Senator, and after his unfortunate death, his wife Teresa. It was after that, I believe, several Guild members took over.
Joan Goswell
