Adelaide Trip - Day 1

I took a short trip to Adelaide this month, with the purpose of going to the Art Gallery of South Australia to see the exhibition More Ink Than Ocean.

To be a bit different, instead of flying down to Adelaide I decided to start the journey by going down by train. Though not a train spotter I do love train travel, having crossed Canada by train a number of years ago. So my lovely travel agent Merryn from Ramsgate Travel Service http://www.ramsgatetravel.com.au/ organised for me to travel from Sydney to Adelaide on the Indian Pacific. The Indian Pacific, goes, as the name suggests, from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean across Australia, and vice-a-versa. I was only completing the first part of the trip from Sydney to Adelaide and leaving the train there, while fellow travellers on the train were heading across to Perth to complete the journey.

We left Sydney at 3.05pm from Central Railway Station though check in was earlier and you could feel the anticipation of the train travellers while standing on the platform. The train is long, someone told me that it held fourty eight carriages, plus the locomotives and a vehicle carrier. All I know that it was the length of two platforms of the station. The photo shows one of the engines (no that's not me but a fellow passenger) and then one platform length of cars. I had to stand in the middle of the platform and take one photo down the platform and then photo up the platform to be able to capture all of them. Add that length again and you have the size of the train.

 

 We were welcomed on board by carriage host individually, who provided information on the trip, its inclusions and off train excursions. Another lovely lady came around to organise times for meals with us. Then it was off, travelling through the suburbs of Sydney on one of Australia's icon trains, later afternoon we were travelling through the Blue Mountains and then onto the Western Plains. By 7.30pm having just been seated for dinner (sounds extra special doesn't it?) we arrived into Bathurst to collect a couple of passengers and then we were off again.

Dinner was beautiful. All meals and drinks were included in the package I had chosen, so my three course meal consisted of Lamb for Entree, a roasted vegetable pasta for main and a selection of Australian cheeses and fruit for dessert. I really don't know how the chefs and other staff turned out these beautiful meals, in a small kitchen on a rocky train. My hat goes off to those people.

I was travelling by myself, which never never worries me, as I feel it gives me the opportunity to meet new people and this I did over dinner. I shared the table with a father and son who were travelling over to Perth for a few days, and we discussed what they were doing in Perth, and what I would be doing in Adelaide, the latest Rugby League scores and my calligraphy and the son's photography. It was an interesting discussion but good food, and the rocking of the train took it's toll and I began to feel sleepy, so it was time to retire. After the necessary preparations and with the berth changed to its night configuration, I was propped up in bed and reading until the eyes began to close and only the occasional light broke the darkness.

Contextart - Versals Days 2, 3 and 4

Well, I'm finally getting back to writing about Hazelbrook and the wonderful week of Versals.

Day two saw the class learning about David Jones' Versals. Not having been exposed and not knowing anything about David Jones it was going to make for an interesting day. David Jones was a Welsh man who was a writer, painter and calligrapher. He created his own version of Versals and was known to give away his work to friends if they liked it or because he just wanted to. Listening to Gemma talk, I am under the impression this man was a very unassuming person and never truly appreciated the contribution of his talent to calligraphy. I think I would like him to be one of the people at my dinner table, if I had to hold "the four people you would invite to dinner".

We were able to trace his letters so that we were able to understand the construction and feel of the letters he had created. For me it was a little difficult to get my head around being much freer after a day of classical Versals. And while not actually being able to achieve the look with any expert confidence I do like them and appreciate the talent that went into making them.

With Permission Of Gemma Black

With Permission Of Gemma Black

With Permission Of Gemma Black

With Permission Of Gemma Black

With Permission Of Gemma Black

Day three took us into totally different territory and for me a very scary place. I am not the most free or loose person when it comes to calligraphy so when faced with learning Gemma's beautiful Versals, to say I was daunted would be an understatement. I would have been happy to sit there all day and watch her demonstrate or create, such was the beauty and freedom that she creates when lettering.

After demonstrating her version, we were back at our desks with pen and ink and ready for action. Gemma suggested loosening up by making the letter in the air before putting pen to paper and then go. My arm worked perfectly in the air but some how froze when it touched the paper. My letters looked nothing like what I wanted to create and I found myself being tentative in my stroke making. Instead I took up pencil and while the letters weren't much better there seemed to be a much looser feel to them then before.

With Permission Of Gemma Black

With Permission Of Gemma Black

With Permission Of Gemma Black

With Permission Of Gemma Black

I feel that having just learnt the formal version of a Versal, I needed to practice more and then slowly move into the David Jones and Gemma Black versions. Learning comes from practice and if I practice I will learn.

Day four, and our final day was a play day with some guidance. We were given exercises to create using the different styles of Versals we had learnt and along the way received some one on one tuition from Gemma where we had questions or needed assistance.

So we did pangrams in the traditional Versal style, could write out a pangram in the David Jones version and having created backgrounds the previous afternoon, we were free to write in any style on them. Just before packing up and going home, the class put their work up and discussed what they liked about the week, how they felt about the organisation of it and what we had got out of it.

I don't feel I have done great justice to the week here, like all things, you really had to be there. But to be away, with no distractions, with a great teacher, in a wonderful location and room full of wonderful people, who could ask for more.

And, finally it was all over and we saying goodbye to our little house with the great views and the wonderful people of Contextart.

Travels with My Versals - Contextart 2015 - Part 1

Something about this workshop gave me the impression of a book title. I imagined grabbing my calligraphy gear, a suitcase and armed with an open ticket, go travelling, exploring through Versals. Well it was sort of like that, with Gemma Black, escorting us through three periods of Versals, so we did travel but through calligraphic time.

Again this course was run by TAFTA at Hazelbrook and as the Monday dawned you just knew you were in for a good week. The weather was brilliant for April, it had been dry for a while, so the trees were late turning this year but this calligrapher couldn't resist taking photos of the school and its surrounds on such a day.

Main Administration Block and Trees

Main Administration Block and my fellow Calligrapher

The drive up to the upper carpark surrounded by the beginning of Autumn colours and creative textile creations.

More creative textile creations adorn the registration area

Welcome to our class room!

Right place - Calligraphy with Gemma Black

A much smaller class this time, seven, which was wonderful for us students, more space (yes I do like my space) allowed us to spread out across three tables and have our gear out and at hand. After introductions it was onto to work learning the basic shapes.

Gemma Black class room notes http://www.gemmablack.com/

Confession time, I have never studied Roman. Yes, that's right I've never studied Roman. Now, it isn't through the want of trying, I have enrolled twice and twice the course has been cancelled, so I knew I was going to feel out of my depth but that was okay. If you never stretch yourself, how do you learn, so I thought why not. I felt safe with Gemma as a teacher, even when I was making blundering mistakes, I was in safe hands of tutor and fellow class mates. And I was never backward in coming forward and have a thick skin, and all those other quaint sayings. So on with the show.

Gemma Black class notes http://www.gemmablack.com/

So we spent the day learning our basic shapes, our x heights, family groups, angles and all the other areas that go to the study of a hand.

Gemma Black class notes http://www.gemmablack.com/

You can see from Gemma's notes there was lots to learn and lots to do. I thought I may have been daunted by the geometric nature of these letters but I surprised myself and really enjoyed the slowing down of the hand, the mindfulness that went into creating each letter. The thoughtfulness of where each letter was place in relation to the next (used in all hands but I found I was more conscious of it with the Versals). I still have to learn to balance the areas of the "O"s and how to execute an "S" but it was almost therapeutic to be working so closely with the letter, feeling pencil and paper and then pen and ink and paper. The three elements were working as one.

Contextart 2015 - Fabulous Fraktur - Days One and Two

Back in April, which seems a distant memory now, a friend and I attended a week of calligraphy, two days of Fraktur and four days of Versals.

Contextart is held in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, once a year and as well as calligraphy conducts courses in textile arts. Contextart is run by the wonderful people at TAFTA http://tafta.org.au/contextart/ 

Saturday and Sunday were Fraktur. 

After an early start on the Saturday, with a small car, loaded with calligraphy gear, bedding and clothes, we reached Hazelbrook within an hour and a half, and considering it was raining, we had a brilliant run in the car.

The host school was easily found, having completed an initial investigation some weeks earlier, and this calligrapher and friend were ready to go. Class started at 9.30am so were were a little early but this gave us time to register and to try to pick the best position in the class room. As is it turned out with approximately  14 people in the class it was good to get in early. Though we were hanging out for a coffee mid morning.

Introductions made around the class, we were quickly into it, watching our brilliant tutor, Gemma Black demonstrating the strokes needed and then practicing our own miniscules.

Class Notes by Gemma Black http://www.gemmablack.com

Class Notes by Gemma Black http://www.gemmablack.com/

Next we were onto some excises putting our words together in different layouts to discover how placement of words give a different feel to your work. This was especially helpful as I know, that I do tend to left justify most pieces. Here are some examples by friend, Glenis.

Exercise by Glenis Sheather

 Then, working with the same layout for the piece, we worked in colour, here Glenis has added Noodlers Ink to Walnut Ink, which, I have to say gives a brilliant colour scheme.

Exercise by Glenis Sheather

 Here are my attempts at the same exercises, black ink and walnut mix. I liked the colour combination but could see where practice on my letter forms was needed. Back to the board!

Exercise by Cathy Sayer

 Another layout this time with just black ink, but why, oh why did I choose so many "s". I think calligraphy like old age, is no place for sissies. Thank you Bette Davis.

Exercise by Cathy Sayer

 After a quick visit to the supermarket on the Saturday night after class and then onto our accommodation, it was Sunday and time for majuscles.  Again Gemma, demonstrated and explained, to the class and the individual which was wonderful for all of us, beginner, intermediate and experienced alike. Lots of construction and for me tightening up the letters, meant the morning flew by.

Class Notes by Gemma Black http://www.gemmablack.com/

Our exercise for the afternoon was to attempt to write out a Phonetic Alphabet or a Greek Alphabet in white on black paper. Mine unfortunately disappeared into the background. Whether it was the medium or the paper, I am yet to know but will use both again in different situations to determine. I would like to say my piece was good but alas with nothing to show, I cannot. Though I can say it needed practice.

The two days flew by, and by Sunday lunch time, I was so in the zone, that I couldn't remember what day it was. A true sign of a wonderful class. We farewelled those of us who weren't staying on for the next course and my friend and I relaxed after the class, with a coffee on the balcony of the house we were renting, for a well earned rest and a discussion of the class.

End of a Successful Day

View from Angel Mist