Retro Art Deco Workshop - Saturday

The long weekend in October was spent at my calligraphy society's hall participating in a two day workshop run by Gemma Black called 'Retro Deco'.
We started on the Saturday with a short history of the period and Charles Rennie Mackintosh before Gemma did a demonstration of the lettering inspired by the period and Charles. We were then let loose on pencil and paper so we could learn the bones of the letters and how to build them up. Finally it was on to paper and ink.
After lunch we chose a short piece of writing that we had brought along, sourced from the period, mine was five words in length and from the Australian artist Hilda Rix Nicholas - "We are really truly here". We had to stack the words on top of each other. I did a practice run and then did the real thing on a pieces of rough watercolour paper. Once we were happy with the finished lettering, we then had to do some artwork to match the words.

Canberra Calligraphy Society Exhibition

Hello All,

If in Canberra or just visiting then this is a must!

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

Purely Pencils II - Day 2

Day 2 saw us using our colour pencils and graphite pencils on canvas and calico.

I've not used canvas before for pencil lettering and found the canvas we used to be a of fine grade and extremely agreeable. All sorts of pencils were used on these backgrounds, watercolours, Aquatones, Graphitints plus Neocolor II (which was another first for me). The Neocolor II worked well both on the canvas and calico but I did prefer them on the calico.

What I did love was the use of a large graphite pencil that Gemma had brought along and we able to use. I added a touch of colour with the Graphitints and have been inspired to do something with the idea for a finished piece.

All too soon it was time to pack up and call it quits for another wonderful workshop. The ideas and sheer enjoyment that comes from attending a workshop but especially one of Gemma's is worth more than you can imagine. If you have a chance to attend a workshop of Gemma's, whether in Australia or overseas, you really should.

Graphite Pencil and Graphitints highlights on canvas - All rights belong with the artist - Cathy Sayer

Graphitints on canvas - All rights remain with the artist - Cathy Sayer

Purely Pencils II - Purely Perfect

Week Two of my holidays saw myself and a friend visiting Australia's capital Canberra to do a calligraphic workshop with the ever talented Gemma Black.

The workshop was called Purely Pencils II and it was purely perfect.

The first day of the workshop saw us participating in an exercise called from Nature to Paper. We had been instructed to bring with us to the workshop, for day one, a flower and some of its foliage. The idea being that nature gets colour schemes right.
There is the perennial question whether sense of colour is innate or it has to be learnt by any artist. Gemma explained to us that if we are ever in doubt of a colour scheme just step into your garden and you will find the right colour combinations.
My flower and it's foliage was the Banksia. We were given an exemplar of Charles Rennie Mackintosh style letters and created the first letter of the flower in this script with a patterned background. Then it was on to determine the colours in the plant and match them to our watercolour pencils. We used watercolour pencils for the exercise because they were harder then other water-soluble pencils. Here was the exercise, looking clearfully at the plant and working out which colours we could see. I had a limited palette but had to mix greens to ensure that I had the closest I could get.

Colour from the Garden - Initial work up - Artist - Cathy Sayer - Copyrighted

Once we had worked out our colour scheme and created a swatch (with some expert guidance from Gemma) it was now a matter of colouring in the pattern we had created with the colours on our swatch, ensuring we obtained the right balance.
I don't know about anybody else but there is something comforting in colouring in. Whether it takes us back subconsciously to our childhood or it makes us slow down but there was a quiet in room and the tension just seemed to ease away.

Colour from the Garden - Step Two - Artist - Cathy Sayer - Copyrighted

Colouring completed, it was brushes out and with just water go back over the coloured pattern to complete the final work of art.
I am enthused and can see endless possibilities for this exercise, just not the first letters of plants but names, etc. still using the beautiful colour schemes that nature affords us.

More examples of the class' work can be found on Gemma Black's blog http://canberragem.blogspot.com.au/