July 18, 2024  -- Michiana Calligraphy Guild

We had a very enjoyable virtual meeting on July 13, 2024.   We are looking forward to our MCGAnnual Picnic in August and have decided to do a handmade bookmark exchange with those who signed up. We have a great suggestion for a demonstration to do at one of our future meetings.  This leads us to realized our fiscal year is almost over.  If anyone has any other demo suggestions, we would love to hear them.

Annual Dues are to be paid by August 3rd.  We are still keeping them at only $20.  

Traci has our Instagram account up and going.  Even though we have just started, we are so pleased with the number of people who are now following us.  If you are interested, you can find us at mcg_1990.  We have lots more to share in the upcoming months!   

For this meeting we choose to not plan a demonstration but leave extra time for visiting and enjoying the Show ‘n Tell of our creative members.  So, what have you been up to this summer?  You need to join our Guild to see them all.  Here are just a few.     

 

P

 Pat is just amazing!  She made this 5 x 7 birthday card based on an enhanced picture she took from a dragon book.  All the details and painting of this art show her talent.  

 

Angela is another one of our members that enjoys making special handmade cards for her family and friends. The second birthday card she cut out letters in the shape of flag, woven with cutouts letters on top of the weaving.

Anna her watercolor washes with ink scripts using Mary Oliver quotes. Used walnut ink to lighten a bright green watercolor, interesting color reactions. Played with adding other colors with saran wrap technique to manage bleed through and brightness of a color she didn’t prefer.

MCG CALENDAR FOR 2024 (subject to change if necessary)

August 3, 2024 – Guild meeting; Picnic at Renee’s home. Bookmark exchange.

September 7^, 2024 – Guild meeting

October 5, 2024 – Guild meeting

November 2, 2024 – Guild meeting

December 7, 2024 - Guild Christmas Party; Virtual meeting 10am–Noon. Lunch following at Rocky River. Ornament exchange.

Submitted by Judy T 

 

 

 

On May 4^th, our Guild hosted a virtual workshop with Suzie Beringer called “Sharp Italic”.  Suzie is always a delight to have for a class!  She willingly answers questions, shows tools she uses and how to care for them and makes the class fun with her genuine love of her art. 

Suzie often adds humor in her presentation which was the case when she explained that she just is not a “mathy person” and how she hides that by using her clear ruler to line things up.  Another funny one was when she said, “I’m a girl and I can change her mind”.  NO one disagreed with her.

Her style of opening spaces, branching off and using just the corner of the tool makes up Suzie’s Sharp Italic variation.  Her goal was to teach us an elegant hand that we could do with a bit more speed than some other lettering styles.  And she wants us to push ourselves to see what type of changes we can try to make our own style. 

I found myself with most of the supplies on her list, however, her using one item I did not have, which was an Elegant Writer, made me wish it had been on the list and I could try it.  It really showed her pen strokes much better than what I had.  She recommended using a broad edge nib such as a Brause or Tape (her preference) no smaller than an 2mm.  I thought I had a Brause but realized I did not the day before.  I had to use a Mitchell and I tried a Pilot Parallel Pen just because I was curious.  The Mitchell nib worked best.  Suzie had trained us, in the past, to use tracing paper and scraps of the same paper we were using for our final piece.  This she calls, “ your dress rehearsal”  so you know how it is going to work. 

In conclusion, if you have a chance to take any of Suzie Beringer’s workshops, please give them a try.  She has a wonderful selection of different classes.  I am glad I took the Sharp Italic and know it will be used often in my future calligraphy journey. 

Submitted by Judy T (5-23-24)

Sharp Italic by Ginny VanderHey

Sharp Italic by Judy T.