Michiana Calligraphy Guild

Thursday, January 2, 2020

JANUARY 2020

A MESSAGE FROM THE GUILD PRESIDENT

Welcome to 2020 and hoping for a year full of creativity for everyone! What is your resolution for the coming year? Mine is to continue in my search for artistry in whatever I do. I don't want to say perfection because that is too much pressure. I am happy to do my best and share what I have learned with others. Also, I would like to become more tech smart, It is a very useful tool and I am very lacking.

On January 9th. I start my first class of this year with Heather Held! I think I am addicted to her classes. I took 3 last year and loved everything about them. She is a beautiful and caring person. Our first class will be a combo "Line Dances" and "Vintage Garden", should be a wonderful combination.

My previous classes with Heather have been "The Enchanted Letter", "The Artful Flourish" and "The Poetic Pen -The Study and Evolution of Italian Hand". I have thoroughly enjoyed them all. The lessons are done through Skype and you are allowed to record them which is a great help, plus Heather supplies numerous handouts through Dropbox.

2019 was definitely the year of the class for me as I also signed up for a watercolor class with "Forever Learning" that was amazing. I am continuing with watercolor online with Tracey Lizotte and taking another flourishing online class with Younghae Chung she is really amazing and a left hander, which makes me think that my problem with calligraphy is that I am not left handed. She does not write in the traditional way of left-handers.

OCTOBER 5, MEETING

Quote: "Not everything you do is going to be a masterpiece, but you get art there and you try and sometimes it really happens. The other times you're just stretching your soul". Maya Angelou.

We discussed upcoming workshop with Amity Parks in March of 2020. The guild had purchased calligraphy supplies from Mary Fader and these were distributed among members. Also, discussed sending cards to members for birthdays. As always Show and Tell for inspiration.

Birthday Cards Ginny received from fellow artists

Angie's workshop with Carol DuBosch

NOVEMBER 2, MEETING

Quote:" Autumn is a second Spring when every leaf is a flower". - Albert Camus

Angie gave 6 of us a lesson in Blackletter, which finished up our classes for the year. A big thank you to Angie West our resident instructor! We discussed the Amity Parks workshop in March and we have been given an extra day at no additional cost! So the workshop has gone from a 2 day to a 3 day workshop. The dates will be March 27, 28 and 29! And of course Show and Tell!

Birthday card for Anna from Judy!

Sherri Keisel letters done at Lake Louise

Miniature are from Rose Kopec

DECEMBER 7 MEETING

Quote: "Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having in spirit, become a child again at Christmas time" Laura Ingalls Wilder

Our annual Christmas Luncheon and exchange. Wonderful friends, wonderful food and a great time for all. Sharon Esmont received a letter from Ruthmere Museum in Elkhart looking for volunteers to demo our calligraphy and/or someone to speak about our craft. It was agreed that we would participate. Show and Tell as always. Below are the Christmas tags for our exchange.

2020 CALENDAR

JANUARY- NO MEETING

FEBRUARY 1 - Sharon Esmont will demo a punch cradle. Marty Mitchell will be in charge of the meeting as Renee will be in Chicago

MARCH 7 - Renee Tuveson will demo the wedge brush.

MARCH 27-28-29 - Amity Parks - A SHARP PENCIL AND A KEEN EYE. Walnut Grove Community Building (See registration form below)

APRIL 4 - Renee Tuveson will demo flourishing (Heather Held style)

MAY 2 - Bring your favorite tool!

MAY 30 - Paste Paper Playdate - 9am to 5pm - Christ the King Lutheran Church

JUNE 6 - Ginny VanderHey will demo Gwen Weaver lettering.

JULY 11- Angie West - We will make a brass folded pen per instructions from Carol DuBosch.

AUGUST 1 - Picnic

SEPTEMBER 12 - Laurie Heyden, covered boxes

OCTOBER 3 - Ginny VanderHey will demo Sherri Kiesel letters.

NOVEMBER 7 - Anna Schlemma - Rosie Kelley lettering

DECEMBER 5 - Christmas Luncheon

THINGS OF INTEREST

PAYING IT FORWARD - Ginny VanderHey

Again this year, we are spending a few months in Ft. Myers, Florida, arriving in early November, going to Texas for Thanksgiving, and will be with our younger daughter and her family for the Christmas holidays. And, again this year, I will be missing the guild Christmas party. My Christmas cards I made, plus others I didn't, all went into the mail yesterday. I have three more to send out, but that will get done quickly. Christmas gifts are mostly bought, but need to add a few things and then do some wrapping.

As I have mentioned before, I belong t a quilt group through the church and love these very talented and hardworking ladies, They make quilts mostly for donating to sick and hospitalized people in the church and make some things for themselves along the way. We have had lunch together, do a Christmas party and exchange and they are a marvelous support for each other. About half the group are Floridians and the other half, snow birds, like me. One of the ladies, from Kentucky and with a wonderful accent, loves the art of calligraphy and we have started having "lessons" every week. I have started her on the foundational hand and she, like we do, laments about not being very good at it. Haven't we all said that at one point or another! To add to that, the whole quilt group has asked me to do a calligraphy demo early in 2020 and I intend to show them several of the tools I brought with me. I am so happy to see our beautiful art is alive and well and interests others far and wide. I was also asked to do an acrylic pour demo. I donated three of my pieces to the bazaar that the church held as well as pumpkin pie biscotti and jam thumbprint cookies.

So even though I am "vacationing" in Florida for a few months, I am also busy promoting and supporting calligraphy and also helping the art suppliers so others can begin collecting "fine art supplies" as my Cara Anna calls them.

I'm sitting in Orlando today writing this note while my husband is sitting in a tax software update conference. We walked all over Epcot yesterday and today I am going to Disney Springs to do a little shopping. Mickey Mouse is everywhere here!!!

Hope you all had a healthy and happy holiday season and are ready to get back to work (art). Miss you all and see you in March!

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

MARCH 27-28-29 Amity Parks

http://tuveson.com/AmityParks2020ReneeTuveson.pdf

OPEN THE ABOVE PDF FOR A PRINTABLE FORM (if you cannot open link type into your browser)

POLICY FOR MCG

Our workshops seem to have people sign up and then decide not to attend. We have been very generous in returning monies paid for the workshop if someone decides not to attend at the last minute, but we are going to have a change in this policy. There will be a nominal fee if you drop out of a workshop. If there would be an emergency, for instance the birth of a grandchild, illness, etc., then the board will take this under advisement to decide on a course of action regarding a refund. Also, if the workshop is filled, and there is someone to take your place, that would also qualify for a refund. So please, if you want to sign up foe the workshop, make sure that you put that date on your calendar as a commitment. We have a small calligraphy group and we struggle to fill workshops at times. We need all of you to attend as many as possible so that we can continue to have quality instructors.

ARE YOU ON FACEBOOK?

If so, look up your favorite calligraphers, because they are on Facebook also. I like to look at Barbara Blose, Reggie Ezell, Julian Waters, John Stevens, Rachel Yallop, Pendragons, Capital City Scribes, Yukimi Annand, etc.. There are lots of beautiful calligraphy on these pages that will get you inspired. Also look at Joanne Fink and Barbara Lever’s Facebook pages. Be sure to check Pinterest, so many places to be inspired!

P.O. BOX IN SOUTH BEND

Due to a lack of much mail at our Post Office box in South Bend we have suspended any mail sent to that address. If you have anything to send to the Michiana Calligraphy Guild, please send to Laurie Heyden, 18292 Courtland Dr., South Bend, Indiana 46637 or Renee Tuveson, 928 Finch Dr., South Bend, Indiana 46614.

AMERICAN FRAME

Just a reminder that if you order from American Frame, please mention MCG, and the will give is a small stipend.

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP

Annual dues of $15 are due at the July meeting. Our annual dues have not changed in many years and are put to good use for supplies for our Make It/Take It at meetings and our annual raffle in August, and in December our donation to local charities. Please remember to bring your dues to the July meeting or send to Laurie Heyden, our treasurer at 18292 Courtland Dr., South Bend, Indiana 46637.

OFFICIERS

Renee Tuveson, President and Blog, rtuveson@hotmail.com

Marty Mitchell, Vice President, , martyjmm@gmail.com

Laurie Heyden, Treasurer, silverbird323@jahoo.com

Judy Theurel, Secretary, judy@theurel.com

Sharon Esmont, Study Group sesmont@aol.com

Monday, September 30, 2019

OCTOBER 2019 SCRIBNOTE

A MESSAGE FROM THE GUILD PRESIDENT

Welcome Fall! One of my favorite seasons! The beauty of the colors!

I am currently finishing up with an online class with Heather Held, "Italian Hand". A lovely and romantic hand that pre-dates copperplate. Heather suggests Ox Gall ink, for fine hairlines and nice shades and it truly makes for some beautiful letters, but I had quite a problem with nib breakage. Constant cleaning and rinsing of the nib did help with this. But I did start using walnut ink darkened with a bit of sumi for practice. Though the Ox Gall is a much more pleasing look. This was my third class with Heather this year, first one was "The Enchanted Letter", the second was "The Artful Flourish". It has been wonderful she is truly a gifted artist and teacher. I am also signed up for next year with a combo class of "Line Dances" and "Vintage Garden"

Also, next year I will be taking a trip to Chicago to be in a class with Suzanne Cunningham. She is also a gifted calligrapher.

I signed up for a watercolor class at Forever Learning. I always said I could be a professional student! Too bad it costs me money not the other way round!

July Meeting

Quote: You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again. You can also look at a picture for a second and think of it all your life. (From The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt)
We discussed the picnic, new additions to the blog and the disappointment of the cancelation of "Days of the Handmade Book". Also, Jo McPherson will no longer be our communications person, that job has been taken over by Sharon Esmont. Thank you Jo for all your years of service, we will miss you. For Show and Tell, several books were passed around. Angie West shared some origami folds she had been doing also Pat, Angie and Ginny showed some of the wonderful marbled papers they had done. Maureen had samples of Akim cursive she was working on and Judy showed us her lovely zentangles.

Maureen's practice Akim

Book's Pat bought

Samples from Ginny, Pat and Angie

Anna watching Angie work

Angie's Origami fold structure

Judy's Zentangles

August Meeting and Picnic

Quote: If I had a flower for every time I thought of you...I could walk through my garden forever. (Alfred Tennyson)
Wonderful event at Ginny VanderHey's home, good food, good company, what more can you ask for! We all turned in our artwork copies and they were all fantastic. We have so many talented people in our group we are truly blessed. Anna Schlemma was able to attend a workshop with David McGrail and what amazing techniques she learned!

Artwork by Ginny VanderHey

Anna's Book

Anna talking about David McGrail

David McGrail technique

Making your own washy tape

September Meeting

Quote: Art is the only way to run away without leaving home. (Twyla Thara)

On March 28th and 29th we will have a workshop with Amity Parks at the Walnut Grove community building, details to follow.
Angie instructed 6 members in Italic, going around helping all to achieve their goals.
Business cards were passed out to all members present and I will bring to all meetings, be sure to pass them around and pick up more as you need them. Thank you Angela Michielutti for you work and efforts on these cards. Job well done.
Show and tell: Ginny our master sewer as well as calligrapher brought in bags she had made, beautiful! Renee brought in samples of Italian Hand from her Heather Held class and was talked into a possible class for next year in this hand. I have a lot of practicing to do!!!