A MESSAGE FROM THE GUILD PRESIDENT
Well, we’ve made it through another year as Covid continues to do its thing. The stress for many of us has been overwhelming. We’re all tired of masks and being stuck in places we’d rather not be. It seems common sense has vanished, sometimes I feel like I am living in a Charlie Brown world and all that can be heard is WHAAAA-WHAAA-WHAAA.
Something that has helped me deal with all the frustrations of Covid is this very guild and the calligraphic community, but especially this guild. Since most guilds have a requirement that you must join their guild in order to participate in a workshop they are sponsoring I have found myself a member of several more guilds. I really enjoy the websites and newsletters I have received. Some guilds are quite professional in their organization and others more seat of the pants. The larger the guild the more professional they can be. I think ours is more seat of the pants.
Open Invitation:
Anyone wishing to contribute to the blog, pictures an article, a set of instructions please send me an email and we can get it in the next blog. We publish 4 times a year January, April, July and October. Any contributions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you Ginny VanderHey for your article!! I can always count on you!
Also, asking for demo volunteers for our monthly meetings. Come, learn and share!!!!!
MCG October 2, 2021 Meeting
Quote: “We must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” JFK
Show and Tell for October:
Renee's practice from Rachel Yallop class Judy Theurel Judy Theurel Ginny's Birthday cards Ginny's Mandalas Ginny's bag Angie West's birthday cards Angela M The VanderHeys
Quote: “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” William Arthur Ward.
Ginny demonstrated Sherri Kiesel style letters and what a wonderful and inspiring demo it was! I used the letter on my Christmas cards!
Show and Tell for November:
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| Ginny V |
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| Ginny V |
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| Exemplar for Sherri Kiesel Letters used for demo |
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| Anna S |
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| Anna S |
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| Anna S |
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| Anna S |
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| Judy's paste paper |
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| Judy's paste paper |
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| Renee's work from an An Vanhentenijk class |
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| Laura F's work from Amity Parks class |
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| Pat West |
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| Pat's Birthday cards |
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| Pat's watercolor |
MCG December 4, 2021 Meeting
Quote: “Just remember that the true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart.” Polar Express.
Donations of $100 were given to Christ the King Lutheran Church and $200 to the Food Pantry
Show and Tell: In place of the Show and Tell we did our paper exchange which took up all of our time so the December slides will be shown in January!
CALENDAR for 2022
January 8: General Meeting with demo by Renee Tuveson
February 5:
March 5:
April 2: Easter is April 17
May 7:
June 4:
July 2:
August 6: Picnic and Exchange
September 10: Labor Day is Sept. 5
October 1:
November 5:
December 3: Christmas Party and Exchange
This is what I did in my spare time today while sitting in a hotel room........
Classes and Supplies
I'm sitting in a hotel room in Orlando Florida today while my husband is in a Tax Update Seminar at the hotel across the street. He left early this morning in a thick bank of fog, but luckily he only had to walk across the street. I would imagine that there were some flights cancelled out of the airports because of the thick fog. I packed some art supplies with me including my Helix circle maker, colored pencils, Pentel mechanical pencils, drawing paper, black paper and my beautiful Juergen Vercanaest book I bought about three years ago which is all pencil lettering. After I had my favorite breakfast downstairs in the cafe (no, not the buffet with all the sausage, bacon, eggs, bread, fruit, etc.), a bowl of cereal with banana and a cup of decaf coffee. Then I sat outside a bit and made a phone call before returning to my room and taking out my supplies. First I made a couple of mandalas that Renee taught us to do in September using a white erasable marker and gel pens. When Renee showed then to us and told us what gel pens she used, I went to the computer and looked up where to order them, but before I did that, I looked in my closet and there were several gel pens specifically the ones she suggested. There is no limit to the supplies we have in our art rooms and generally when we register for a new class online, we have most if not all of the suggested tools. I'm signed up for a new Heather Held class on December 29 and January 16. It will be nice to have a few weeks to practice in between. I printed off the supply list and found that I have most of the supplies but some are in Elkhart like graph paper so I had to order that and some Hunt 22 nobs. Do I have hundreds of nibs in Indiana? Of course, but can't get them from here. I have watercolors, but not the colors that Heather will be using, so I ordered her dot page with colors she likes to use. As my dear Cara Anna would say, "I'm a collector of fine art supplies" and now in two states!
I have taken probably 25 or more Zoom classes from instructors all over the world, Canada, Brazil, Italy, England and have loved each and every one of them. Mike Kecseg, Julie Wildman, Maria Soria, Heather Held, Rachel Yallop, Carol DuBosch, Amity Parks, Pat Blair, etc. and most of these have been more than one class. Buying more supplies for each class is a treat and an excitement to try new things. One is my favorite new things is the Calligraphica Crystals I ordered from John Neal. Mix with water and write with beautiful colors. So I guess I have spent lots of money on classes and supplies during the last two years of quarantine, but we didn't go out to dinner, maybe a takeout or two, and I stayed inside all winter and maybe went to Pat West's house where I brought my lunch, we sat outside and played with her dogs when there were warm summer days. What I did ws buy myself entertainment when the world was hit with a pandemic and loved it.
I hope many of you have taken lots of Zoom classes and have time to practice something from each of them. I'm just hoping that when I move into the nursing home some day, I can still have some room for my paper and supplies that I just won't be able to part with. Do you think they would put paper, nibs and ink in the coffin??
Happy New Year,
Ginny
THINGS OF INTEREST
Guilds and Organizations
https://www.pendragonscalligraphy.org/
https://www.friendsofcalligraphy.org/
https://www.societyofscribes.org/
https://www.calligraphersguild.org/
https://www.chicagocalligraphy.org/
Instagram - zentangles
@eri_eartcrafts
@iteachtangling
@zentangleyetart
@youko_63
@zen.linea
Instagram – calligraphers
@karl.scrib
@erin_echo819
@anneelser
@bernice_lettersandthings
@kiscript
Instagram – Bookmaking
@lotusblubookart
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
Amity Parks – A sharp Pencil and a Keen Eye March 17th – 19th, 2022 - 3 Days!!!
Pat Blair – Pending 2023
QUOTES TO SHARE
Compiled by Laura Fuderer
“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” Pablo Picasso.
The job of art is “to meet us where we are and to invite us in – to think, to feel, to wonder, to dream, to debate, to laugh, to resist, to roam, to imagine.” Ava DuVernay.
“Work is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.” Mary Oliver
“Every genuine work of art has as much reason for being as the earth and the sun.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Society and Solitude.
“Color is my day - long obsession, joy and torment.” Claude Monet.
“For books are more than books – They are the life, the very heart and core of ages past.” Amy Lowell.
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.
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
AMERICAN FRAME
Just a reminder that if you order from American Frame, please mention MCG, and they will give us a small stipend.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP
Annual dues of $20 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
Laurie Heyden, Treasurer, silverbird323@jahoo.com
Judy Theurel, Secretary, judy@theurel.com
Sharon Esmont, Study Group sesmont@aol.com
