NEXT MEETING: AGM
Tuesday 7th June

The AGM is happening next Tuesday 7th June.
Please come along and help make the society what you would like it to be.

WHERE: Gifford Gallery, 27a Poronui St, Mt Eden
DATE: Tuesday 7th June
TIME:  6:30pm start

We would love to see you all at the New Zealand Calligraphers AGM on Tuesday 7th June.

We will be starting at 6:30pm and there will be food and a lucky dip after the business side 
of the meeting.

If you have been working on a collaborative book please finish it, bind it 
and bring it along for a show and tell. 
There is also a book plate competition and we will be judging the winners at the AGM.

If you have any books out from the NZ Calligraphers Library please bring them along to the AGM.

MONTHLY MEETING: Layering with Jan Leonard

NEXT MEETING

Tuesday 2nd February

We are looking forward to the start of another exciting year!
If you received any hand made cards at Christmas bring them for show and tell. 
Also bring along any masterpieces you have achieved over the summer and of course your journal.

Workshop:
LAYERING with Jan Leonard

Bring your usual gear including:
- Masking fluid
- watercolour paints
- indian ink
- acrylic inks
- fixative
- pastels if you have them, there will be some on hand if you don't.

Paper will be provided.

MONTHLY MEETING: Yukimi Annand's 'The Wall' with Glenice Martin

NEXT MEETING

Tuesday November 3rd

At the next meeting we are lucky to have
Glenice Martin take us through the 2 day workshop with Yuki Annand she attended at SSiW in Melbourne.

MONTHLY MEETING: CHALKBOARD LETTERING WITH ERIN HOLMES

NEXT MEETING

Tuesday September 1st

At the next meeting we are lucky to have
Erin Holmes teaching us a workshop on chalkboard lettering. 

What to bring:

Rag or old cloth
Chalk

MONTHLY MEETING: WORKSHOP WITH JAN LEONARD

NEXT MEETING

Tuesday August 4th

At the next meeting we are lucky to have
Jan Leonard teaching us a workshop on Layering. 

What to bring:

Good quality paper (about A3 size, 185 - 300gsm)
Watercolour paints (or gouache) or acrylics
Masking fluid
Hair dryer (to speed up drying time)
Large automatic pens
usual kit

THANK YOU JAN LEONARD!

At the New Zealand Calligraphers AGM in June we sadly saw Jan Leonard step down from her role as President. Jan has spent the last two years as President, and many before that on the committee, and has done such an amazing job organising our committee and keeping our society going.

A presentation was made to Jan in appreciation of her contribution to the society.  This included a life membership certificate created by Glenice Martin, Chocolates from Kowhai Arts and a cyclamen plant with a bottle of wine.  Barbara made her a beautiful card.  

Jan joined the society in 1996 and we can't thank her enough for everything she has done!

Jan Leonard with her life membership certificate - thank you Jan!

Workshop with Barbara Ellis

NEXT MEETING

Tuesday July 7th

At the next meeting we are lucky to have
Barbara Ellis teaching us a workshop.
We will be using paints and brushes to experiment. 

What to bring:

300gsm paper or pad
1 x square edged firm brush (short bristle) any size
1x pointed brush (not too long bristle) any size
1x tube of acrylic plate
Plastic or old plate
Jar for water

Workshop to be run by Dale-Cormack Pearson and Roselda Stevens 

 A fun Parallel Pen workshop  for experimentation, learning to use your  pens, and making a little book to keep all your examples in. For those of you who have  parallel pens and want to learn more about them, bring your pens with you and come and join us on 7 April 6.30 – 9pm at Gifford Gallery, 27 Poronui Street, Mt Eden, Auckland 1024, cost for the evening $10 and please be on time as we have lots to do.

 TOOLS

Bring all your Parallel pens,  we will show you how to remove the ink cartridge so that you can use this with water and or colour, also a useful skill so you can keep the nib assembly clean and flowing well.   I keep my 6.0mm and 1.5mm clean and only used water. Other things to bring if you have them:- Water colour paints, Gouache pans or tubes, a small palate to hold the paints (buy palate from a $2 shop) old small brush, A3 cartridge paper or Zeta paper. Pencil, rubber, ruler, cutter knife for cutting paper. This is open to ABC members who have Parallel pens and would like to attend.  Looking  forward to seeing you,  if you need to contact me please email me at dalecormackpearson36@gmail.com.

Report from Tuesday Night 3rd March

Susan organised this evening, we worked to music, on strips of practise paper (i.e. wall paper) which ran the full length of our tables. We used a variety of tools and paint to start with, aiming for backgrounds, eventually using ink, pigments we bought with us and any thing we thought might make an interesting mark. Better paper was tried after the loosening up period, this was to be worked on at home and next meeting we are expected to bring along a finished project. Woe betide, a warning from Susan, do something.

Please forgive me if your work is displayed upside down or sideways.

What we are doing on Tuesday night 3rd March:

Calligraphy outside your comfort zone:

The focus on this meeting is all about thinking big. The program is a hands on evening, so bring your aprons, and any big tools you have! Prepare to go home with inky fingers.

Paint, ink and paper will be supplied, and there will be plastic gloves for the really cautious folk. There will be lots of playing, non conforming, experimental calligraphy. Do come along, we look forward to seeing you. if you want to use the library come at 6 o'clock, we will start the evening properly at 6.30.

After the Workshop

Dale has supplied a few more photos that she took during the workshop with Kate Hursthouse. You should be able to click on the compiled image to enlarge. Left to right,  Kate demonstrating, home made pens, some of our group, Kate explaining pens, Erin and Barbara, Kate discussing structure, lettering, Kate's book, more lettering, Rose's work on good paper. Enjoy.

2015 Monthly meetings start February 3rd.

That's this Tuesday!        Library 6pm, meeting starts 6.30pm

Kate Hursthouse

“In September 2014 Kate Hursthouse took part in a week long work shop in Arezzo, Italy with Italian Calligrapher Monica Dengo. During the workshop she studied historical manuscripts, texture, pattern and contemporary gestural writing.        http://www.monicadengo.com 

Kate worked with a range of tools created from a variety of materials and the students were encouraged to develop their own hands, experimenting with forms, textures, inks, instruments and papers.   

Kate is going to do a bit of a show and tell of the experiments and work she produced during the workshop and we are all going to experiment with some contemporary gestural writing.

Please bring along lots of paper, ink and any experimental tools such as cola pens, ruling pens, cork, balsa that you would like to experiment and play with."

Kate came across this video the other day of Luca Barcellona teaming up with Red Bull to create some work. It is quite beautiful. Well worth watching.

http://www.redbull.com/it/it/music/stories/1331687840871/variazioni-bertallot-ep.-3

A bit of a spring clean for the new year.

An important date to remember is the first tuesday in February, this is the start of the monthly meetings for this year. Kate Hursthouse will be entertaining us with a presentation. We hope to touch base with the pages of the collaborative book, find out where the pages have been holidaying and perhaps hand over finished work. The date is the 3rd February, come at 6pm if you wish to use the library, the meeting proper will start around 6.30.

A reminder that it is this year we are having an exhibition and members should be thinking about a piece to hang (or maybe several). You should be past just the thinking stage, trials of paper and pigments perhaps roughs, with fine tuning around the corner. It is a good idea to make several copies keep them all, I remember Lorraine Brady saying 3 was the minium number you should do, then select the best.

Below is the information from the magazine in case you have misplaced it. You should be able to click on the image to enlarge it. If this doesnt work check issue no 88 for the flyer.

CHRISTMAS TIME, 

MISTLETOE AND WINE

'TIS THE SEASON TO PROCRASTINATE, TO FORGET YOUR DUTIES AND CELEBRATE!   PUT YOUR WORK OUT OF MIND, SIP A SMALL DRINK AND UNWIND.

Please join us for some music, calories and conversation as we wrap up another year of Calligraphy. The meeting is at Gifford Gallery, Poronui Road, Mt Eden

Tuesday December 2 at 6:30

Can you please bring with you:

A plate (with some yummy food on it) and something to drink

An interesting question that you feel the group would enjoy discussing – not necessarily about calligraphy!

Some money, 'cause there will be raffles … Massimo Polello’s art!

A Christmas card you have made yourself, to exchange

A silly Santa gift – up to the value of $10

What's happening today?
Apologies about the late posting.

It's a spring catch up meeting, so people please bring something you are working on. We will also try to get the envelopes done for the Xmas magazine mail out, this also doubles as a social chat and question time. Bring along your usually calligraphy materials and cheery face. Those who are working on the collaborative books could share if they wish or discuss issues and problems.

Psssst!

Have we quietly got your attention?

Our next night class (Tuesday 7th Oct) we are going to try and get ahead and arrange something for Christmas, starting with some festive words. Bring along your usual calligraphy gear. That includes your  pencil, ruler, eraser, practice paper (zeta) pen holder and assorted nibs, gouache, water colour, ideas. Speaking of ideas it might be one to practise before you come with some words that you may consider using at Christmas. Let's get a little ahead of the frantic rush in the summer heat (fingers crossed that summer will come).

A REMINDER 2/9/14

FOR OUR TUESDAY MEETING

We would like you to come with an open mind and try to bring a prepared question to ask.

We have organised something completely different for the meeting on 2nd September, something to make us think, discuss and explore. To get started here are a couple of statements for you to mull over:-

When applying for a job I mentioned my interest in calligraphy, 

only for the employer to say "Oh, that means you will be very precise.

"Do you think this is the case for most calligraphers 

and is this a positive or negative or both?

People working in the arts often find it difficult to produce their best work on demand.

Does calligraphy have a place in the commercial world

or should we be happy to view it as a process which 

when it happens can be of monetary or personal reward?

Hillary plans on having the internet available for those who wish to learn a bit more about navigating to the calligraphy interest sites. She is bringing her computer screen in and using her phone for internet connection. This will be a first for her so Martin is coming too, for the IT support.

September Monthly Meeting

We have organised something completely different for the next monthly meeting in September, something to make us think, discuss and explore. To get started here are a couple of statements for you to mull over:-

When applying for a job I mentioned my interest in calligraphy, 

only for the employer to say "Oh, that means you will be very precise.

"Do you think this is the case for most calligraphers 

and is this a positive or negative or both?

People working in the arts 

often find it difficult to produce their best work on demand.

Does calligraphy have a place in the commercial world

or should we be happy to view it as a process which 

when it happens can be of monetary or personal reward?

Hillary plans on having the internet available for those who wish to learn a bit more about navigating to the calligraphy interest sites. She is bringing her computer in and using her phone for connection.

Think about some of your own questions to raise and hear the group respond.

Tuesday 5th August Meeting- Gifford Gallery, Mt Eden  

'Playing with the Tools of our Trade'

- Margaret Woollett -

 Tutor

Experimenting and experiencing the 'tools' will be the the focus of the evening. Using the nibs and tools of our 'kit' we will have an evening of experimentation.

I will demonstrate using some of the main tools I use in producing my art and work, but this will be an evening of your own journey as you learn to experiment and experience using your tools in new ways

Come prepared with paper of different weights, surfaces, colour, paints, inks, brushes, etc, and an apron, as we will be using paint and ink to play and get a hands on 'feel' for some these tools. Come prepared to let old ideas grow and develop into something 'more'!

This will be an evening of learning new ways of using standard tools, looking at some tricks which assist us in our making of 'good lettering', learning and  'seeing' what others do with these same tools.

 It will be a fun evening of learning as we 'play'.

Tuesday 5th August Meeting - 6.30pm - 9pm, Gifford Gallery, Mt Eden  

Report from July's monthly meeting

If you needed to know what the phrase 'bring your usual calligraphy gear' means  - last night was the night to come to our meeting.

Despite the awful weather outside we were spell bound by Margaret who had set up a wonderful display of tools and materials available to modern day calligraphers, combine that with her years of experience meant that our questions were answered with anecdotal comment, hints and tips. An excellent back to basics discussion and I am sure that everyone of us learnt something.  

A suitcase to help keep the gold, foils, metals etc secure and uncontaminated. The pros and cons of quills, even how to make a reservoir to slide up a shaft. Beautiful boxes of nib stock, so there is no excuse not to play. 

One of the most important things is to experiment and play with tools, pigments and paper. Margaret impressed upon us to do this and to keep our efforts as a record for comparisons. Some materials are better than others for a particular effect. Margaret shared several of her books, some containing a whole variety of different papers, some with stubby leaves to which she had then added larger trials and tests as they were completed. After the talk we were able to examine and discuss the various equipment and have a cup of tea. Margaret is starting a calligraphy course very soon, click here for details for more information.