Sunday, September 23, 2012


DECORATED  ENVELOPE  WORKSHOP
Tuesday  2ND October  2012
6pm onwards
at our new premises
48 Windmill Road, Mt. Eden/Epsom
$5.00 per session

Please bring scraps of paper sufficient to make A4 envelopes; glue/double sided sticky tape, rulers, scissors, Stanley knives. and usual calligraphy gear.
Envelopes will be addressed to: 

                        A-I-R MAIL PROJECT
                        Brisbane Botanic Gardens
                        Mt. Coot-tha Road
                        Toowong, QLD 4066
                        Australia

Tricia Smout has been made Artist in Residence and wishes to have a large background of “The Language of Nature” decorated envelopes from around the world. Please go to her web site here or blog here .


Thursday, September 20, 2012

Roving reporter Bevan has sent a card to Dale. He says "we have had a dream holiday...been to so many places in Italy, all the ropes and spots just magical. We visited Margaret Morgan at her home in Chetmorton - wonderful - she is heading to the Winter Workshop in Auzzie next year - and hopefully will make it over to NZ. We are making our way to London, off to Melbourne, Auzzie on Sunday. Weather comfortable in England - we had 40c in Italy. We have had little sit down and relax time!!!"
Sherborne Missal c1400
Showing Moses and Aaron. Small print on the back says:- The Sherborne Missal was produced for use in Sherborne Abbey on great feast days, the miniature show Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh. Their rods have changed into serpents. In the left margin is the Sherborne monk John Whas, who inscribed the 600 page missal. In the right margin is a study of a wren with a scroll bearing the words in Latin, 'Moses and Aaron make signs before Pharaoh'. The missal is housed in the British Library.
Dale-Cormack Pearson.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

This has only just been bought to my attention and it will be too late for most of us to get there. I am sorry. Perhaps there is a member that attended and would like to write a short piece about the experience, please just send Hillary an email.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Gemma Black is teaching calligraphy in Italy. There is more information on her blogsite click here and some really, really beautiful work. I might even be tempted to buy a lotto ticket. It would be wonderful.

Friday, September 07, 2012

Auckland Calligrapher's new meeting place 

48 Windmill Road, Tuesday, October 2nd, from 6pm.

A change of venue for those who attend the monthly meetings in Auckland. It's at no. 48 Windmill Road, from the road it's the building on the right hand end. The entry door is behind the upright short fence that has the Embroiderer's Guild sign. The rooms are light and airy during the day and seem to have plenty of light for evening. The tables are already up and waiting for us. We have the added bonus of being able to set up and start a little earlier than before, the cost will be the same - $5 per evening per person. Rose has to collect the key on the way and it will be a close call for her to get there by 6pm knowing Auckland traffic. So entry to the building will be sometime after 6pm, first evening will be a bit of a time trial and if Rose cannot manage we will reconsider. We have moved the day to the first Tuesday of the month - October 2nd. Bring along your usual calligraphy supplies, and please think about what you would like to accomplish for the rest of the year. We will have a discussion and try for a plan that suits us all.

Thursday, September 06, 2012


Waikato Pointed Brush Lettering Workshop

More information
Click on image to enlarge 


REGISTRATION FORM: 
Pointed Brush Lettering Workshop

NAME: ................................................................................................................... 
ADDRESS: ............................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................
E‐MAIL ADDRESS : ............................................................................................. 
PHONE NO: .......................... FEE ENCLOSED $.............................
This workshop is limited to 16 people, so register early to be sure of a place. We are planning to provide a catered lunch for $14.00 (payable on the day). If you do not opt for this you will need to bring your own lunch. Tea and coffee provided.
I would like to have lunch provided: Yes /No (circle one) If you have any dietary requirements such as vegetarian/ gluten free comment here: ......................................................................................................
Please print and post completed registration form to: E.Riddell, 5 Dunsford Mews, Hamilton, 3204, with a cheque for $30 (made out to E.Riddell). If you prefer to pay online, e‐mail waikatocalligraphers@gmail.com  for the account details. Enquiries to Pamela Fricker (07) 8345605 

Sunday, September 02, 2012

Graffiti (after reading L.A.R. Editor's letter) 

In the Letter Arts review 26:3 Christopher Calderhead (Editor) writes about the graffiti technique. I do hope you get to read his letter, it should be in the library soon. It got me thinking that I should try and find some graffiti in my home city and yes, we have graffiti and taggers. I met some today, articulate, keen to explain the process, they knew about calligraphy, and were kind enough to suggest other locations that they knew had examples. This one was on a derelict site in Glen Innes, huge concrete walls going nowhere. I forgot to measure them, a guess would be 30' x 10' high. The artist for this one was an australian and his style is different, he uses finer and sharper lines. 
This one took several hours for two people to execute. It is drawn and written straight from the paint can and rollers. It was done by the couple I  spoke to. They were packing up when we drove across the paddock to get up close. They were certainly colourful and stood out. 
Can you decipher what this one says? The young woman said that there was a long wall down in Manukau City near the Supa Centre that has artwork all along it, so I headed for there next. I found more  and more. I left out the tagging examples as that seems to be another sort of urban lettering, more personal signatures. This is graffiti lettering and early examples can be seen in Pompeii, they survived the volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Click on the images to see them larger.
Manukau City
Manukau City
Manukau City
Manukau and Otahuhu Railyards