Massimo

continues

Margaret said
 ...had a fantastic time... 

Dale chose to comment 
on Massimo's workshop
 by creating with a piece
 from one of the days.

Writing on tissue.                                        Adding collage.                                  Pigment and water.

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

-Ahh Massimo-

Massimo Polello has gone on South after a most instructive, motivating and exciting workshop with us and the effects of his teaching will resonate for some time. I would like to thank Margaret and Dale for their photographs, stopping in the midst of their own work to take photos for reference and for those who did not attend. We have been spoilt for choice.

Jan summed it up with this report:-

FULLNESS AND EMPTYNESS WORKSHOP

Fabulous, frustrating, fun, fascinating, fast, fatiguing, friendly fellowship, and FANTASTIC!!

Left: Massimo using the syringe. Right: More layers.

And lastly for this post some of Massimo's demonstration pieces.

Next week there will be some of our members workshop trials, tests and attempts along with (hopefully) a few more individual reports.

Margaret Woollett Calligraphy

Margaret Woollett has challenged herself with a wonderful exercise of discovery. One hundred alphabets recorded on the web. There are several ways to access this, try typing in your search engine (i.e. safari, explorer, goggle etc) 'Margaret Woollett Calligraphy' The best link is on Facebook, click on that or try this Margaret Woollett Calligraphy

Margaret started by posting day 1 on September 8.2014 using Monoline Geometric Roman Capitals. On day 67 Margaret is up to Wide Fat Square lettering with a pointed brush. It is well worth the time to look it up and be inspired. The journey is recorded well on face book and the images much larger than the few I have at the top of this post. 

This information has been forwarded to me as it might be of interest to our members. As a society we normally join in with the Association of Handcraft Printers and The Association of Book Arts in an annual get together, it's called the Waysgoose. This year it will be held at the Auckland Horticultural Centre on the 23rd November. See below for more information.

ASSOCIATION OF HANDCRAFT PRINTERS

Workshop

Handmade Books

Owhanake Barn, 57 Korora Road, Oneroa, Waiheke, Auckland

Thursday 9 October 2014, 10.30am – 4.15pm

Create your own handmade books, journals and gifts with talented book craft artist Beth Serjeant at this all-day workshop.Part of the Waiheke Book Festival 2014.

$85, all materials are supplied. BYO lunch (tea and coffee supplied). Phone 0800 289 849 to book.

Exhibitions

Proceed and Be Bold: The Pear Tree Press

Until 6 October 2014

Christchurch Art Gallery

An exhibition of beautifully crafted, designed and hand-printed books from New Zealand's most renowned private press, The Pear Tree Press.

Mark Cleverley: Objectspace Master of Craft

Until 11 October 2014

Object Space, 8 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland

Objectspace’s Masters of Craft is an on-going series of exhibitions that tell the stories of New Zealand craft and design practitioners whose practice is distinctive, enduring, influential and redefining of tradition.

Janus Press: The New Zealand Connection 

17 October – 1 November

Object Space, 8 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland

Internationally renowned Janus Press is the oldest private press currently operating in the US. Founded in Vermont 1955, by artist, illustrator and typographer Claire Van Vliet. Open for just two weeks, this curated collection features over twenty books on loan from Auckland book makers Elizabeth Steiner and Beth Serjeant.

For the Love of Books

Opens 20 October

Auckland Central Library, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Lorne Street, Auckland

This exhibition will inspire lovers of books with the inventiveness, imagination and technical skill of the work of contemporary book artists and fine printers. The books on show are a selection of the best international and national examples of fine book making held in Sir George Grey Special Collections.

Dark Arts: 20 years of the Holloway Press 

24 – 26 October 2014

Auckland University of Technology, City Campus

This retrospective celebrates the work of the Holloway Press, the fine press of the University of Auckland, which was established in 1994 by Alan Loney and Associate Professor Peter Simpson. If you missed this exhibition at the Gus Fisher then this is your second chance to see the entire Holloway Press collection on show during the ABC conference at AUT.

AHP Members Outing

B&F Papers, 33 Oakleigh Avenue, Takanini, Auckland

Saturday 1 November 2014, 10am

B&F Papers Ltd are a New Zealand owned paper supply company that have been serving the printing industry for over 85 years. They have an excellent range of specialty papers and boards, most of them cut and packed to convenient sizes. This is a trip to their warehouse to see how a paper merchant operates. There may be samples available!

Conferences/Symposiums

Art and Book/Against the Odds:

The Editing, Design and Production of Books

16-18 October 2014

Dunedin School of Art

Two days of papers and discussion from those engaged in art and book – as artists, art historians or theorists, teachers and cultural workers, and others involved in the wide constituency of the art world, as well as those engaged in the world of books – writers, illustrators, librarians, publishers and the many others whose lives are touched by the use of books in all forms – from those clay tablets to e-books, blogs, online hypertexts and any future manifestations of books. For more information visit http://www.artandbook.org/

Inside Outside – A Case for the Book

24-26 October 2014

Auckland University of Technology, City Campus

The Association of Book Crafts is hosting its first international conference, providing a platform for discussion on all aspects of book production, the bindings and contents of both traditional and innovative structures including conservation/history, exhibition of books, design, illustration, book arts, book collecting, education and so much more. It's an exciting programme of presenters, there'll also be a trade fair where book industry traders can network with the professional and amateur bookbinders, craft printers, calligraphers, librarians and specialists in other related fields. For more information and registration visit www.abc-nz.org

Storylines

For many years now AHP has participated in the Auckland Storylines - Children’s Literature Festival event and this year was no exception. Thanks to financial support from the Waitemata Local Board we were able to set up a game of letterpress Scrabble, view images here. Thanks are also due to our volunteers on the day Nathan, Amy and Brendan Laing and Graham Judd, who helped to make letterpress Scrabble a big success.

Wayzgoose

The date for your diary this year is Sunday 23 November 2014, 11am - 3.30pm. Please note the change of venue: The Auckland Horticultural Centre, 990 Great North Road, Western Springs, Auckland.

Entry is the usual $5 on the door and we ask that you bring a plate of savoury food for a shared lunch.

Vinculum

Look out for news of a Vinculum day coming up soon at MOTAT, meantime please post your submissions to Lesley Smith, 69 Paturoa Road, Titirangi, Auckland 0604 by 27 October 2014. Submissions are held until we have a minimum of 12 pages, we currently have six.

AHP Survey

Thank you to those members who have answered the AHP survey we hope to bring their stories to the website soon. For those who haven't, it's not too late, the information gathered will develop into a valuable resource and reveal the state of letterpress printing in New Zealand today. Take the survey here.

On the Web

Calcutta was the hub of India's printing trade in the 19th Century, here's an interesting picture story from the BBC of a letterpress print shop that has survived the transition to desk top publishing.

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.

Yukimi Annand is a calligrapher and text artist that I found on Pinterest one day and thought that her work was interesting and experimental. Perhaps it is something we could try with the flotsam and jetsam we all collect when we go to the beach, bush or mountains. If you would like to see more of her work here is the link to her website Yukimi Annand. Maybe we could even see it displayed in the collaborative pages, that some of us are working on. She very kindly gave me permission to use her image on the blog.

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).

The Calligraphic Mark with Peter Gilderdale

A reminder.

ABC on Facebook. Most of the information is available if you click on the link.

Being held October 27th 1pm - 4pm in UTC+13, at the AUT 55 Wellesley Street East, Auckland.

A three hour workshop in conjunction with the Association of Book Crafts NZ International Conference 2014. Cost: $65 per person

Many book artists have considerable experience of calligraphy. Some have very little. This workshop aims to cater to both groups by concentrating on the nature of the calligraphic mark. We will look at the way that marks are not only the product of the intersection between mind and materials, but also are heavily affected by the body. It will show how simple changes in posture and grip can drastically affect the quality of line that is created. Different alphabets will be introduced for different levels of skill, but the intention is to expand the calligraphic skills of each participant, in ways tailored to their prior knowledge. Participants will need to bring some basic calligraphic tools and papers with them, but a variety of unusual tools will also be available to experiment with.

Peter Gilderdale is a former president of New Zealand Calligraphers who has worked in calligraphy for over 30 years. He led AUT's Graphic Design department for half of that time. As a calligrapher he has exhibited in England, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand, and has taught workshops in all of those countries. He is also a historian and has written extensively on the history of calligraphy. Perhaps his best known work is his gothic lettering on the wine labels of Marisco Vineyards' 'Kings Series'.

Please register your interest to attend this workshop with Mary Molloy:

marmol@clear.net.nz ph. 64 09 298 9288

Massimo Polello Workshop

For more information please contact a member of the committee by email. This workshop is already oversubscribed and we have started a waiting list. Massimo is very particular about the number of people attending his workshop, normally it is set at 15. 

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.

Dale-Cormack Pearson resigned earlier this year. A long time anchor for almost every position in our society,  and sometimes seemed to hold them all at once. A motivator, educator, co-ordinator, and enthusiast with infectious positivity, we decided to celebrate and have a meal together. It was a beautiful day, clear skies, sunshine and no wind, we met out in Karaka country at St Margaret's Garden Cafe. The food was devoured and the wine disappeared, all was good as folk we hadn't seen in a while had come and 'catch up conversations' went around the table. There were cards from well wishers and those unable to attend, gifts too.  Thank you to all those who participated and remembered Dale's contribution to our group.

Are you ready for Massimo

This is a very timely publication for us in 'Bound and Lettered' from John Neal. I am posting the complete article written by Carol DuBosch so you may be tempted  to see if you can control the syringe. 

http://www.johnnealbooks.com/prod_detail_list/Bound-and-Lettered  

Bound and Lettered originally appeared as Tabellae Ansata, it continues to publish articles on artists books, bookbinding, paper craft and calligraphy.

http://www.caroldubosch.com Carol has a comprehensive website.

Just in case you cannot read the type I have repeated it below.

Carol used the Syringe Pen in making this hard-paged book with a bronze rod. The Book was created in Susan Longerot's "Explorations of Book Structures and Surface Design" workshop at 'Letters California Style ' 2014.

This winter I attended a wonderful workshop with Italian calligrapher Massimo Polello. Among the many things that Massimo shared with us were the amazing marks he made using an ink filled syringe. The syringe is large (12ml) and has a short blunt needle. The style of the syringe is eccentric-tip - that is, the tip is offset, not centred.  This offset tip can be held closer to the paper when it is used to create letters and marks.It is easy to fill the syringe with ink and other writing fluid. Iv'e used walnut ink, Higgins Eternal ink and bleach. The syringe is simple to clean and ink colours can be changed quickly.

To work with this tool, hold the needle in one hand and position it close to the paper. The idea is to move the tool quickly while you depress the plunger of the syringe with the palm of your hand. Sounds simple, but it does take a bit of practice to master the speed and the squeeze: you have to control two different actions with the same hand at the same time. I suggest using a very dilute ink for the early practice marks. Also using the syringe can be unexpectedly messy, so protect your work area with plastic or paper. CarolDuBosch

Both Carol Dubosch and John Neal gave their kind permission to share this article. Thank you both.

Peter Defty

Alphatecture word search of architectural terms

Peter has kindly given me permission to post some of his work so we can share in his vision. The series that caught my eye was architectural forms that echoed letters of the western alphabet.  His website has much more information, both about his work and the projects he has completed, http://www.peterdefty.com/Site/HOME.html

He published the 'Geordie Alphapet' which created a lot of interest:- Geordie referring to native of Newcastle..AlphaPET being a play on the word alphabet, but PET refers to a phrase/slang referring to someone affectionately...so play on words....and has one for Paris, San Sebastian, Newcastle, London, Manchester and Leeds. Folk living in these areas would probably be able to recognise the buildings and be on the lookout for the more difficult unsolved ones.

When you are out and about in your home town, look for architectural shapes that echo our alphabet and see if you can manage a local effort. It may make you more aware of the negative and positive shapes that are in our everyday lives. I would love to post what you do and perhaps have a guess whereabouts  you live. You could digress further  still and use all sorts of images to make up your alphabet.

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.

The James Wallace Arts Trust

Ink wash and Calligraphy

Mr Lee, master calligrapher will be demonstrating Calligraphy and Ink Wash later this month on the 21st August. The demonstration will run from 10.30 am onwards. Jan was out and about and spotted this, contacted the Trust and handed on the information for your interest.

For more information:-

Organised by the Education and Public Programmes, 

of the The James Wallace Arts Trust, P O BOX 24657 Royal Oak, Auckland 1345
Telephone: (09) 639 2010  Fax: (09) 624 4636  Mobile: 021 0316331
Email: zoe.hoeberigs@wallaceartstrust.org.nz
www.tsbbankwallaceartscentre.org.nz
www.wallaceartstrust.org.nz

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  

  

Many members of our group belong to the Association of Book Crafts and there is an international conference being held here in New Zealand. For more information :-
Visit website: www.abc-nz.org
Programme, presenters and registration details
Follow blog: http://abc-nz-2014.blogspot.co.nz
Like Facebook page: www.facebook.com/NewZealandABC
For tweets: #abc2014nz
Email: abc2014nz@gmail.com

Calligraphy Classes

Beginners and Continuing

Parnell Community Centre

Jan Leonard is tutoring a 6 week Calligraphy course to held at the Parnell Community Centre,  545 Parnell Road, Parnell 1151. Phone (09) 5555164. It is for beginners and those wishing to build on previous skills

Term III starts on 14th August, a Thursday 7pm - 9pm

Term IV starts on 6th November, a Thursday 7pm - 9 pm.

Cost: $110 plus $18 materials charge

Contact for bookings or more information.

Rayna Terziyska

Phone (09) 555 5164
Fax (09) 379 2901
community@parnell.org.nz

Glenn Grishkoff

Brush Maker Extraordinaire

California-based Glenn grew up watching his Chinese-born Russian father grind his own ink and brush iconic glyphs from his childhood onto rice paper. This and his own experience in Asia taught Grishkoff the power of a brushstroke and the spirit of natural materials. The sculptural objects and performances he creates with clay, paper, wood, metal, textiles and hair, reference his own story and the materials he uses.

In his work, one sees a reflection of human experience as the artist pays homage to the animal spirit instilled within the physical world.  He is interested in the brush as art and function. More information  here.  

"Rock", coil-built porcelain, garnet sand; raku fired, cone 06; horse mane hair; 10"x15.5"x12",

He conducts hands on brush making workshops and is currently booking future workshop presentations. He is constructing a second website that will feature, his functional brushes, paintings, student work, collaboratives and all workshop information for people wanting to host workshops and people taking his workshops. The brushes he teaches how to make in his workshops work with all visual art areas and appeal to a diverse crowd. 

"Ink Well", porcelain sculpted with elbow and hand impressions; 

high salt fired, cone 10, powdered glass; brush handle, course garnet dust, deer tail hair; 10"x 7" x 3.5", 2008

    

I wrote to Glenn and he kindly gave his permission to use the images and information on his site. If the contents of this post interested you - there is a lot more available and I recommend visiting Glenn's website http://www.glenngrishkoff.com/ 

Installation