Quince and Quire

Ink on Paper

Some of you know I used to be a printer. A letterpress printer. A teacher. A director.

I gave these things up with the arrival of my first child, the onset of some health problems, and a husband with a stressful, travel-filled career. And I'm grateful I was able to choose a life at home, at least for now. As Jacqueline Kennedy said, "If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much." 

But, once upon a time, I was a printer. I worked with printers. I worked with famous writers. I made beautiful things. And along the way I met other printers. 

One of them stands out as an exceptional printer. His name is Terry Chouinard. Heck, he's printed famous poets and my children's birth announcements. And now he's got an idea, a great idea to make a tool for printers. 

Why might you care about this? Well, if you've ever had anything printed letterpress, you know it's a labor of love, with hours of work and care behind it. If you've ever wanted your wedding invitation or baby announcement printed in a multiple-color design, maybe you know that each color requires a separate pass through the press. And if you've ever thought about making a letterpress book, you might know that printers need to mix lots of ink, of a consistent color, to use for an entire project. Kind of like buying your yarn from the same dye lot so you don't have an unexpected shift in color in that sweater you are knitting. 

So Terry has designed a tool, called the Ink Dial, to measure ink precisely, so that you get consistent results each time. As someone who used to mix endless puddles of ink, in colors that just weren't quite right, I know how useful such a tool would be! Precision is the key!

In order to take this tool from the idea stage to the manufacturing phase, he's looking for support. If you are interested in backing this project, the details are on his site at Kickstarter. In return, Terry is offering some beautiful pieces of art, like the Alan Blackman piece pictured below. It's one of 15 signed, limited edition, poster-size letterpress prints by 15 nationally-known artists that will be available if the project gets funded.

The Lord's Prayer. Calligraphy by Alan Blackman. It will be letterpress printed in 16 colors. 

And you know why else I'm supporting the project? Look for the two adorable children working on the presses in this video. I want them to know I believe in their dad's great idea. Part of raising children well is to share your dreams and follow through on making them happen.

Giving and receiving

We rang in the new year with this fabulous pig bell, made by the 7-year-old. When you lift the string, the two little legs peeking from beneath the bell make a pleasant clatter as they swing about.

 

We received many wonderful handmade gifts this Christmas season, including this nativity, also made by the 7-year-old.

 

My talented friend Amber of Shagbark Studio gave us these lovely sachets, scented with balsam, in a handmade fabric basket. So nice for tucking in the linen closet!

 

My mom stitched little velvet acorns and that handmade strawberry gnome came from A Toy Garden. 

 

I made a doll quilt to fit on the decidedly not-handmade doll bed, using the crazy-bright colors my daughter loves.

 

Gifts need notes of thanks, which we made this weekend, each in our own way and according to our talents. (That bottom card uses a craft punch to make the evergreen needle design; the lettering I did quickly with nib and gouache.)  

Happy New Year!

H

We lost a friend last week, unexpectedly. 

I have no words at the moment to mark her time on this earth, except to say she was gracious and strong and lovely and smart and sensitive.  

These photos: her initial, in my own walnut ink and gold gouache, with a goose quill and Brause 66EF nib, on paper, quickly, sometimes heavily, with what little grace I could muster. Each letter is about one half of an inch tall. 

Walnut ink success, part one

I made walnut ink this weekend. It was simple. I don't know what my problem was the first time. I think I got lazy and didn't research anything and therefore didn't cook the walnuts--that is the secret. You take the walnuts and toss them in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for eight hours or so.

Before you look at the walnut mush in the next photo, take a minute to see what pretty ink comes out of the husks, as seen in the photo above. 

After eight hours of simmering--four hours on Saturday, then four more on Sunday--this is what the formerly-green walnuts looked like. Yeah, they smelled funky too--kind of a mix between cloves, moldering furniture, and fruit. I took the pot outside when it seemed like the stew was done, and got ready to strain the ink from the husks and nuts.

I poured the liquid through cheesecloth in a strainer, and then composted the solids. Thus far, that is all that I have done to make ink. Other tutorials (I'll list them at the end) recommend another round of straining through a stocking, or adding vinegar, alcohol or gum arabic to the ink, which I have not done. 

I got about one cup of liquid from the nuts. I suppose I could have gotten another quarter cup or so if I really wanted to. In the measuring cup, it looked like murky soup. I expected it to make an opaque, dark line when I used it in my nibs.

It was actually a transparent, still-quite-watery ink, but I like the color. Here is a Q, just written with my Mitchell size 2 nib on a scrap of Fabriano paper.

I tried abstract shapes on Lana watercolor paper with a bit of gold gouache added in, using my hand-cut reed pen.

 

The scribbles that emerged from my Brause 66EF were, not surprisingly, darker, given that the nib comes to a fine point. 

There were some issues regulating the flow of ink out of the nib. I think if I simmer the ink again in order to distill it further, this will get easier. 

Here's a portrait of my poor Mitchell size 2 (oh, rusty and covered in walnut ink!) and my reed pen, still bearing glints of gold. 

The official summary of my methods:

1. Gathered up black walnuts from my yard.
2. Put them--whole--in a stainless steel pot and added water to cover the nuts.
3. Brought the nuts and water to a boil.
4. Simmered the walnuts on low, covered, for four hours. (Why four hours? That's how much time I had at home before our afternoon engagement).  Turned off the pot and let it sit overnight.
5. Simmered the walnuts for another four hours. Turned off the pot and let things cool. 
6. Took my pot, ladle, strainer, cheesecloth and glass measuring cup outside to avoid permanent stains inside my home.
7. Filtered walnut ink through the cheesecloth-lined strainer. 
8. Took the ink inside and started writing right away! The entire straining-of-ink, writing-of-letters and photographing-of-results section of this process took place in one hour, while the kids took a siesta. If my letters look rushed, they were!

Here are a few of the many tutorials on making walnut ink.You will notice there are many slight variations in their methods.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2101025_make-walnut-ink.html

http://home.insightbb.com/~denevell_books/making_walnut_ink.htm

http://quazen.com/recreation/crafts/how-to-make-walnut-ink/ 

http://www.magpienest.org/feathersofhope/131/walnut-ink

    

When I have time to do more experiments with my ink, I will show you the results! For the time being I am simply happy to have made art out of walnuts in my own yard! 

Walnut ink?

 

We collected some of our black walnuts this weekend, rather late in the season; many have been gnawed by the squirrels and crushed by the mower. I have a notion to make walnut ink. I have tried before, and ended up with a bucket of sodden walnuts and not much else. I'll let you know if I have success this time!

Inspired by Geninne

I was so taken with Geninne's incredible painted leaves that I had to try painting on some of my own pressed leaves. I am not a fine painter like Geninne--I'm just a doodler--so please be kind to my experiments. They were so much fun to make! The leaf pictured above received a wash of gold gouache, followed by swirls in white acrylic ink. 

The maples leaves were sturdiest. The dried green walnut leaves were brittle and terrible to write on. That aspen leaf is tissue thin; I brushed it gently with gold gouache. 

 

My tools and materials: a beat-up old Brause 66EF nib; Schmincke gold gouache; F&W artist ink; and a decent brush. (All available here). Oh, and leaves!

Walnut ink and goose quill

The Toulouse goose quill is lovely to write with. Supple and crisp at the same time, it glides across a sheet of Arches hot press. 

I avoided recognizable letters and enjoyed the shapes that resulted. Sorry about the grey-ish looking paper; the grey weather made photography of this sort challenging.

I also brushed walnut ink across a page, and then drew on top of it. The white scrolls are acrylic ink--which I've never used before (it's always gouache for me)--and the bottom scrolls are more walnut ink.

I used walnut ink crystals--you can see them in the dappen dish above--and mixed them with distilled water to make ink. I usually use paint, so this was a fun departure. I love the shades of sepia that resulted. You can see the goose quill (and reed pen) on the left, next to my other broad-edged nibs.

I am trying to remove the words "lettering artist" from my official List of Things I Used to Be (which also includes dancer, letterpress printer, book designer, and writer of poetry). I want that title to be on my new List of Things I Enjoy Doing Every Day. I wonder if any of you have similar lists?

Tools: toulouse goose quill

I received this hand-cut goose quill with a broad-edge from Nancy Leavitt a few years back. Leavitt is a remarkable calligrapher and artist (and singer) who lives in Maine. In addition to being prodigiously talented, she is incredibly gracious. I have not been able to use this pen yet, because I enjoy the beauty of its craft so much. However, I just received my bottle of walnut crystals (to make walnut ink) from John Neal, so perhaps it's time . . .  

Small things

My contribution to this little 5 x 7 album: the names and flowers, done in gouache. Oh, so many frustrations for such a small piece! I wanted it to be casual and free, but of course that still requires a plan and design. In this case the design has some issues (why did I put the third flower on the bottom? why not one pink and one yellow?) but I still think it turned out charming enough to give it to the sisters whose names adorn it.

I started this little patchwork blanket one house ago--which means at least two years ago--and just finished it this weekend. It was supposed to be part of my daughter's birthday gifts, but she received enough stuff as it was. I did not line the blanket with batting because it is so small, and would lose all drape; it works well with the two sides and some decorative topstitching. I'm just glad to have it done, finally, even if the pattern does still make my eyes hurt! (Probably part of why it took so long to finish). The Kathe Kruse dollie doesn't seem to mind, though.

Am I being too gloomy? It's just one of those recurring moments of craft doubt, when I wish I had more time to myself while acknowledging that I am lucky to have the luxury to make anything at all. I need to decide if I am content being a hobbyist in many media or whether I will start to focus more. I want my skills to match my visions, and of course that takes discipline and devotion. Oh, I think I have both, just not the time. Patience, patience: all things come together--in time. 

Resources and inspiration

As promised, a few of my favorite resources for supplies and inspiration, in some of my favorite genres. Today: book arts, with an emphasis on why these things might be relevant to you, the fab crafter who may not have ventured into this region of art yet.

Letter Arts Review is a quarterly publication that presents the best of contemporary lettering arts, as well as book reviews and scholarly articles on topics both modern and historic. It is always a delicious visual feast, and I learn from every issue. Anyone working with color and design will find this magazine useful--in other words, all of you! I think textile artists might find it surprisingly relevant, since many of you are also working to balance expression, narrative, and form. Also check out Bound & Lettered, which has nice how-to articles.

Painting for Calligraphers is a lovely book by an accomplished calligrapher and miniaturist who studied at Croydon School of Art and Crafts and who graduated from the Royal College of Art, London. It features sections on color theory, composition, materials, and methods; the many examples of paintings and manuscripts from past and present are reproduced in beautiful color photographs. I am showing you this book because I think it is applicable to craftspeople working in a variety of media: you don't need to be interested in calligraphy to find this book useful. 

John Neal, Bookseller is a wonderful resource for books and supplies related to lettering arts, bookbinding, and paper arts. I like the dappen dishes for mixing paint. The Schmincke gouache is lovely to work with. And of course, the book list is wonderful.

Paper & Ink Arts is another great source of supplies. I know many of you out there like to carve your own rubber stamps; check out their selection of books on the topic.

Talas offers an extensive line of supplies and tools for professional conservationists, bookbinders and the like. They also have things for people like me--that is, people with skills and talents who aren't necessarily making a living off said skills and talents. And sewists, take note! Not only do they offer nice Dutch linen sewing tape--meant for bookbinding but also great for ties on pencil rolls and such--they also have a textile storage kit! Those of you who make books probably know that good binders' board is essential. See some options here. 

And for those of you who were interested in my post on illuminated initial letters and historic manuscripts, a few books for the general reader to check out include A History of Illuminated Manuscripts and Medieval Craftsmen: Scribes and Illuminators, both by Christopher de Hamel. If you are really interested in the topic, the John Neal website has a long list of titles to explore. Any of the three suppliers that I mention above would be a good source for illumination tools and materials. If you are interested in lettering arts in general, but don't know where to start, try Foundations of Calligraphy, by Sheila Waters. 

Gratitude

It's something we can never say enough. We have so much to be thankful for. After all the gifts we've received, I have a big stack of thank you notes to write. Yes, I know these are similar to the one that I showed here. I am using up the last of my little letterpressed sheets, and I just can't resist embellishing with scrolls and vines. I used watercolor this time, and my usual Brause nib. Very relaxing after a long day, rather like knitting. 

Looking back, moving forward

I am noticing that many of my posts begin with the thought, "A few years back." A few years back, I did something interesting. A few years back, I had time to myself. A few years back, I made some stuff. 

I have decided there is nothing wrong with this. I have never been a particularly up-to-the-moment person. I am nostalgic in my tastes. I live in an old house. I never see new movies when they are in the theater. I like to do art with historic techniques and low-tech tools. And I find that things I did a few years back often inspire new projects in the present.

So, a few years  back, I attended the annual Cheerio conference at the Calligraphy Centre, in lovely North Carolina. I took workshops from Sheila Waters and Julian Waters (mother and son), two of the most accomplished calligraphers currently working in lettering arts. Sheila Waters and her late husband Peter Waters, bookbinder and former Conservation Officer for the Library of Congress, have had a profound influence on the course of contemporary calligraphy, bookbinding, conservation, and book arts. Julian Waters has made his own mark as a remarkably skilled and inventive calligrapher and typographer. (He happens to be an outstanding table tennis player, too). 

The workshop that I took with Sheila Waters discussed the history of illuminated manuscripts and offered an introduction to gilding. (Try this book for a nice introduction to the topic.) The scrawled text in the photo above shows some of the notes I took during the conference. It has been helpful to review the steps involved in applying gold leaf to vellum, since I would like to work with those materials again. (Well, with the gold leaf, at any rate. As a vegetarian, it's problematic for me to use animal skins. I may switch to fine paper instead.)

Notice, as I did, the injunction marked with a circle and a star: Try anything. That was a quote from Sheila Waters. I work in art and craft forms that are often conservative, painstaking, time-consuming, and that do not lend themselves to spontaneous experimentation. But Sheila Waters has managed to create a career that balances the skills of tradition with quick-thinking responses to new situations. She is grounded and nimble at the same time, and that is why she is so influential. In dance, we used to call it the dynamic between balance and electricity: you need to have both to make art.

And so I am proceeding these days with those two words in my head: try anything. And if it doesn't work, move on. Or, as Sheila Waters liked to say at the conference, "Get out of prison." Don't waste your time worrying about what you can't do. Focus on what you can, and work from there.

This is what I made while I studied with her. It's an initial, based on a D from the Psalter and Hours of Henry Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, in the collection of the Pierpont Morgan Library. The Psalter was made between 1439 and 1446.

In this case I traced the image I wanted to use, then transferred it to vellum (visit the site of a modern-day parchment maker) using graphite and red Armenian bole. The photo above shows the tracing paper, still dusted with the bole. Once you have a red outline on the vellum, you can begin the process of illuminating the initial. First, you put down a gesso to which the gold leaf adheres. I used Liquitex gel medium, based on Waters' technique. The medium has to dry overnight before the gilding is done. The process of laying down the gold and burnishing it is quite long to explain, so I'll skip that for now. Once the gold is done, you paint the palest colors, followed by medium and dark colors. Finally, you outline it all in black. My colors, if you can't tell, are not traditional--the usual colors of the period were blue, red, green, white.

You can see that my work is not perfect. Gold leaf is challenging to work with: buoyant, featherweight, fragile, of course: a puff sends it flying; touch can tear it. I probably should have burnished the gold longer. I wish my edges were all perfectly straight. But I am a person, not a machine, and I am happy to be "out of prison." And it was the first thing I'd ever painted and gilded in this manner! The vines and scrolls are about 2 millimeters wide, and the entire initial is one inch tall. 

I suppose I should leave you with some references on historic manuscripts, initials and gilding. Oh dear. It's not what I set out to do, this history lesson. I just wanted to show you something that I'd made. So please enjoy the images for now, and I'll get a nice list together of books and resources--I used to teach history of the book, so it shouldn't take me long.

And I am excited to show you new work tomorrow that is similar in spirit and technique!

Passage

My grandmother Gladys passed away on Thursday. She was nearly 88. She was one of the most important people in my life when I was a child, and she was beloved to me throughout my life. I have been trying to put order to my many emotions and memories. Last night I sat down with my gouache and my nibs and scribbled a lot. Here are some of the results. The second image felt like writing a prayer for her, though the only word is her name.