Calligraphy Classes in Sunderland and South Shields

Winter term classes will be starting in the week commencing 17 January. The venues are the Sunderland Museum on Monday mornings, St Bede's in South Shields on Thursday mornings and Age UK on Wednesday mornings. All classes are taught by Susan Moor. Newcomers are welcome and if you would like further information about fees and times please contact Susan on susan.moor (at) givemail.co.uk.

Twenty Four Hour Party People

Well, it was more like five hours really, but the Northumbrian Scribes Christmas meeting is a highlight of the calendar and much looked forward to and we know how to enjoy ourselves. Above you can see Maureen Ormston, Judi Postle and Margaret Empson setting out the lunchtime goodies. The other picture shows the winning team in our post-lunch calligraphy quiz where we proved that only some of us can tell out Carolingian from our Rotunda. The lucky winners got a print of a calligraphic piece by Tom Fleming.

There was also an identify the scribe from a baby photograph competition. Some of the images of the lettering-babies are shown below. As some of us go back quite a long way the photographs were in various shades of sepia through to black and white.














There was an extra treat in the afternoon. Tim Sokell's wife, Brenda, sang for us. Brenda recently won a singing competition and her prize was to make a recording with the Chelsea Pensioners of the Christmas song 'White Christmas'. Although her recording was not due to be released for a few days yet she let us have a preview and sang some other seasonal songs for us too.

November workshop with Jilly

The meeting was at Sunderland University rather than our normal venue but two dozen scribes came to the workshop to explore how to modernise a traditional hand with Jilly Hazeldine. Using Insular Capitals as the model Jilly explained that we would need to keep some features to maintain the essential nature of the script. First to go were the archaic letterforms, the g, the r and the d, while Jilly suggested retaining the insular-style serifs in a lighter form would help preserve some essence of the script. The photographs show Jilly teaching and demonstrating during the workshop.

Party animal at 90

These photographs (courtesy of Manny Ling) show Northumbrian Scribe John Loftus enjoying his 90th birthday party celebrations. The hall was full with children, grandchildren and friends and John was up for every dance, a huge smile on his face and endless energy. Happy birthday John.

CSI: Alphabet

Manny's decorative alphabet ideas are shown above.

Manny investigating alphabets

Some work produced during the October workshop

At the October workshop intrepid CSI: Alphabet investigator Manny Ling noted at the scene of the incident that there were 'many common body parts to letters'. He drew this conclusion while exploring how decorative letters can be made by adding fine lines or lifting off corners of the nib when writing. Using automatic pens to create the straight strokes then embellishing them or dragging the nib to make a fishtail are part of the hardened letterer's modus operandi.

Scribes were able to test their own investigative powers later when encouraged to be free with their hand movements and create decorative letters of their own. Released from the shackles of formal alphabets some interesting findings were made and the afternoon came to a satisfactory conclusion with an identity parade of work done during the day. Whether any of them were crimes ... I could not possibly say.

Manny Ling workshop in October

Manny will be doing a workshop on decorative letters at our 16 October meeting. Please bring walnut or Chinese inks, size 3A automatic pens, small nibbed pens, red gouache, cartridge and layout paper and a ruler and pencil. We are at our usual meeting place at Bede's World in Jarrow and will start at 10.30. Anyone interested in learning about calligraphy is welcome to drop in and see what we do. See you there.

Sticks and stones at September workshop

Writing on natural objects including stones, leaves, driftwood from Lindisfarne and bark was the core of our last workshop with Marlene Gray. With stones you can wash off your mistakes which is a great advantage and there is also no shortage of leaves at this time of year either! Shown in the photograph above are some of the pieces made during the session.

M.A. Show at the Design Centre in Sunderland

Visitors to the preview evening of the MA show at the Design Centre saw work by students on the MA course including Northumbrian Scribe Susan Moor, shown in the photograph above. Also visible is some of Susan's work including the illustrated and bound journals of her research work. The book in the front of the photograph is bound in ostrich skin with small bells attached, the other book is bound in driftwood from Lindisfarne. The show is open weekdays at the Design Centre until 30 September.

Autumn classes with Susan Moor

The theme for Susan's autumn classes is 'Scripts and Places' so you can try out something you've never tried before or have another go at a script that you've never quite got the hang of. Classes are open to anyone who is interested in learning how to do calligraphy.

Class starting times and venues:
Monday 27 September 10-12 at Sunderland Museum
Thursday 23 September 10-12 at St Bede's, South Shields

She is also running an introductory class at Age UK in Sunderland on Wednesdays from 10-12.

If you would like further information about any of these classes please contact Susan via email on Susan.Moor(at)givemail.co.uk.

Pebbles and bark

The September workshop is with Marlene Gray at Bede's World and the theme is writing on natural objects. Please bring along pebbles, slate, bark paper or rough paper to write on. Find something with an interesting colour or unusual shape and be prepared to try writing on it.

We did it our way in August

Tom is demonstrating using lots of colours when writing by simply dipping your pen in a different pot of colour each time you refill it. Don't worry about wiping your pen between colours ... just go for it. The effects are shown in Helen Tulloh's work layout below.


This photo demonstrates Dominic's session on how to make a floragram out of someone's name. Quite difficult to do although we were shown how to make a circle with guidelines but some of us struggled to work out word lengths for the repeats. It is worth the effort though because floragrams are so striking and effective.


The picture above shows a scribe's watercolour pencil work using colour and repetition in Mike's making textures with calligraphy session.

Poetry Project

The local poet James Oates asked a number of artists to respond to one of his poems and Northumbrian Scribe Hazel Abbott produced the piece shown in the photograph. When all the responses are in there are plans to collect them together in a book.

Calligraphic Feet

Scribe Catie Lamb has an elaborate tattoo of her birth sign glyph on her left foot surrounded by some intricate and finely worked flowers. Her calligraphic explanation of the meaning of the sign and the qualities of those born under the sign of Virgo is shown above.

A Scribe goes to Glasgow

One Northumbrian Scribe recently went to a Manny Ling workshop hosted by Glasgow Scribes and made some intricate folded pieces, shown above. The theme of the workshop was "Greetings Cards" and involved constructing "exploding" boxes with lids, a greetings card based on a piece of origami made up of four intricate squares, and a "gallery book" made by folding and cutting a single piece of paper.

August workshop is a DIY session

Our next workshop on 21 August is a DIY session with scribes Dominic James demonstrating floragrams, Tom Fleming experimenting with 3 or 4 colours and Mike Mavromichaelis exploring writing as texture. It is at Bede's world in Jarrow and will start at the usual time of 10.30. Hope to see you all there.

Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit

Chris Bowen introduced us to the principles of the golden mean in design and layout by using rabbits as an example of how the Fibonacci sequence of numbers works. The non-mathematical amongst us grasped that the use of the golden mean in layout is pleasing and Chris explained how he uses it in structuring some of his own work, illustrated above, together with colours used in the proportions of two thirds warm colours to one third cool colours.

In the practical part of his workshop he explored the idea of using handwriting as a basis for developing a calligraphic style - but not your own handwriting - instead we had to use another scribe's hand which is very challenging. Not only do you have to make your hand move in a way that is unfamiliar but do it with a broad-edge pen too. Chris is shown above with the group reviewing the work done during the workshop.

"Let Calligraphy Flourish" exhibition opens at Bede's World

The opening of our annual exhibition at Bede's World took place on 5th August. Drinks and nibbles were provided and there was a goodly turnout of Scribes to enjoy the event. As soon as Susan had introduced the exhibition the first non-scribal visitors to Bede's World started to look round and were able to meet with and chat to some of the makers of the pieces on display. Some lucky ones got a glass of wine to take round with them too.

As can be seen from the photographs there are Northumbrian Scribes with very individual ways of viewing exhibitions.

Iranian Calligraphy

Two Northumbrian Scribes went to a class in Iranian calligraphy run by the artist Mehrangiz Modarres Tabatabaei at the Hatton Gallery. The Farsi script is very similar to Arabic letters but with a few extra characters. Like Arabic it is written from right to left and Mehrangiz showed us how to use a reed cut with an oblique nib which, if you are right-handed like we both are, means that you have to do a fair amount of pushing to make the letter shapes. The ink is held in a little pot filled with scraps of silk so that you cannot overfill the pen and if you knock the inkpot over it does not spill which is helpful.

The class was only a brief taster of the wonders of Iranian calligraphy but Mehrangiz had brought in some of her own paintings showing how she combines her calligraphy with images. Demand for the class was so strong that another will be run on 14 August from 10.30-12.30 at the Hatton Gallery. To book a place call the gallery on 0191 222 6059.

AGM and July Workshop

The Society of Northumbrian Scribes AGM will be held at 10am at Bede's World. It will be followed at 11am by a workshop with Chris Bowen. Please bring your usual calligraphy gear and paper plus brushes and paints.

Please note the earlier start time for Saturday's events. There is no fee for members who wish to attend only the AGM, but the normal workshop fee will apply if you want to stay for Chris's session.

Scribal Curses

Professor Richard Gameson of Durham University gave a fascinating talk about the work of medieval scribes. Did you know that there were professional husband and wife lettering and book illustration businesses? Or that a number of mistakes scribes made in their copying were put in deliberately to let illustrations be added? This happened particularly in the Book of Kells and he had several examples of lines that had been purposely finished too soon to allow little paintings to be inserted. How scribes handled their accidental errors was also a test of scribal skill with interesting little devices such as birds flying in with an omitted word in their beaks or a man climbing a ladder with a word in his arms to put it in the correct place.













Some scribes put a colophon with their name and some thoughts about their task at the end of their work, for example 'The book is finished. Praises are rendered to God above all, [also] to the author, but never to the scribe'!

And the scribal curses? Some scribes inserted small curses into the text about incorrect copying.

In the afternoon we had an opportunity to make up some scribal curses of our own as in Susan's workshop we tried our hands at the monastic script of the Bible of Hugh Le Puiset.

June Workshop - Monastic Scripts

The June meeting is in two parts: in the morning there is an illustrated talk from Professor Richard Gameson of Durham University on the subject of "Monastic Scribes and Scripts". In the afternoon Susan will lead a workshop where we all try our hand at reproducing the aforementioned monastic scripts using the script from the Bible of Hugh of Le Puiset as an exemplar. Please bring your usual calligraphy gear and paper for the workshop. Usual time, usual place - see you all there.

More marbling, and stamps too

The methods Marise and Mari demonstrated were simple and quick - scribes were able to make beautiful patterns after a few minutes and some of the designs made are shown in the photo.

The afternoon session changed tempo and we had a go at stamping and using templates for making envelopes and cards with the marbled papers. Mari had a board for folding cards and envelopes that was indented with standard paper sizes so it was easy to use with a bone folder.

Everyone was very taken with the large roller stamps with interchangeable rollers and different patterns. Used with multi-coloured stamp pads you could make really effective borders on envelopes and cards.

Marvellous marbelling in May!

For our May meeting we welcomed Marise Hewitson and Mari Topping from North York Calligraphers, who were demonstrating backgrounds for calligraphy, mainly marbelling techniques. Scribes waited no time in donning natty aprons and gloves in order to get stuck into the reasonably messy business of creating beautiful patterns with the inks and materials that Marise and Mari had bought with them.













A further element to the demonstration was about making and lining envelopes, using some of the patterns we had created and from the many handy templates which the two 'M's had provided. A great time was had by all and we will undoubtedly see the evidence in due course, not only in our summer exhibition, but surely also expressed in our Christmas Cards?!

Durham Cathedral Library Visit

A great treat awaited scribes who went to see some of the ancient manuscripts held by the library. Using the connection with Bede as the theme, the librarian put out on display seventeen items ranging in age from a 6th century manuscript through each subsequent century to the late 15th. It was a journey that started with the oldest, written in the 6th century - a fragment from a copy of the Book of Maccabees - which had been "recycled" and used as a flyleaf in a much later (12th century) book, and believed to be from the library assembled by Benedict Biscop and almost certainly known and used by Bede himself.

Durham possesses an unrivalled collection of early, complete manuscripts and though most of the exhibits had been re-bound at some time, the contents were entirely the original thing.

An 8th century Gospel Book, written somewhere in Northumbria, was on display as was a Commentary on the Psalms, by the monastic founder Cassiodorus, which was acquired by Abbot Ceolfrith for his twin monastery - it could have even been copied by the hand of Bede himself.

Next came an 11th century copy of Bede's Ecclesiastical History, which is the earliest surviving copy of Bede's major work owned by the Library, and is one of sixteen of his books in their collection.

A work by St. Augustine, written in the distinctive Caroline minuscule hand used at Canterbury, somehow found its way to Durham by the year 1200; a copy of one of St Jerome's works, made in the Durham Scriptorium, showed lively drawings sometimes featuring fantastic creatures.

Then came something a little different, and a bit gory - an early 12th century book, "Medical and Astronomical Treatises" which described in drawings and writing how various medical operations were performed at the time.

As each century progressed, so the style of the books showed how sophisticated such items had become , especially in the integrating of text and commentaries in biblical works.

The brightness of the colours of the illuminations and the sharpness of the calligraphy with fine hairlines and some tiny letters and drawings could only be wondered at. The margins and lines were still visible and ready ruled - probably by some little apprentice - and not erased, but left under the writing, rather like faint scaffolding.

May Meeting

Our May 15th Workshop will be held at Sunderland University (Sir Tom Cowie Campus). Marise Hewitson and Mari Topping will be visiting us from North York Calligraphers. They will be demonstrating backgrounds for calligraphy, mainly marbling techniques. They are providing the essential materials for each person, but you can bring any papers/card you would like to use, white and any other colours. Black is especially effective.

Part of the day will be about making and lining envelopes; if you have any tissue paper (any colours), it would be useful.

This might be a messy session - involving oily paints, inks etc as well as water - so Marise and Mari will provide plastic aprons and plastic gloves, and will bring table coverings.

This promises to be an unusual and interesting session and we hope you will find the journey to Sunderland worth it!

April Workshop... Italics - theme and variations

We welcomed back Celia Kilner for our April workshop, where she treated scribes to some Italic Variations, in her interesting, and often amusing, style.

March meeting of Northumbrian Scribes

In our March workshop we will be looking at text interpretation with Angela Dalleywater.

Scale, letterform, letter-weight, colour, space, texture and contrast - these are all elements available to help interpret your chosen text, so that the piece gives an impression of what it's about, before the viewer even reads the words. We'll be exploring all of these things and more.

Please bring:
Usual calligraphic equipment, in particular a variety of nibs, ink, layout/practice paper, ruler, pencil, a board to lean on, and colour (gouache).

Angela will bring lots of short texts for us to work with, but if you have some favourite words with which you'd like to work, then do bring them.

The Society of Northumbrian Scribes meets on the third Saturday of the month at Bede's World, Jarrow, Tyne & Wear.

ELIZABETH LAMB

We were sad to learn at our meeting in January that Elizabeth Lamb had died some time before Christmas. Elizabeth had been a Scribe for many years, but was taken ill about a year ago, and looked far from well all last year. Sometimes she felt too unwell to lift a pen, but still continued to attend meetings. Northumbrian Scribes only heard about her death when the Scribes’ Christmas cards were forwarded to her address.

Elizabeth had had an interesting life as a nurse. She had twice worked her passage to Australia intending to settle there, but had returned both times to Sunderland. She had also worked in India. Lately she spent time helping neighbourhood friends with health problems and hospital visits, and she also much enjoyed doing craft activities with nephews and nieces.

Extracts from a description she wrote of herself are as follows:

* 50 years’ nursing experience, including 10 years’ voluntary work in many countries with Save the Children, British Red Cross, International Red Cross and International League of Red Cross. Began as a pre-student nurse, later specialising in midwifery , orthopaedics, oncology, cardiothoracics, h.i.v. and Aids-related diseases. Left the NHS to work in industry and occupational health.
*Hobbies: driving, decoupage, watercolours, calligraphy, travel, cats and conservation. Elizabeth was particularly proud of a calligraphic book she wrote and had printed about the Venerable Bede. She also sent out printed cards of her watercolours. But, in my view, her special forte was Pergamano (lovely lace-like designs pricked out on very thick waxed paper).

We shall miss her companionship at our meetings.

Janet Ashmore

Northumbrian Scribes February workshop...

The next meeting of The Society of Northumbrian Scribes will be on Saturday 20th February at Bede's World, Jarrow. We will be looking at extreme italics with Mike Mavromichaelis, and will start by writing a simple italic script before moving on to slimmer things. You will be offered guidance in writing a compressed hand but you will have time to explore and to enjoy writing slim letters. Please bring your favourite nibs to write with but also do bring any large nibs you may have (up to 12mm).

Extreme italics are usually informal so that your own adaptations can be introduced and you may choose your own directions. Please bring: your usual writing kit and paper up to A3 size are all that are needed.

Members... please remember to bring your draft artworks of the calendar contribution to the February meeting.

Northumbrian Scribes pressed into action

The Shields Gazette visited Bede’s World recently to see some members of Northumbrian Scribes in action. Dominic James, Judi Postle and Susan Moor demonstrated their art to reporter Johnny Wilson who bravely agreed to have a go himself. There was a good write up of the meeting in the Shields Gazette of 4 January and the full article can be viewed here.