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.