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.