January 2015

January 2015 Scribnote

COMMENTS FROM OUR CHAIRPERSON

My good friend Bea from Tennessee was here for a few days in October and we enjoyed our time together running to Michigan City to shop and go to Chesterton where she always gets some Swedish sausage to take home. We made a few more stops along the way and the next few days were spent driving to Middlebury to get the bulk oatmeal and flour and to see the trees in all their fall glory, and they were spectacular. Another trip to Bonneyville Mill to get some fresh ground wheat flour and corn meal where the Dahlia Society had a simply gorgeous display of colorful flowers. Fall is a beautiful time of year and I am truly amazed at the colorful display nature puts on for us every year.

On October 19th, Pat West and I packed the car, and I mean packed, with clothes and supplies to head 4 3/4 hours north to Boyne Hills, Michigan and Lake Louise for an art retreat lasting until Friday, October 24th. The trip flies by when you have someone with common interests to talk and laugh with. Not only did we have supplies, we brought muffins, granola bars and the makings for cannoli cupcakes to share at the first dinner. You know how calligraphers like to eat. We drove on highway 131 all the way there only turning east for the last 8 1/2 miles toward Lake Louise. The autumn colors were just past peak, but they were spectacular. I think I took about 150 pictures that week, half of which were taken when we took a walk or two every day.

Lake Louise
 

On Monday morning, we met in a circle of wonderfully talented ladies and two fantastic instructors, Rosie Kelley and Pam Palsrud. They guided us every day from deep breathing and finding our muse to working on arches text wove, our favorite paper, with pigments, sumi, sink art, water-soluble pastels and carbon pencils. We were messy for the first two days and then cut up our papers and made them into books. Some participants lettered and some, like me, wanted to take them home, find the right quote and line and letter in the quiet of my studio. Pat and I were perfect roommates wanting to do the same things like walking in the woods, reading in the room and driving into Boyne City to have dinner at the Red Mesa Grill with 8 other ladies on Wednesday night. A big thank you to Pat for all her help when my back went out on the next to the last day and packing the car when I couldn't lift my suitcase and supplies! We really had a magical week with calligraphers and artists from near and far, Chicago, Kalamazoo, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Ohio, Granger and Elkhart, Indiana. We drove back reminiscing about all the techniques we learned and all the new friends we made and hope that we can do it again in the future. Thanks to Marianne Burke and Anna Schlemma for organizing this wonderful adventure and keeping us organized every day. We are so blessed to have been included in the Lake Louise Retreat.


Susan Burton and Pat West

Books made at the Lake Louise Retreat

Our November 1st meeting brought together about 7 of our members to spend a day making cards together. We brought all out tools including paper cutters and envelope templates to prepare for the holidays or future cards to keep on hand. Or new member Brenda Harley, came to watch and learn. I spent a bit of time with Brenda playing with copperplate and we introduced her to lots of things the other members were working on. Thanks to Sharon for opening up the church for us even though she could not stay to join us and for returning to lock up!

Our December meeting is one of our favorites where we share Christmas and do an exchange. This year we had decided on drawing an animal but it had to have some lettering on it, even if only one letter. The animals were very diverse but the exchange was fun to do. I loved hearing Angie West gasp every time another exchange was revealed. They were all beautiful and you can see the work that was put into them for the Christmas exchange. Thanks to everyone who participated! You stepped up to the plate and delivered!!!

Angie West

Barbara Walsh

Barbara Walsh

Barbara Fedder

Diana Stamper

Ginny VanderHey

Jo McPherson

Lauren Matacio

Marty Mitchell

Maureen Trubac

Pat West

Sharon Esmont

I would be amiss if I did not mention the wonderful food we enjoyed after our meeting. Maureen made her wonderful marinated pork loins, and there were lots of accompaniments to go with it....stuffed mushrooms, salmon spread with crackers, strawberry pretzel salad, roasted veggies, pasta, mushroom and peas dish, homemade bread, salad, macaroni and cheese and for dessert, flourless chocolate cake, biscotti and cookies and Jo's famous pear salad. Everything was delicious!!! We also decided on out usual $400 in donations to three deserving places.

I also want to thank our hardworking MCG Board, Sharon Esmont, who opens the church for us every month, Maureen Trubac who diligently handles all the money, Pat West who takes notes at the meetings, Jo McPherson,  who sends out all the reminders regarding meetings and any other information we need sent to members, and Renee Tuveson, our blog coordinator. Thanks to all of you for your advice and opinion which are always well received.

We have a jam packed year planned for next year including four meetings with learning and/or revisiting lettering.

Hope you enjoyed your holidays and start the year refreshed and renewed with a continues love of lettering and art. Now that we don't have to do any baking and shopping for Christmas gifts, spend some time in your art room creating!

Ginny

Luce Zolna - Marbling

Please keep March 21 and 22, 2015 on your calendar for marbling with Luce Zolna from Chicago. Luce will be leading us through the process of marbling paper along with making tools to marble and show us the different types of marbling designs. We have seen Luce's work at the Newberry Library many times and look forward to her working with us. The cost of the workshop will be $75 for members and $90 for non members payable no later than the March 7th meeting. A list of the supplies will be sent or given to upon registration. There may be a fee from Luce for supplies she will bring for us to use. If you do not know what marbling is, go to : http://marbleart.us/Examples.htm
Please send checks to Maureen Trubac 50685 Mercury Drive, Granger, IN 46530 or Ginny VanderHey 51854 Stoney Creek Drive, Elkhart,IN 46514.

Policy for MCG

Our workshops seem to have people sign up and then decide not to attend. We have been very generous in returning monies paid for the workshops of someone decides not to attend at the last minute, but we are going to have a change in this policy. There will be a nominal fee if you drop out of the workshop. If there would be an emergency, for instance, a birth of a child or grandchild, illness, etc., then the board will take this under advisement to decide on a course of action regarding a refund. Also, if the workshop is filled and there is someone to take your place, that would also qualify for a refund. So please, if you want to sign up for the workshop, make sure that you put that date on your calendar as a commitment. We have a small calligraphy group and we struggle to fill workshops at times. We need all of you to attend as many as possible so that we can continue to have quality instructors.

Are you on Facebook?

If so, look up your favorite calligraphers because they are on Facebook also. I like to look at Barbara Close, Reggie Ezell, Julian Waters, John Stevens, Rachel Yallop, Pendragons, Capital City Scribes, Yukimi Annand, etc.. There is a lot of beautiful calligraphy on these pages that will get you inspired. Also look at Joanne Fink and Barbara Lever's Facebook pages. An then, there is always Pinterest. Oh my, so many places to be inspired!

PO BOX IN SOUTH BEND - Due to a lack of much mail at our Post Office box in South Bend, we have suspended any mail sent to that address. If you have anything to send to the MCG, please send to Maureen Trubac 51854 Mercury Drive, Granger, IN 46530 or Ginny VanderHey 51854 Stoney Creek Drive, Elkhart, IN 46514. When monies are due for a workshop or dues, they will now go to one of these addresses.

http://www.jtresser.com/GOLD-POWDER.html


American Frame – Just a reminder that if you order from American Frame, please mention MCG, and they will give us a small stipend.

MCG Meetings for 2015

January 10 – Explain how you did your animal you exchanged in December
February 7– Spencerian hand – Ginny – We will be learning a new hand and then you have had a month to practice it.  
March 7 – Critiquing your homework on Spencerian
April 11 – Marbling Show and Tell from Luce Zolna workshop (Easter is on the first week in April. 
May 2 – Watercolor for beginners – Trees – Pat West
June 6 – Pamphlet Book – Maureen Trubac
July – No meeting
August 1 – Picnic at Ginny’s house.  Our exchange will be a randomly chosen handmade book with instructions provided in March.
September 12 – Foundational – Angie West 
October 3 – Foundational hand critiquing (Same idea as in March)
November 7 – Do a Thanksgiving quote in Spencerian or Foundational
December – Christmas get together

Cut the schedule of dates in the newsletter out, and put it on your fridge for future reference.

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP Annual dues of $15 are due at the July meeting. Our annual dues have not changed in many years and are put to good use for supplies for our make it/take it meetings, annual raffle in August, and, at the end of the year, we give to local charities. Please remember to bring your dues to the July meeting or send it to Maureen Trubac, our treasurer. 
OFFICERS Ginny VanderHey, President 574/262-1345 gvanderhey@hotmail.com Sharon Esmont, Vice President 574/272-5481 Sesmont@aol.com Maureen Trubac, Treasurer 574/272–0733 maureentrubac@hotmail.com Pat West, Secretary 574-612-9328 pwpatwest@gmail.com Jo McPherson, Study Group Chairperson, jobakestwo@centurylink.net Renee Tuveson – Blog Coordinator


If ever you would like to add to the newsletter/blog, please contact one of the officers, and we will get that information to Renee Tuveson. Something you have done or have seen would be welcomed into our information.

http://johnstevensdesign.com/brush-alphabet-calligraphy/#prettyPhoto