July Scribnote
COMMENTS FROM OUR CHAIRPERSON
APRIL
We didn’t have an
April meeting, but instead, sixteen members participated in Julie Wildman’s
workshop, “What’s Next: Taking your Art to the Next Level”. The first day was
going through different exercises to prepare us for a final project. The creativity level from everyone is so
diversified and very colorful. The
second day was working on your particular project or projects. We have had Julie in South Bend two years
ago and she is always upbeat and has a lot of tricks up her sleeve to take us
to that next level.
The following
week after the workshop, Angie West, Connie Wendt and I met Tina Cronkite (who
had two books accepted into the Chicago Calligraphy exhibit at the Newberry
Library) and Linda Bravada, also from the Pendragons Guild in Kalamazoo at the
train station in South Bend. I left my
house at 8 am and halfway to the airport ran smack dab into a band of lake
effect snow. I could not see where the
road was and could hardly see the car in front of me. That part being bad
enough, the exit off 20 was closed and I had to find another route. By this time I had only 20 minutes left to
get to the train. I got to the next South
Bend exit and made a big turn on the cloverleaf to come back on 20 and get to
the airport all while driving in the snowstorm/blizzard. I met Connie in the parking lot and we
trudged through the snow which by now was a couple of inches deep and made the
train in time to find Tina and Linda already onboard. Angie West had the same problems
as I did with the closed exit and barely made it onto the train. I was standing outside with the conductor
watching for her and alerted him that she was running toward us. Whew! By the
time we arrived in Chicago, it was sunny and just cold, but we took a taxi,
squeezing four of us in the back seat, and headed to the Newberry Library where
we met up with Lauren Matacio. The
calligraphy work is always beautiful to see and I was happy to see some of our
former instructors as well. I talked to
Reggie Ezell about coming to South Bend to do a workshop after he is retired
from his year round classes in two years and he said yes! Also saw Valerie
Weilmunster, Rosie Kelly, Mike Kecseg, Luce Zolna and our friend Jane Ewing
that we see at Lake Louise. Jane has
written a book, which I have purchased and will bring for show and tell. The purchase prize winner for 2016 was Lisa
LaBlanc from the Pendragons guild with her beautiful uncial piece. I had already spoken with Lisa about coming
to South Bend this fall and that will take place on Saturday, October 8. I am always on the hunt for new instructors!
After the Newberry, our group headed to Dick Blick to peruse the art
supplies. Looking through a catalog is
fun but seeing and touching all these items is so much more pleasurable. After Blick, we walked to Garrett’s for
popcorn and to Chipotle to get dinner to eat on the train which was packed on
the way home. This is such an enjoyable
trip every year and so worth the time to see the work that is done in Chicago.
The library is going to go through some renovations next year so the exhibit is
up in the air for 2017.
As you are
starting to see, April was a busy month and continued on till the end of April
culminating with workshops in Kalamazoo with instructor Kristen Doty. The first
workshop on Friday and Saturday, April 22 and 23, was Drawing for
Calligraphers. Now I am not someone who has learned to draw, but needing to
work on that part of my artistic life, I jumped into that workshop
wholeheartedly!
The first two
days I was in the car with Anna Schlemma, Maureen Trubac and Barbara Fedder,
who kept us in stitches with her jokes! We participated in a Drawing for
Calligrapher’s workshop. The second
workshop was Luscious, Layered Lettering.
Every workshop brings its own ideas to the table, and sometimes there is
a bit of review from another workshop, but we learn more than we can remember
so it is always good to do it again.
All in all, Kristen kept us moving along learning some essentials on
drawing and layering our lettering.
MAY
Thanks to Sharon
Esmont for conducting the May meeting while I was again swimming in the Gulf
and pool for a couple of weeks. When
tax season is over, we head south for a vacation for my husband although I did
get him to hang around a few extra days so I could attend the two workshops in
Kalamazoo. The meeting was sparsely attended, but several items were discussed
and show and tell is always fun.
JUNE
The June meeting
was a lively one with lots of discussion and information regarding the December
calendar we are all working on and an exhibit we are participating in at the
Buchanan Arts Center in September through October. Lauren Matacio is spearheading the calendar project which will be
an 18-month calendar and we already have volunteers for every month and look
forward to the diverse artwork that will come with that project. Anne Binder is our point person for the
Buchanan Art Center exhibit and gave us quite a bit of information regarding
who, what, when, where and how! More details will follow as far as where to
drop off projects, etc. If you would
like to participate in the exhibit and were not at the meeting in June, please
email anbinder@sbcglobal.net and she can send you a registration
form that has a full explanation.
Please remember
to send or bring your yearly MCG dues to the July meeting or send them to
Laurie Heyden, treasurer, at: 18292 Courtland Drive, South Bend, IN 46637.
A big Thank You
to Maureen Trubac for many years of being the MCG treasurer and keeping us on
the straight and narrow handling any monies that came to her for workshops,
supplies, donations, etc. We appreciate
all you have done for the guild!
From Jo McPherson
Julie Wildman presented her workshop titles "What's next: Taking your Art to a New Level" to our Guild on April 2 & 3.
We were given ideas, sometimes rules, and guidelines about having a motif or not. Also choosing lettering styles, along with very helpful visuals about letter spacing. Julie recommends doing many thumbnail sketches--she frequently does a hundred--before choosing one to start drafting roughs, which eventually becomes the final piece.
This was our second workshop with Julie. She is very generous with her time, talking to /assisting if needed, every attendee. She also offers her tools to anyone who whould like to try something new to them.
It was a great weekend.
From Maureen Trubac:
What an
amazing workshop. Julie had a knack for awakening talents in us we never knew
existed. She had us loosen up by using different tools with
nothing specific in mind. Lines, circles, flourishes, thick lines, thin lines
From ruling
pens, folded pens, and your favorites. Graduating to letters, we bounced them,
spiked them, exaggerated sizes, alternating between capitals and lower
case, with or without spacing.
Then came the
moment of truth - we had to create. Our exercises gave us a sense in
which direction we wanted to proceed and choices of styles. Now
This was
carried out with thumbnail sketches of what we hoped to
attain. It was amazing to see that once you started with one thumbnail
your mind would race and before you knew it you had perhaps 10 to 20 designs
to choose from moving to marker paper, developing the idea, to tracing paper
for a final tune-up.
Julie was
extremely helpful in guiding us with suggestions to improve our final piece.
She stressed the importance of using good paper because it enhanced the medium,
the stroke and the final project. Each of us
came out of this workshop with something unique and beautiful.
Lisa LaBlanc – Lisa will be coming to South Bend for a one-day workshop on Saturday, October 8, 2016, 9 – 5, at Christ the King Church in South Bend where we usually have our meetings. Uncial lettering and some of her wonderful brush stroke flowers using the Miracle Wedge Brush will be the topics of the workshop. Lisa is from the Kalamazoo area and part of the Pendragons Guild. The cost of the one-day workshop will be $30. Registration will be taken at the August retreat. Lisa’s supply list will be coming soon.
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 workshop if 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 quality 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 your
inspired. Also look at Joanne Fink and
Barbara Lever’s Facebook Page. And
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 Laurie Henley 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.
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 2016
July 9 – Leaf
Script – Laurie Heyden
August 13 –
Picnic at Ginny’s house. Our exchange
will be a stab binding stitch handmade book. Calendar mock up for your month is
due.
September 10
– Maureen Trubac demonstration
October 3 –
Marty – Tunnel Book
November 7 –
Calendar Due (Lauren Matacio is spearheading this project)
December –
Christmas get together - Calendar
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.
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
Laurie Heyden, Treasurer 574/272–0733 silverbird@aol.com
Ginny VanderHey, President 574/262-1345 gvanderhey@hotmail.com
Sharon Esmont, Vice President 574/272-5481 Sesmont@aol.com
Laurie Heyden, Treasurer 574/272–0733 silverbird@aol.com
Pat West, Secretary
574-612-9328 pwpatwest@gmail.com
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://www.theartofcalligraphy.com
http://chicagocalligraphy.org/workshops/
