JULY 2019 SCRIBNOTE

A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT


Well, remember the quote "the hurrier I go the behinder I get", that is me in a nutshell! So many irons in the fire that I can't seem to get anything done. Even when I am supposed to be sleeping I am thinking of things I would like to do.

So we had a pretty productive business meeting a few days ago and made some decisions. We discussed plans for next year. We will not devote an entire meeting to a particular hand or project in the future. We will set "Playdates" for these things in between meetings. We will continue to do the make and takes and demos that we have done in the past.

We will add some things to the blog such as a Buy and Sell section, if anyone is looking for a particular book or tool or have things to sell just send me an email. Also we will have a section for anyone who would like to give lessons, just send me an email and I will add this to the blog. As soon as the minutes from the monthly meetings are available they will be posted to blog also, hopefully with plenty of pictures!

APRIL MEETING SHOW AND TELL 

Card made by  Ginny's for her granddaughter

Pored Acrylics by Ginny!

MAY MEETING IN PICTURES

Angie and her marbled paper

 

Book Angie made for her son's gradulation

 

 

 

Angie's marbled paper

 

 

JUNE MEETIFNG

Learning Foundational

 

Ginny's lovely card

 

Anna's beautiful Book

 

AKIM ATTRACTIONS - May 23, 2019

What is faster than a Speedball B nib? More powerful than a double ligature? Able to leap tall ascenders at a single bound? It's super-calligrapher Julie Wildman taking MCG members and friends on a roller-coaster ride through the paces of Akim Cursive.

after introducing herself to us, Julie introduced us to Akim's creator (German calligrapher, sculptor, and musician Hans-Joachim Burget) and Akim's underlying structure (replication of the rhythm of the human heart). Junior detective Julie spent time researching Burget and Akim in depth, including an extensive quest for the definition of "Akim". During her futile search for a definition, she found "Akim" in a list of names and their meanings; it's a short version of "Joachim", so she concluded that Burget had actually named it after himself, albeit indirectly and playfully.

Looking at samples of Burget's Akim, you will be charmed by its harmony of elegant, elongated ascenders and gentle, graceful curves. Julie has created a personal adaptation of Akim, connection letters where Burget would have let each individual letter stand alone. She feels that this quickens the "heartbeat" of a hand in which the letters aren't difficult, but the connections are "interesting".

Julie proved that there"s nothing hard about this hand by briskly taking us through the basic strokes and lower case; so that by noon, we had "mastered" the forms and were ready to plunge into applications. (Incidentally, Julie usually teaches Akim as a two-day class, but MCG had asked her to compress it into one day, hence her hyperdrive.) In the afternoon, we practiced connections, alphabet sentences, and rhythm---always looking for the feeling of a heartbeat.

Julie was conscientious about having us use every item on her supply list. She also supplied us with a bound booklet which provided seven pages of instruction and six pages of inspiration. She increased her popularity by giving everyone the gift of a Vintage Esterbrook #788 oval-point nib. (If you ever find any of these for sale, BUY. THEM. ALL.) We enjoyed playing with the pointed nibs; but since Akim lends itself to a variety of tools from folded pens to fine-tip applicators, we played with those, too. Inasmuch as Julie has already created her personal version of this hand, she encouraged us to do likewise through directed exercises in changing letter heights, slant, stroke direction, and tools. The possibilities are endless, especially in the fertile mind of Julie Wildman.

As a long distance member of MCG, I'd like to thank the local members for their friendly welcome and their attention to all essential aspects of a workshop, not the least of which were great snacks and the most artistically arranged luncheon I've ever seen. Their hospitality was exceeded only by their camaraderie. As someone whose vintage brain doesn't always retain names, I maintain that the ultimate kindness a guild can provide is to ask everyone to wear nametags; so I thank everyone who did so that day.

Burget put his musical and calligraphic talents into Akim, and Julie put her heart into teaching it. I can sum up the day in two words. Wild and wonderful.

Linda Kanamueller

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CALENDAR

July 6 – Regular meeting, Please bring foundational practice and/or finished piece. Also $15 dues. Sign up for picnic, and as always bring your Show and Tell!

 

August 10 – NOTE: Picnic, due to unavailability of our hostess the picnic is moved to August 10. Bring your original artwork, (done on a 8.5 x11 piece of paper, landscape with a 1.5 inch margin on the left hand side) plus 15 copies (made at Staples, or your home printer or wherever you have copies made). This will be bound into books for all of us by the wonderful and talented Maureen Trubac and presented to us at the September meeting.

 

September 7 – Study in Italic. 10am to 3pm, bring a lunch, and as always bring your Show and Tell!

October 5 – Regular Meeting. Bring Italic practice and/or finished piece, .

and as always bring your Show and Tell!

 

November 2 – Study of Blackletter 10am to 3pm, bring a lunch, and as always bring your Show and Tell!

 

December 7 – Christmas Party, bring Blackletter practice and/or finished piece, and as always bring your Show and Tell!

 

 

THINGS OF INTEREST

Anyone wanting to post an upcoming event please email me at rtuveson@hotmail.com

 

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

Rosie Kelley TBT.

Amity Parks - March 28 &29, 2020

BUY AND SELL

Anyone with something to sell or looking for something email me at rtuveson@hotmail.com

LESSONS AND SERVICES

Anyone wanting to advertise their services please email me at rtuveson@hotmail.com

Calligraphy classes are being offered through the MCG by long time member Angie West.  The goal is to provide instruction in calligraphic hands to members already familiar with calligraphic tools.  Beginners are welcome to attend.  All students must understand that as each class is an introduction to the hand, much practice and study is necessary to become proficient.

To date, three classes have been taught, Roman capitals, my take on modern pointed pen, and foundational hand.  As the instructor, I think that all the students made progress during the class.  Those students who went home and did the recommended homework progressed the most.

Two additional classes are scheduled for this year.  Italic on September 7 and Blackletter on November 7.  The class runs from 10 to 3.  Bring a lunch, and as this is the first Saturday of the month, we hold our business meeting from noon to 12:30 while eating.  Other members come to the meeting too.  Each class is $10/day.

For these classes, I recommend a parallel pen, I prefer you have the 6.0 mm.  I also like students to have graph paper for calligraphic work.  But we work in class with what you have, and myself and some other students loan out supplies.

 

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 a workshop. If there would be an emergency, for instance the birth of a 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 foe 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 Blose, Reggie Ezell, Julian Waters, John Stevens, Rachel Yallop, Pendragons, Capital City Scribes, Yukimi Annand, etc.. There are lots of beautiful calligraphy on these pages that will get you inspired. Also look at Joanne Fink and Barbara Lever’s Facebook pages. Be sure to check Pinterest, so many places to be inspired!

 

P.O. 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 Michiana Calligraphy Guild, please send to Laurie Heyden, 18292 Courtland Dr., South Bend, Indiana 46637 or Renee Tuveson, 928 Finch Dr., South Bend, Indiana 46614.

 

AMERICAN FRAME

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

 

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 at meetings and our annual raffle in August, and in December our donation to local charities. Please remember to bring your dues to the July meeting or send to Laurie Heyden, our treasurer at 18292 Courtland Dr., South Bend, Indiana 46637.

OFFICIERS

Renee Tuveson, President and Blog, rtuveson@hotmail.com

Marty Mitchell, Vice President, , martyjmm@gmail.com

Laurie Heyden, Treasurer, silverbird323@jahoo.com

Judy Theurel, Secretary, judy@theurel.com

Sharon Esmont, Study Group sesmont@aol.com