Tuesday, January 31, 2012

From Nib to Brush with Barbara Calzolari

Friends! Barbara Calzolari is coming to Atlanta again this summer (August 2012) for an even more fabulous workshop in Pointed Pen Variation - this time with a twist. She's showing us how to use the brush as if it were performing as a nib. She's uploaded many short videos of this technique with a Pentel Brush Pen (and many other tools) and they're all fascinating to watch. 


Her workshop is a long and mighty three days long, that begins with a lecture called Passion for Calligraphy on Thursday evening (which you can purchase separately if you can't attend the workshop.) She is an amazing calligrapher, whose work has been broadened profoundly by life experience. Grace, movement, and strength are the three things that stand out when I feel through her work and watch her in action. She creates a "living letter" with hands connected by the same.


To sign up for this class, read the information below and if you've got any questions, please contact either me (anne@anneelser.com) or Jacob Gunter (jacob@bindersart.com), the Education Director at Binders. 


The class is geared toward the advanced beginner or intermediate advanced. This means you'll need to have had a solid introduction to copperplate or anything pointed pen. There are classes all over Atlanta in the pointed pen (copperplate, spencerian, etc) and I'd have at least taken one of these classes before you take Barbara's Nib to Brush. 


Here are a couple classes taught by me that are still available for registration: 



And if you go to the FOTA (Atlanta Friends of the Alphabet) website, you'll find a many great links to classes offered all over the city at your disposal. We are a strong group of friends and calligraphers who all have something beautiful to offer.

If you'd like to take part in Barbara's daily inspiration, friend her on Facebook, tell her you've signed up for her class, and watch your newsfeed come to LIFE. By the time August rolls around, you'll be ready to take the deep plunge into her soulful world and you'll be changed forever! 


From Nib to Brush 8/2 (ARTZ1188)





Variation on Pointed Pen with Italian calligrapher Barbara Calzolari will be a once in a lifetime opportunity, not to be missed! Delve into the understanding of lines that become letters with pencil, letters with the oblique pen holder and nibs, focus on words...spacing between them, space between lines and how to give power to a simple text. Look at the object that can live a second life with our writing. Why not inside a coat, on a cigar box, on the pillow or your cat? Calligraphy can be wherever you envision it to be! Learn how to write with a round brush and ink to fit your desired surface. Celebrate your new found expressions at the end of class with merriment and presentation of your work! 

Monday, January 30, 2012

Illuminated Letters Beauty Shots



Illuminated Letters

Watching the slideshow was beautiful - especially seeing the look of awe in the faces of viewers. There's a performance on both sides and I felt every ounce of good will offered from the other side of the pen.

Thank you, Minh Doan for such beautiful work.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Work from FOTA's Calligraphic Performance Event: Illuminated Letter

I had four uninterrupted hours of fun during FOTA's first Illuminated Letter event and MAN, did I enjoy myself. Here's some of the work I did! Will post the complete photos of these pieces after I've scanned them in. Also writing an article about the event soon with the help of my fine FOTA friends. What an amazing group of people we have there. :) 

A beautiful Anais Nin quote about friendship and how it broadens us. I really went to town on her signature.
From Mark Strand's poem "The Garden."
Detail flourish from Mark Strand's "The Coming of Light."
 
From Mark Strand's "The Garden."
 
One of my all time and current favorite phrases, "Pimp my downstroke." Don't know if I've heard it somewhere, but I can't get it out of my head! Oh baby! There were a few fellow calligraphers there that night who got a good chuckle out of it. Tee hee.
From Mark Strand's poem " Giving Myself Up." Again, I think it's about surrender. The sleeve if my voice is his metaphor used to describe his throat. SO BEAUTIFUL.
From Mark Strand's "The Dress." I think it's a piece about surrendering to the creative process.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Illuminated Letters tomorrow night!


Don't forget to drop by tomorrow afternoon from 3:30-7:30 for Atlanta's first Calligraphic Performance Event! I will be demonstrating among a fine group of talented, soulful calligraphers.




The Atlanta Calligraphy Guild, Friends of the Alphabet, will be staging a calligraphic performance on Thursday, January 26th, from 3:30 to 7:30pm, downtown at Trinity United Methodist Church, 265 Washington Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303

The event, called “Illuminated Letters,” will feature 20 calligraphers demonstrating 20 different calligraphic styles, or “hands,” as visitors are able to walk through and view the artists in action. Presented in a spot-lit and silent setting, the performance hopes to focus on the act of writing itself, drawing attention to the power, vitality, and variety of the letterforms.

With the onset of the digital age, handwriting is now often more art form than everyday activity. Highly stylized handwriting, known as Calligraphy, has expressions found in places as diverse as on wedding invitations, in typographic design, in consumer product labeling, and in tattoo artistry.

The featured calligraphers will demonstrate many styles including Italic, ornate Copperplate and Spencerian scripts, Celtic “Uncial”, Hebraic, and Gothic hands. They will also use various media used in modern and traditional manuscripts such as animal vellum, quill pens, illumination, and gilding. Modeled on similar events occurring in Germany and Japan, this art evening is organized purely to draw attention to the aesthetic and athletic beauties of artistic lettering. Information will be available on all demonstrated styles, as well as guides to area calligraphers and calligraphy instruction.

The event is secular and free to the public. Friends of the Alphabet encourages anyone interested in the beauty of handwritten letterforms to come and enjoy this unusual experience.




ABOUT FRIENDS OF THE ALPHABET
The Atlanta Calligraphy Guild, Friends of the Alphabet, is a group of people who share an interest in the history and techniques of the written letter. The group meets on the second Monday of each month at Trinity United Methodist Church, from 7:00 to 9:00 with a program presented at each meeting. The guild also hosts workshops taught by national and internationally renowned instructors.

For more information on this event and the guild in general, see the website – friendsofthealphabet.org – or call 678-463-7500.

OR:
Emily Canter
678-463-7500

info@friendsofthealphabet.org


Monday, January 23, 2012

New Italic Calligraphy class Beginning Feb. 2, 2012


Hi friends,

The Italic evening class scheduled to begin this Wednesday night (January 25th, 2012) has been filled. There's a waiting list that has gotten large enough for us to consider creating a new class that will begin next Thursday, February 2nd, 2012. We just need to fill a couple more seats for it to make. Spread the word!


To sign up, contact Jacob Gunter at Jacob@bindersart.com.


Here are the official dates the class would meet and following that is a course description.

February 2, 9, 16, 23 and March 1 & 8.


The Italic calligraphic hand is one of the most widely used and versatile alphabets around. It is highly legible and can easily be dressed up or down. Italic is the perfect hand to learn for the beginning calligrapher yet versatile enough to experiment with for the advanced. 

During the six week course, students will be given handouts and guide sheets, learning the upper and lower case characters. We will also address spacing and layout for addressing envelopes. 

Calligraphy is less about pretty handwriting, but more about DRAWING each and every letter. Its about establishing a pacing and rhythmic motion as you write - giving you a consistency of shapes and letters, and spaces in between words and lines. It is highly relaxing and meditative. Like yoga for the hands. 

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

White on Sparkle!



Doing escort cards today. This calligraphic hand (upright copperplate) is penned in Dr. Martin's White India Ink upon a metallic stock called Burnt Sugar from Envelopments

Have heard that metallic stock can be difficult to work with - but this stock has just enough tooth and spring to give the ink something to grab onto. Did not have to spray these with workable fix, as I thought.





Saturday, January 14, 2012

Chalk Bubble



These coffee mugs from World Market come in either white or red. One side is a black unglazed speech bubble onto which you can write or draw anything with the two pieces of white chalk that come inside the cup. GREAT idea - especially for an artist/calligrapher. Bravo!

Friday, January 06, 2012

Anne Elser: Binding the Belgian Book



Friends! Currently finishing up an 8.5 x 11 Secret Belgian Bound Book. Lined pages, about 8-10 signatures, covered with washi paper from the Paper Source and pages from a large print vintage copy of Treasure Island. The cover button is my own made a couple years ago when I couldn't get enough of sculpey.



There are descriptions of each stage of the process in the file names of the photos you see. But I will write a complete instruction manual for this book to accompany the photos soon. Right now, the pictures will have to do.

I think I will keep this journal for myself. Very excited!

Signature 1 completed: started from the bottom at the tail,
left a 3 inch tail we'll use later to tie off with at the end of sig 2
Head of Sig 1, looping around top station before attaching sig 2.

Scooting Sig 1 down the Spine
Head of Sig 2.

Belting stations to inner lacing within spine

Tying off sig 2 to sig 1's tail

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Sunday, January 01, 2012

Calligraphic Performance Event: Illuminated Letters 2012


Friends! I will be demonstrating Flourishing and copperplate/pointed pen variations at this event. So excited!


January Calligraphy Performance Event, “Illuminated Letters”, puts artistic handwriting in the spotlight

The Atlanta Calligraphy Guild, Friends of the Alphabet, will be staging a calligraphic performance on Thursday, January 26th, from 3:30 to 7:30pm, downtown at Trinity United Methodist Church, 265 Washington Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303

The event, called “Illuminated Letters,” will feature 20 calligraphers demonstrating 20 different calligraphic styles, or “hands,” as visitors are able to walk through and view the artists in action. Presented in a spot-lit and silent setting, the performance hopes to focus on the act of writing itself, drawing attention to the power, vitality, and variety of the letterforms.

With the onset of the digital age, handwriting is now often more art form than everyday activity. Highly stylized handwriting, known as Calligraphy, has expressions found in places as diverse as on wedding invitations, in typographic design, in consumer product labeling, and in tattoo artistry.

The featured calligraphers will demonstrate many styles including Italic, ornate Copperplate and Spencerian scripts, Celtic “Uncial”, Hebraic, and Gothic hands. They will also use various media used in modern and traditional manuscripts such as animal vellum, quill pens, illumination, and gilding. Modeled on similar events occurring in Germany and Japan, this art evening is organized purely to draw attention to the aesthetic and athletic beauties of artistic lettering. Information will be available on all demonstrated styles, as well as guides to area calligraphers and calligraphy instruction.

The event is secular and free to the public. Friends of the Alphabet encourages anyone interested in the beauty of handwritten letterforms to come and enjoy this unusual experience.

ABOUT FRIENDS OF THE ALPHABET
The Atlanta Calligraphy Guild, Friends of the Alphabet, is a group of people who share an interest in the history and techniques of the written letter. The group meets on the second Monday of each month at Trinity United Methodist Church, from 7:00 to 9:00 with a program presented at each meeting. The guild also hosts workshops taught by national and internationally renowned instructors.

For more information on this event and the guild in general, see the website – friendsofthealphabet.org – or call 678-463-7500.

OR:
Emily Canter
678-463-7500
info@friendsofthealphabet.org

January Italic Calligraphy & Bookbinding classes


New Anne Elser classes beginning this month!








*7 seats left Bookmaking 1: Beginning Bookmaking (EVE) Tuesdays, 6 sessions|Jan 24-Feb 28|6-8:30 PM|Sale price for early enrollment: $190, Regular Price: $205|Min. 3/Max.7|Location: Atlanta, Georgia - Binders Art Supply

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