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Art Interests
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My Calligraphy |
Autumn;Blue Heron,
and
"High Flight" A poem by John
McGee Jr. |
See my essay Ethnographic Study of Letterforms in Societal Context
Recommended Books
There are so many great books in print about calligraphy, typefaces and papermaking
and bookbinding. I hardly know where to begin listing them. I
keep referring to the following books for inspiration, instruction and/or information. In
order of experience, I've doing calligraphy 20 years and have interest but no expertise in
either paleography or typography. I have made a wide assortment of papers using mostly the
reeds/leaves of local flora. I took a lesson on bookbinding and tried a few different
things but, of all the book arts, I am least familiar with the practical nature of this
one. More Recommended Books. |
| Calligraphy and Lettering I
have quite a large selection of Calligraphy books, about 2 dozen. When I take them to my
classes, I split them in groups. Beginner books, advanced techniques/project books and art
books.
In 1978 I took a beginners Calligraphy class at night school. I
loved it. I went on to study with Marjorie White at Place Des Arts in Coquitlam BC. I
began to teach 5 years later.
I took up calligraphy to 'fancy up' my poems. Heck, if they don't
sound good maybe they can look good. (I was the Charlie the Tuna Fish of poetry!) I must
say I enjoy lettering my own poems. I have the freedom to change words to fit lines. |
Beginner - any Margaret Shepherd book. They inspired me while I
was learning the art, and later, learning to teach it. Collier/Macmillan Publishers. Projects
- The Calligrapher's Project Book by Susanne Haines.1987 Cresent Books, New York.
Art Books - Depends what you are interested in. Look at the Book of Kells for
sure. Renaissance manuscripts are beautiful, don't over look illuminated versions of the
Bible or the Koran. Oriental studies will lead to a better understanding of the beauty in
harmonizing lettering with images.
One of my favorite books falls outside of the categories I listed above. The
Alphabet Effect: The Impact of Phonetic Alphabet on the Development of Western
Civilization by Robert K. Logan. 1986, St. Martins Press, new York. |
| Typeface and
Typography |
Letters by James Hutchinson, 1983, Van Nostrand Reinhold
Company, New York. A great overview for calligraphers and typographers.The bibliography is
great. I bought three of the referenced books. |
| Papermaking I make paper using reeds and marsh grasses. My favorite is the
gladiola. There is a shimmer in the fibre unlike bull rush leaves. I use Pacific Sal Soda
for reduction and hydrogen peroxide for brightening. Sizing and finish, for pen use,is
still a problem for me. |
Papermaking, The History and Technique of an Ancient Craft
by Dard Hunter. Dover Books. A great book but not a 'how to.' The
Art of Papermaking, by Bernard Toale, 1983 Davis Publications, Mass. Very practical
and complete. |
Bookbinding |
Bookbinding: Its background and Technique by Edith Diehl,
1946, Rinehart, republished 1980, Dover. New York. Great historic overview, some
techniques. The Thames and Hudson Manual of Bookbinding by
Arthur W. Johnson. 1978 Thames and Hudson. If you want to bind or restore books, this is
it. |
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