Teaching--Studies--Learning

I expect this page to be continually under construction. Please check back frequently.

Art Stuff

Click here to read my paper that pictures and describes the methods I used to recreate  a 15th century Flemish illumination on parchment with gold leaf. I entered it in the Calontir  Kingdom Trilevels Competition, July 2007.

East Meets West Competition--I have a thing about finding and connecting  information dots. This paper shows the connection of the making of glass, diamonds to make engraving tools, the concept of engraving glass, and the flowery acanthus pattern. It is the paper that went with the glass I engraved for HRM Garick von Kope on his Calontir coronation, October, 2004.

This paper describes the research and the methods I used to make the 15th century devotional object that was portrayed in the Portrait of a Young Man by Petrus Christus. But did such items actually exist or was it an artist's fantasy? I got as much enjoyment out of answering that question as I did finding all the parts of the information I needed to do the work properly and re-creating it. It did well in the July, 2000, Tri-level Competition too.

Writings

Healthy Hands: A Quest --  Since I am both a dental hygienist and an artist I have at times stressed my hands to the point of chronic pain. After learning of the care I needed to take of my hands I wrote this paper to pass that information on to fellow artisans, crafters, and other keyboard addicts.

Diapering Made Simple is my updated handout for my hands-on painting and illumination class on the techniques of production of two styles of geometric diaper patterns.

Using Wash Techniques In Illumination links to an article of mine that was in the first edition of the on-line Calon Scrolls, October, 2006, pages 30-33.

A Gift Fit For A King links to an article I published in the April, 2007, on-line Calon Scrolls, pages 29-31. It is a basic description of how to hand-engrave glassware so it looks like a 15th or 16th century goblet.

Diamond-point Engraved Glassware--This paper is an update of my class hand-out teaching how to do engraving on glassware.

Book Reviews

Under this heading I hope you will find reviews of books  of particular interest or help. (Sorry, "being of interest" may at times be in a negative way.) Please click on the blue link  to read a review (pdf format) of the book listed.

Engraving and Decorating Glass: Methods and Techniques by Barbara Norman -- An introduction to glass decoration.

Scribes and Illuminators (Medieval Craftsmen series) by Christopher de Hamel -- A small museum book on medieval manuscript production.

Medieval Illuminators and Their Methods of Work by Jonathan J. G. Alexander -- presents the lives, context, methods and tools of medieval book producers.

Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts: A Guide to Technical Terms by Michelle P. Brown -- A concise dictionary of terms with pictures about medieval manuscript production.

Home I My Early Illumination I Recent Calligraphy and Illumination I My Engraved Glass I Patterns I Bio

Calontir Scribes' Handbook

Last revised  October 6, 2008

Unless otherwise noted, all works are copyright 2007, 2008  by Susan E. Gordon known in the SCA as Jehanne Bening.