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Newsletter 63/December 2018 – Talks at the British Library, The Polonsky Project and making a paper Christmas tree for fun!
This Christmas newsletter comes with thanks to all of you who have subscribed – I do hope that you enjoy them and find interesting articles on the links. Writing them is never a chore and I like to think that there is a worldwide group of us who are able to block out whatever is happening in the world outside for 15 minutes or so and focus on stunning manuscripts, excellent craft, fabulous calligraphy and illumination, and a few quirky things! And may I wish every single one of you, wherever you are, a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Patricia.
 

Schmincke Calligraphy Gouache offer!

One person's Christmas will certainly be made this year due to the generosity of our wonderful friends at Schmincke, who have kindly donated a whole set of 12 tubes of Calligraphy Gouache in a stout wooden box, together with an instruction and ideas leaflet. There were almost 200 subscribers from all over the world who sent in their names and were entered into the draw. Pressures in the build up to Christmas have meant that the draw has been a bit delayed and the winner will be announced in the January newsletter.  Now if you are disappointed, then all is not lost! Use your Christmas gift money to buy your own set for £65 instead of £96. Here's more about the set, mixing colours  and also how to get this amazing offer specifically for subscribers to this newsletter.


 

The Polonsky Project

What a privilege and honour it was for me to be involved in the British Library's Polonsky Project! This is a joint initiative between the British Library and the Bibliotèque nationale focusing on their manuscripts before the year 1100. They wanted a series of short films to show the practical aspects of how the manuscripts were made and so on a couple of really hot days in August this year I was filmed by the great Jan and with help from Dr Alison Ray: Tuija Ainonen ensured that everything went to plan. Clearly our luck was in because everything seemed to work well. Of course, it had taken quite a bit of preparation beforehand but the first quill cut well, the egg tempora worked, gold leaf went on the gesso and we didn't have to do any retakes for the titles. Amazing! More on each clip on the link.


 

A Little Bit of Christmas Holly

Holly is a plant that is so synonymous with Christmas that it's included here in this December newsletter. However, is this image exactly what it seems – a sprig of holly with berries in a glass of water? Not quite – this is actually gold with rock crystal, nephrite and purpurine. It's a piece of craftsmanship by Henrik Wigström produced in 1908 and is now in the Royal Collection. Mrs George Keppel visited Fabergé in London with King Edward VII in 1908 and bought this wonderful object. It came into the Royal Collection and is now an important part of it. There's more about it on the link.









 

David from the Vespasian Psalter

It was a very intensive course at the British Library at the end of last month. Sixteen people met to complete as much as they could of the David 'miniature' from the Vespasian Psalter. It certainly was a challenge for us all, with a mix of a few who had experience and most who hadn't. All managed to get the gold on, which made the finished pieces, whether complete or not, look stunning. We all wished the course could have been three weeks long, but everyone went away determined to finish their fabulous artwork, now that they had the skills. There's be more on this miniature in the January issue.
 



Bluetooth, Wednesday, runes and horned helmets

Probably a number of subscribers to this newsletter use Bluetooth without ever really thinking about where the name came from. Harald Bluetooth was king of Denmark and Norway who was able to unite various Viking tribes. Jim Kardach who founded Bluetooth named his invention after Harald hoping it would bring people together. And the symbol for Bluetooth? It's actually the runes for H and B. Wednesday – it's from the Viking god Woden, and those horned helmets? Well, of course, the Vikings didn't wear them. Much more on the myths and truth of Vikings on the link.
 
 

 


Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts at the British Library

There's still time to book up for one of the two events I'm running in 2019 at the British Library in association with the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms conference. Sadly, if you wanted to do the 'Quills and Calligraphy' course, then that's now fully booked, but there are still spaces for the talk 'Magnificent Manuscripts …' on how those Anglo-Saxon manuscripts were made, and actually seeing how vellum is prepared by parchmenters William Cowley. Click on the link to book. Not to miss also are two more talks, one by Michelle Brown on January 7th and the other by Christopher de Hamel on 14th February.

 
 
Handwriting and George H W Bush 

We happened to be in Washington the day of George Bush's funeral and the media there emphasised that no matter what your politics, he seemed to be an honourable man who cared. One of the ways in which he showed this, apparently, was the number of hand-written notes and letters that he sent, whether there was an occasion for this, or just a 'thinking of you' message. Here is his note to Bill Clinton who succeeded him as President. As someone who has always believed in the value of the hand-written (pretty tricky not to, bearing in mind my profession!) it has encouraged me to handwrite even more in the new year. Why not make one of your New Year Resolutions that you will send more hand-written notes and letters – particularly to children?
 


Making a Paper Christmas Tree

There may be some time before Christmas where you're just itching to make something fun but really easy. This decorative Christmas Tree may be just the ticket. You need an A4-size sheet of green paper (cut into a square) and a small piece of red or gold paper for the star. Then you will need a ruler, pencil, some paper glue and scissors – though I preferred to use a knife and metal straight edge to cut the paper into strips when I made them. They would look good attached to cotton and hanging from a mantlepiece or in a window.


 

Thomas Becket's Murder – 29th December

This month marks the date of Thomas Becket's murder in Canterbury Cathedral on 29th December. It must have been a cold and cruel time in many senses, and the words of the saint, recorded by eye witness Edward Grim, record that, although Thomas was aware of the arrival of armed knights, he felt that the cathedral should not be barred to anyone and the doors should be kept open. In this manuscript image the blow from one of the errant knight's swords has 'separated from the head' the very top part of Thomas' skull. The corona at Canterbury Cathedral was built to house the shrine of Thomas Becket and named for this – the part of his head that was cut off. There's more on the link from the great British Library blogpost and also here.


 

A Ball from Plywood

I must admit that my first thought was why would anyone want to make a ball out of plywood, but having seen the finished result, the beauty of it is quite amazing. From a sheet of thick plywood Guy cuts shapes which make a sphere with angles, and when these are sanded down to create the ball, the exquisite nature of the layers of wood are revealed. It's certainly worth watching on the link.


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