the temperature just reached triple digits on my front porch Monday afternoon. Although, my efforts to hand carry water to the pet tomato plants in the backyard are literally bearing fruit, as there are delightful sun warmed red globes large and small becoming ripe. (#totallyworthwhile)
I have been slowly making progress on the bookbinding project, following along with the medieval Islamic bookbinding class online. This weekend I learned a new, if modern, way to DIY bookcloth, using tissue paper and wonder-under. (probably not archival, but super fast and easy)
※※※
inspired by Book of Hours France, Saint-Omer, between 1320 and 1329
first step in creating an SCA scroll is to plan out the calligraphy, since that fixed space needs to be known before adding any borders.
once all the calligraphy is inked, I start drawing and inking the border decorations, looking at medieval Books of Hours, and other manuscript images from the time period*, as my reference for possible imagery...
The theme for the 48 hour challenge was "pollination & partnership", and I enjoyed figuring how to combine those concepts with the interests and heraldic imagery of my recipient
first step in adding color to the scroll is the goldwork, in this case I am using Finetec mica based paint, "Arabian Gold". The original artwork only has five colors: blue, a bright warm red, pale red, a small amount of green, white, and metallic gold.
I tend to add the various colors in one at a time, in order to distribute them evenly around the page, so as to not create unwanted focal points... here I have added the blue, and the bright red, and barely started on the green. There will also be a pale red, and then a few specially mixed colors for certain details... Finally at the end, there will be whitework lines and decorations to enrich the surface
A closer view of this stage of the decorated capital "A"
I found a flax spinning woman in the Rutland Psalter, that with a bit of adaptation would be perfect here
※※※
~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 33 ~
Close the book
where are comforting arms,
and a velvet voice to tell me
that it all turns out well in the end
Outside the library, samaras spiraling down
Mommy peeled one open and stuck it on my nose
now I'm a unicorn inside a tale
we left that town, that gentle life
Moms link arms against the guns now
where are comforting arms,
and a velvet voice to tell me
that it all turns out well in the end
Outside the library, samaras spiraling down
Mommy peeled one open and stuck it on my nose
now I'm a unicorn inside a tale
we left that town, that gentle life
Moms link arms against the guns now
freedom is a fever dream now
the planet burns now
the planet burns now
I long for a different story
※※※
beauty in the time of isolation - day 126:
Nandina in jasmine vines
beauty in the time of isolation - day 126:
※※※
July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | deerskin pouch | sage pruned | yard waste bin |
| 2 | bone needle case | some plum pruning | recycle bin |
| 3 | 3 jars applesauce | cut unruly rose canes | yard waste bin |
| 4 | 2 jars orange marmalade | all the taxes done | recycle bin |
| 5 | three aprons for Mud Bay | pruned grapevine | yard waste bin |
| 6 | Kestrel mask | removed comfrey | yard waste bin |
| 7 | 7 pints of plums | filled planters | recycle bin |
| 8 | 2 pints plum syrup | transplants in | x |
| 9 | tiny knitting | x | x |
| 10 | tiny knitting bowl | x | x |
| 11 | book cloth | x | x |
| 12 | Nandina clothing | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitude - Long ago when I was a young person, I had a best friend Vanessa, from when I was in 5th grade to when I was in 9th grade and moved away. I have been thinking about her often these days, as I wander around on my sanity strolls and look for places to photograph Nandina.
Vanessa and I played with our Barbie and Tutti dolls, but rather than the "prescribed" way with clothes and fashions, ours were proto-survivalists cast away on another planet, and we roamed the neighborhood foraging for foodstuffs found on various plants, and made clothing from leaves... We built habitats from lashed together sticks, and rocks, and whatever else we could salvage under the shrubbery in her yard.
May she rest in peace and in power, she died in 2012...
*
medieval bees
distaff and spindle
fruit harvest
photos of Countess E here, here, and here
dog of Countess E
distaff and spindle
fruit harvest
photos of Countess E here, here, and here
dog of Countess E
Nandina looks happy among the flowers, and to be living in such a creative household.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memory of two little girls, creating their own world.
Nandina's big sister Zinnia lives in an equally creative household further north, with my former studio partner and family. Vanessa and I were ODD little girls, who did things like try and figure out which of our classmates we would choose as starship companions, in order to get enough genetic variation. Her mom was really into the folk music scene back then, and took us along from time to time.
DeleteYour scroll will be magnificent! I am so sorry about you’re loosing a friend. We in this country move “away” so often, and families and friends reunite so seldom. I’m doing a genetic search of my father’s mother’s side of the family. They came from a small, small area in Scotland. I’ve been able to go back to the 7th great grandmother, all those families staying put in a “wee” area of NE Scotland. Family and friends have changed in so many ways from the early 1600s to now. I think I have a gene shared with my other grandmother, always craving family members nearby. Of course, that’s only in my dreams. I gotta go shake these cobwebs outa my head! Be well.
ReplyDeletethank you for the compliment and the caring wishes... I am not sure if it is genetic, but one of the really hard things for me right now is being so far away from my parents and my siblings.. stay well Cherie, and stay safe.
Delete