Gryphon & Candle Scroll

I took notice that Michelle of Harris upon York had been improving leaps and bounds in the arts, particularly when she showed me the blackwork partlet she was making as a gift for the Baroness of Loch Salann, Jennet, as a stepping down gift.  It's truly lovely and documented.

I wrote a letter of recommendation for her to receive her Baronial Arts & Sciences award as a result of my observations.  Being a sneaky person, I offered to do the scroll if his was deemed appropriate.  I had several days off for Thanksgiving, and worked hard to get this done quickly in order to focus on other things (like the napkins I already posted about).

This is based on a page in the Master of Mary of Burgundy.  With the exception of the pink ink, of course, which I had to do because it's Michelle's favorite color.  Authenticity gods will have to forgive me for that move.  It's done in Winsor & Newton Scarlet ink.  Which, as you see, looks like a lovely bright pink that does not resemble scarlet in the least.

Showing different angles of photos so you can see how shiny the gold is.  For the curious, no this is not gold leaf.  I wanted to ensure proper shading of the acanthus, and my skill at leaf is not to the level that I can do this.  So I used a combination of gold gouache and gold inks which simulate shell gold, and added shading with ocher and brown gouache.

Thank you, Bethany and Vilhelm, for allowing me to make this happen.  It had been far too long since I've painted (shame).

New Ink

The beauty of having a husband that has parallel interests means we often get to share toys.  He recently purchased some new ink for use in his studies and writings, and happily shared with me.  This is "Black Swan in Australian Roses" by Noodler's Ink.

on Rodia lined notebook paper

Its shadows look like a dark burgundy-ish brown, which lightens to a brownish rose.  If it bleeds, it halos to a lovely dusky rose.  

On Bristol vellum finish art paper

Overall it has a lovely antique brown finish with warm rose undertones.  While not a period formula, it wouldn't necessarily look out of place on a medieval style manuscript.  It certainly would make gorgeous modern calligraphy come to life.

It flows smoothly, but will bleed out on porous papers - which could be beneficial for those looking for the rose halo effect.  As I detest bleeding, the right paper selection and nib size is important with this ink as it will soak down into the paper rather than pooling on the surface.

Do you have a favorite ink brand or color?

New Ink!

As a surprise gift, my loving husband bought me some new ink to play with, Noodler's Baystate Blue.

Ignore the sloppy Copperplate - I haven't done much practice so my technique is still crap (too round, still don't have a grasp on pressure for thicks/thins, etc).  The purpose of this picture is to show off the beautiful cobalt blue hue of this ink.  It's highly pigmented, but a tad sticky, meaning it is not for use in a fountain pen, but works beautifully for dip pens, particularly the copperplate nibs that don't have the separate reservoir.

This weekend we had a bit of a stitch 'n' bitch at my home, though I have been under the weather and wasn't much of a host.  A few lovely ladies came over and played in my art studio, sewing, beading, mending, etc.  I didn't even think to take pictures, but it was nice to share my space, particularly on a hot day when my room is quite chilly.