My Brush with Greatness

What is it about white on black that makes lettering look better than it is?  Kind of like candlelight that way.

Earlier this year I was asked to make some signs for a local chamber ensemble, the Bay Brass.  They were performing at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music to celebrate the release of their CD "Sound the Bells", a labor of love eight years in the making. 

Little did I know at the time that the CD would go on to be nominated for a Grammy! Since my husband plays in the group, my first thought was--do we get to go to the awards?!?  But I think the classical small ensemble awards are probably handed out the night before, maybe in the basement, or the parking lot...drive-by...oh well.  Lady Gaga will have to wait to meet me.

Anyway, you can hear samples of, and/or purchase, this amazing recording here, along with their Christmas album which is awesome and has been a favorite for over ten years.  Be sure to mention you know their calligrapher...

Bye Bye Blackletter

The names of everyone who has ever attended a Black Sabbath class by Ward Dunham

It was a bittersweet event.  On Saturday, December 4, students and friends of Ward Dunham & Linnea Lundquist gathered to celebrate the end of four-and-a-half years of "Black Sabbath" blackletter classes in their San Francisco studio, Atelier Gargoyle.  Those of us lucky enough to attend these monthly Saturday sessions were expertly and enthusiastically schooled in Textura, Johnstonian Italic, Uncial, Batarde, and other related topics by two exceptional calligraphers who happen to be a couple and, often, a comedy duo.

There was food, including cupcakes from the wonderful Jasmine Rae Bakery, who have kept us in yummy gingerbread and other delectables these last few years.

Look closely...those are fondant Brause pen nibs!  Good enough to eat, and we did.

Ward tended bar, offering his signature Hot Apple Pie adult beverage...

...while Linnea helped everyone stock up on supplies from the shop.

The exhibit of the students' final projects, beautifully displayed on the studio walls and tables, was varied and awe-inspiring!

Here is a closer look at a few of the pieces for which the photos came out reasonably well.  There were so many wonderful ones!

Meredith Jane Klein

Paul Costanzo

David Brookes

Patricia Coltrin

Jessie Evans

Helen Fung

Bonnie Noehr

Dean Robino

Raoul Martinez

There were awards, speeches, and heartfelt tributes, followed by lively conversation and merrymaking!

Ward made sure we all had the contact information for their new abode in Half Moon Bay...

...and Linnea, along with the rest of us, shed a few tears.

But it has been a great run, and all of us who participated are richer for it.  Black Sabbath has been an important part of the San Francisco calligraphy community, and will be sorely missed.  Thank you, Ward & Linnea!  It has been a pleasure and a privilege.

Buncha Uncial

There's a local institution that asks me each year to inscribe their graduates' names on their diplomas.  The first year, I was given a sample of their previous calligrapher's work, which was a very bold Uncial hand.  I thought it was a bit odd for a diploma, but have come to appreciate how it goes with the rest of the document (which I'm not showing here, but take my word for it...).  Now I have lots of fun playing with letter variations, "to-dot-or-not-to-dot" (a point on which Ward Dunham and Sheila Waters will forever disagree), and how to squeeze some of those very long names onto the page with this expansive hand.

One solution is to overlap letters---love the double-double-Ns.

Mission (Statement) Accomplished

The mission statement at my kids' alma mater, Marin Academy, is oft-quoted and central to the life of the school, so it seemed like a good idea to render it calligraphically for an auction item at their fundraiser a few years back. It's a potpourri of Uncial, Italic, Copperplate, my own scribbly handwriting, and some bits of stamped color and gold ink. The large Italic was done using my rinse water as ink. By cutting the mats myself I was able to make it fit into a stock frame size, which saved custom framing costs.

I don't remember exactly how much the piece went for, but it was a respectable sum. I was later asked to make a similar piece as a tribute to the Head of School's tenth anniversary (two different mattings here, not sure which one we settled on)...

...and another to honor a founding Trustee.