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• Drop Dead Gorgeous - Kitty Maryatt Exhibit

  • Start
    January 27, 2021
  •  
    (UTC-08:00)
  • End
    May 09, 2021
  •  
    (UTC-07:00)
  • Location
    Online

  Drop Dead Gorgeous: Fine Bindings for La Prose du Transsibérien Re-creation
  

  Virtual Exhibition at the Minnesota Center for the Book, Minneapolis, MN

  

  Binding by Dominic Riley of La Prose du Transsibérien Re-creation, an editioned facsimile by SfC founding member and Director Emerita of the Scripps College Press, Kitty Maryatt
  

  https://www.mnbookarts.org/drop-dead-gorgeous-virtual-exhibition/

  La Prose du Transsibérien, published by Sonia Delaunay and Blaise Cendrars in 1913, is the armature on which the drop dead gorgeous bindings in this exhibit are built. Originally folded and bound in a vellum case, the 1913 book explodes into the space you occupy when opened, forcing you to change from a private to a public viewing, a dramatic change in the reading experience. Painter Sonia Delaunay virtually dominates the book, commanding your attention immediately when the book opens with her vibrant, sinuous colors leading you inexorably to the Eiffel Tower. The prose poem by Blaise Cendrars performs its own spectacle in blazing color, taking liberties with poetic form and guiding you on a journey of surprising typographic experiences. For her second act, Sonia Delaunay penetrates the poem with color, reinforcing the shape of the poem. A book with such vitality screams out to the binder: see what you can do with me. This exhibition was inspired by the celebrated binder Paul Bonet, who in 1964, designed an extraordinary binding for a copy of La Prose.

  With support from twelve underwriters, Kitty Maryatt initiated the project in 2017 to re-create La Prose using original techniques of letterpress and pochoir. La Prose du Transsibérien Re-creation was published in 2018 in an edition of 150 copies, with an additional 30 copies hors commerce for the underwriters. The regular edition is bound in a simple folded vellum cover as in the original, and the deluxe edition is bound in aluminum covers with cut-outs.

  
  

  The brilliant idea to ask the underwriters (and others) to commission fine bindings

  for a traveling exhibit was supported enthusiastically by Simon Eccles and Toby Schwartzburg, co-curators of this exhibit. The result is the dazzling exhibition that is celebrated here.

  
  

  A virtual two-hour demonstration of pochoir will be given on February 25, 2021 at 8-10 pm EST. The documentary, The Making of a Masterpiece by Rosylyn Rhee, will be shown on March 25, 2021 from 7-9 pm EST. Visit the website above for details about these events.

  To purchase the Drop Dead Gorgeous catalog from the MCBA Store, visit https://www.shopmnbookarts.org/?page_n=3. Cost $50.

  You can also purchase it from the San Francisco Center for the Book Store, https://sfcb.org. Cost $50. 

  Kitty Maryatt, Exhibition Curator; Simon Eccles, Co-Curator; Toby Schwartzburg, Co-Curator

  UNDERWRITERS of the La Prose Project

  Neale M. Albert, New York, NY; Mary Austin, San Francisco, CA; Servane Briand, Palo Alto, CA; John Crichton, San Francisco, CA; Simon Eccles, Boston, MA; Jack Ginsberg, Johannesburg, South Africa; Greg Krisilas, Encino, CA; Eleanore Ramsey, San Francisco, CA; Rob Saunders, San

  
  

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• Nib Holder Book

  • When
    April 24, 2021
  •  
    1:30 PM - 2:45 PM (PDT)
  • Location
    Zoom - online

  Register

  Presenter: JANE MATSUMOTO

  

  Sponsor: INLAND EMPIRE/POMONA VALLEY CHAPTER

  About the program: SfC member,  Jane Matsumoto, will lead us through a fun program where we'll create a place to store our nibs or to give a gift of nibs! The tri-fold holder with an accordion style center which allows the sections holding the slots for the nibs, to fold out for easy access. Start saving corrugated cardboard, either from packaging or boxes! You will need a small sheet to make one of these nifty nib holders.

  About Jane: Jane is a calligrapher, lettering and watercoloring artist from the Bay Area. She was born and raised in San Francisco and moved to San Jose 22 years ago. She has worked in the education of young children for the past 19 years. Jane is passionate about sharing her knowledge, love, and joy for the calligraphic arts. 

  Zoom Invitation will be sent a couple days in advance.
  

  Questions: Alessandra at iepv.sfcworkshops@gmail.com

  THIS FREE PROGRAM IS OPEN TO BOTH MEMBERS and NON_MEMBERS.

  Things you will need for Jane’s Nib Holder Session

  Solid Cardstock

  W:  4-1/4” x  H: 7”

  W:  4-1/4” x H:  8-1/2”

  W:  4” x H:  4-1/2” (will be cut into thinner rectangles)

  Designer Cardstock or Marbled Paper or Patterned Paper (thicker paper makes this holder more sturdy)

  W: 4” x H: 6-3/4”

  W: 3-3/4” x H: 3-3/4” (will be cut into thinner rectangles)

  Corrugated Cardboard (from a box)

  W- 4” x L- 4-1/2” (the holes go across the top (4”) and will be cut into thinner rectangles)

                         

  Test the holes with a few different sized nibs to make sure the nibs fit well in the slots.

  Supplies

  Paper Trimmer or Cutting Mat, ruler with thick edge or metal edge, X-acto knife or similar cutting tool

  Scissors

  Scor-Pal Measuring and Scoring Board or similar tool for scoring lines

  Scor-Tape or similar double sided tape or favorite glue 

  Additional Materials for closures

  Magnets

  Ribbons / Twine

  Button and twine

  Wax seal, lighter or similar flame, 2” x 2” piece of parchment paper (I will demo a quick trick)

  "These are links to supplies that I will be using during the workshop. Please try to use what you already have. I recommend that you take the workshop first, see what I use,  and then look into getting additional supplies. These are only suggestions."

  Scor Pal Tape (double sided sticky tape) - this one is 1/2" wide. There are options.

  Basic Grey magnetic snaps - this one is the large size. If you prefer the smaller size, you will need to purchase it as a set. 

  Natural Jute Twine 

  Cotton Baker's Twine - for those that prefer softer twine

  1/8" satin ribbon 

  Natural Coconut Shell Buttons

  Scor-Pal Scor-Buddy - this one is a mini version. There are different sizes and they look different to mine. Mine are not scored at 1/8ths. You can use a paper trimmer such as a Fiskars with a scoring blade (black) or a stylus or bone folder to score the lines. 

  Corrugated cardboard sheets - this is in case you do not have access to cardboard.

  Cardstock 65 lb - no less than this or it will be too thin - or use a file folder

  Cardstock 80 lb - a little thicker

  Heavy 100 lb cardstock  - this is an example of very thick cardstock

  Designer Scrapbook paper - this is an example of designer or scrapbook paper

  "Wax Seal" - If you like to do closures using the wax seal process, then you will have a preference of materials to use. I like to use a lighter and the wax with a seal. Others prefer the spoon or glue gun method. Again, this is simply another option. Watch the workshop first and then decide if this is an option for you. If you are interested in supplies for this process, here are some suggestions.

  Wax options:

  Sealing wax sticks

  Sealing wax beads

  Sealing wax spoon

  Seal

  Parchment Paper

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• Romans Review

  • When
    May 08, 2021
  •  
    1:30 PM - 4:30 PM (UTC-07:00)
  • Location
    Zoom - online

  Register

  Presenter: Kristi Darwick

  

  Sponsored by San Diego Chapter

  We'll focus on traditional Romans, using enjoyable exercises to cement those letterforms. This is aimed at giving us a head-start for our June Drawn and Built-up Capitals workshop with Yukimi Annand.  Time allowing, we'll touch on  more casual forms. Anyone looking for an introduction, or to brush-up on their Romans forms, is welcome.  You need not be a member

  Kristi taught a similar in-person class for San Diego--this session will spend more time on the traditional forms (and spacing) and simply touch on casual variations. 

  No charge.

  Materials List:
  

  Grid paper: 8 square per inch is ideal (important)

  Pencil and eraser

  Pigma Micron marker 08 (Try to have a permanent fine-line marker of this size on hand!)

  One or more pieces of paper (9x12 is good) that handles a small amount of water, such as Strathmore Drawing series 400, Arches Text Wove, 90-lb hot press, Canson mixed media pad, etc.. 

  Watercolor pencils, jar of water, decent brush (size 2 is good, but a larger brush will work, too, as long as it has a good point

  (If you don't have watercolor pencils, you can substitute regular colored pencils or watercolor)

  Questions? Kristi Darwick, sdworkshops@societyforcalligraphy.org    

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• Letter-locking

  • When
    June 27, 2021
  •  
    10:00 AM - 11:30 AM (PDT)
  • Location
    Zoom - online

  Register

  Presenter: Janet Faught

  
  

  Sponsor: Inland Empire/Pomona Valley chapter

  About the workshop: Participants will learn a little bit of history and create replicas of correspondence written by poets, musicians, merchants, aristocrats and spies in the 17th century and later. They will discover how paper folding techniques, seals, slits, tabs, holes and string were used in the past to secure letters in a time before envelopes were mass produced. 

  Link to an interesting news article related to Letter Locking: https://www.cnn.com/style/article/opening-sealed-letters-study-scn/index.html

  
  

  About the instructor: Janet is a visual artist living in Utah. She has a BS in Biology, a teaching credential and a BFA in Art. She was a founding member of the Inland Empire Regional Group of the Society for Calligraphy (active in the 1980s), and is a board member of the Utah Calligraphic Artists. Currently, Janet is teaching classes such as Pointed Pen Calligraphy, Gothic Hand Calligraphy, Fountain Pens and Inks (Ink a Dink a Doo), Letterlocking and Correspondence Art through the University of Utah Lifelong Learning Program. She enjoys painting in oil, acrylic, ink and watercolor. She enjoys handwritten letters, wheel thrown pottery, guitar, reading, bookmaking and knitting. She designs wedding announcements and addresses wedding envelopes.

  Supply List: 

  Paper
  

  Writing tool of your choice Sealing Wax
  Seal
  Candle
  Matches
  Xacto knife
  Cutting surface
  Bone folder (optional)
  2 large paper clips Embroidery floss

  Paper
  Rhodia pad No.18, or bond paper, or light weight paper, approximately 8 1/2 x 11 inches. Unlined is good.
  Blick has Rhodia. Office supply stores have bond paper.

  Writing tool of your choice
  Of course it is more fun to write with gel pens, fine liners, and fountain pens.

  Sealing Wax
  The kind you get will depend on the heating source you plan to use. You may use a candle, a glue gun, or a candle furnace, or just wax with a wick on it. If you use a glue gun you need to get the sealing wax made for that.
  Many stores have sealing wax, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Blick, plus many on-line stores like Jet Pens, Nostalgic Impressions, JohnNealBookseller, Goulet Pens and others.
  Amazon has nice sets of wax beads, candle furnace and spoon.

  Seal
  A wax seal can be found at the sources mentioned in Sealing Wax above.

  Candle
  See sealing wax above.

  Matches
  Only needed to light the candle. You don’t need matches if you are going to use a glue gun.

  Xacto knife
  Used for cutting slits in paper. You may be cutting through many layers.

  Cutting Surface
  A cutting mat, or a piece of thick cardboard will work.

  Bone Folder
  Used for making crisp folds in paper.

  Paper Clips
  I use them to stir the wax in my spoon, and to make a stand for the spoon when it is hot. If you are not using the spoon method, you don’t need the paper clips.

  Embroidery Floss
  A very small amount will be used to wind around one of the letter-locked letters.

  Be sure to register to receive the Zoom invitation, which will be sent a couple days before the program.
  

  Questions? Email  Alessandra Kawakubo

   NO audio or video recording of any program, meeting, workshop or other SfC function permitted without prior consent of both guest artist and a representative of the Board of Governors. ** You must ask permission of the artist/ instructor to photograph any copyrighted materials, including demos.
  

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• San Diego Chapter Exhibit Opening Reception

  • When
    July 23, 2021
  •  
    (PDT)
  • Location
    Zoom - online

  Save the date! More information to follow.

  
  

  
  

  Contact: Wendy Telford

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• Play Sheets Playday

  • When
    September 12, 2021
  •  
    1:30 PM - 3:30 PM (PDT)
  • Location
    Zoom - online

  Register

  with Kristi Darwick

  
  

  SAN DIEGO CHAPTER
  

  Sunday, September 12, 1:30pm

  This program will be part of our Practice Challenge. We'll be using Play Sheets as motivation to experiment and for practice. The variations are only limited by our imagination.  Kristi was inspired by Kingsley Benefield, who in turn, adopted the concept during classes with Marsha Brady. During this session, we'll walk through guided exercises to enhance our enthusiasm around the practice of calligraphy and we'll talk about other ideas.
  
  You may wish to save some of your sheets for next month's activity: Meander Books.

  Questions? Kristi Darwick sdworkshops@societyforcalligraphy.org 

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• Meander Books from Calligraphic Piay Sheets

  • When
    October 10, 2021
  •  
    1:30 PM - 3:30 PM (PDT)
  • Location
    Zoom online

  Register

  with Eva-Lynn Diesenhaus

  
  

  Sponsored by your SAN DIEGO chapter
  

  Sunday, October 10   1:30 PM-3:30pm
  

  No cost

  We'll create a box and books using one sheet of paper for each. You'll come away with a box with a lid and four books inside.  You may wish to use your Playsheets from the September program.

  For the box and lid: 
  

  • 90# mixed media paper (Eva-Lynn used Canson).
    
  •  Cut to the following sizes: 1 at 9"x9”; 1 at 4.75"x4.75”
    

  For the books:

  • Text weight- your practice papers or papers from the September Meeting, scrapbook paper, or another paper of your choice. 
    
  • Cut to the following sizes: 2 at 8.5"x 11”; 2 at 11"x11”
    

  
  

  Additional Supplies:

  • Pencil
    
  • Eraser
    
  • Eraser
    
  • Metal Ruler
    
  • Cutting Mat
    
  • Xacto knife with #11 blade
    
  • Bone Folder
    
  • Needle
    
  • Thread for binding
    
  • Scissor for cutting thread
    
  • Awl
    
  • Glue:  Glue Stick OR Double sided tape (1/4 “or 1/2”) such as SuperTape by iCraft (red liner) OR tape runner with double-sided tape (such as Tombo or Scotch)
    
  • Optional:  beads and needle and thread, used for the beads
    

  Questions? contact Kristi Darwick, sdworkshops@societyforcalligraphy.org 

  
  

  
  

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