CALLIGRAPHY has long been a fascination of mine.  the lettering and illuminated capitals of medieval manuscripts, of the Renaissance;  the hypnotic black hieroglyphic text, and glorious miniature detailed pictures, that's the way to tell a tale, all legends of kings and maidens, or treasure charts with 'Here Be Dragons' in the corner ... to hell with the modern age.

when i started my chaotic art trajectory, way back at Camden Art Centre in the late '80's, they would sometimes offer a calligraphy course.  i'd sign up immediately, my name at the  top of the list, where it would remain, all by itself, until they cancelled the class for lack of numbers... drat.

we did once manage to have a course, for one term, taught by a very skilled calligrapher.  i asked her if, now that she'd worked so long and hard to acquire the technique, she still enjoyed doing it?  she laughed:  'not so much...'  this sometimes turns out to be the way of things - guard your dreams.

i used to send out at least a hundred christmas cards every year.  i know, i know, that's a lot!  i did it methodically, went through my address book, sent one to all the friends i'd met on my travels, nice folk that i'd like to keep in touch with - i figured once a year was better than nothing at all, (and it was amazing how quickly christmas came around again.)

after a while, i felt like doing more than just sending a card, so i started doing my best to carefully letter some of the verse and philosophy that i'd jotted into my notebooks over the years ... avoiding sentimentality, always avoiding sentimentality!  

i must've kept that that up for a good ten years or so, before it trailed off, as things tend to do ... with me, anyway... (he trailed off ...)
it was fun to visit friends and see the quotations saved, pinned up on the wall. dear Lionel had the TH White quote about 'learning' up in his study.

visiting Lionel to do an osteopathy session one time, we saw a television documentary on 'the Book of Kells'.  television was made for this; it was excellent, the camera moving in for close-ups on brilliant, well-lit images, fresh colours and glorious penmanship,  as a voice-over explained that these masterpieces were done 'in conditions approximating the modern pigsty'  (actually, i'd say the modern heated, lighted pigsty left the medieval rush-torch-lit cavern far behind)

well, if they were able to do that, surely i could come up with something - ?

the lettering became tighter and more precise over the years, as i improved my technique, and also my equipment.  the felt-tip calligraphy pens were convenient, but not particularly crisp and clear at the edges - they tended to spread out and blur.   the cartridge pens feeding proper ink through to the nibs were excellent when they worked, but the pens had an exasperating habit of drying up.  i tried cleaning them out with a soak in hot water, and sometimes they'd revive for a while, but then relapse on me all over again.

finally i settled on the old-school dip-pen, with changeable nibs of varying width, as being the best bet. using them becomes a rhythm: dip shake letter,  dip shake letter,  repeat.

the trusty charity shops keep coming up with inspiring texts on the possibilities of calligraphy - always new worlds to conquer.  when time and energy allow (ever my mantra), i'd like to enter into the realm of the Illuminated Capital ...

watch this space.