Originality and C.S. Lewis Quote

There has been much discussion in the blogging world about 'originality'. Can one ever really be original, especially with the vast exposure to information and visuals through the internet? Is there really a thought, idea, creation that has not been conceived before? This is a deeply philosophical question; one that will make a person feel extremely intellectual and human by pondering.

I think maybe C.S. Lewis summed it up in his quote:

“In literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.” 

my calligraphic rendition

close-up

detail 1

detail 2

 I love the detail photos where you can see the fibers of the paper.

Written with watered down sumi ink, speedball B5 and Esterbrook Radio Pen nibs,

on 9"x12" Arches textwove paper. 

Ancient Prayer of Saint Patrick

Earlier this year, I received a commission to create a broadside of the Ancient Prayer of Saint Patrick.

The length of the prayer dictated that the calligraphy be written fairly small, at least smaller than I  am used to. Several different calligraphy styles and layouts were explored.

Just a few of the styles and hints of layout.

As the rough drafts were submitted to the client, we began to hone in on the style and layout she desired for the piece. The prayer was to be written on vellum, have some type of illustration, with a square format, not to be framed any larger than 12"x12", and to be flush on both sides. (The client greatly desired structure in the layout.)

The style of calligraphy that worked far better than any other was a hand similar to the calligraphy in the St. John's Bible.  The hand is compact and upright with a beautifully classic flow. I practiced and studied the hand for only 4 days before attempting the prayer, which is not near enough time to see it properly, much less, try to emulate it with any type of precision. But deadlines must be met. I would encourage anyone interested in learning a new hand to spend time studying the calligraphy that Donald Jackson created for the St. John's Bible.

This is the finished piece.

Creating a layout that is aligned flush on both sides was quite a task. I utilized the computer for this part of the process. A template was created with the calligraphy manually squeezed here and expanded there for each line. I was then able to fold this template above each line that allowed me to place the appropriate line of writing directly beneath my writing line. This way I was able to follow the spacing exactly as it was laid out on the computer.

Template for layout.

This project was definitely a learning experience. My client wanted three of these broadsides created, which gave me the opportunity to develop some new skills and to reinforce those skills.

Enlarged detail view.

Which Style (con't)

Earlier I posted about trying to find a style and layout that fits a quote. You can see them here.

This style and layout has come closer to my feeling of of the quote. Although, I realized I had the words a little mixed up:) The exact quote reads: "The boundary lines for me have fallen in pleasant places." So far I have not written the exact words. Sometimes I wonder about my ability to remember. haha

This layout was written with sumi ink and a Speedball B1.

Meditations of the Heart

I seem to be having a bit of a mental block lately, struggling to find subject matter to put down. Or maybe, yes maybe, it is too much in my head that I cannot get anything to come out. Everything is wedged at the opening and nothing will budge.

Just today, finally, I wrote down this verse, added it to an existing background, and modified it in photoshop. Going to share it in with my study buddies next week.