Ink sticks are a type of soot-based Chinese or Japanese ink that are ground with water on an
inkstone before use.   When writing the St. John’s Bible, Donald Jackson used ink sticks he
purchased from an elderly colourman in the 70’s and 80’s that had been shipped from China
with chests of tea when the man’s father owned the shop.  The hundred-year-old sticks turned
out to be an expensive collector’s item – a challenge when the Bible project ran low on the
supply.
Susannah Hebert has worked with ink sticks when she studied with Reggie Ezell and will be
teaching us how to use and care for ink sticks.  If you have been having troubles with an ink
stick, this is your opportunity to get advice from guild members with experience.
We will also have a quick show-and-tell style presentation featuring the many creative ways to
make your mark!  Bring your favorite lettering tool to show the class or bring a tool you have
but don’t know how to use.
But wait there is more . . .
January is the time for our annual supply exchange.  Bring any supplies, books, tools you are
tired of, don’t use, overbought, or need a better home and repurposed it into someone else’s
collection.

Bring:

• A pen with your favorite nib with which you would like to see how the stick ink works.
• If you have an ink grinding stone already or have an ink stick you either really like or are
  struggling with, please bring it.  If you remember your ink stick name (example: Boku
  Undo Akanegimo Ink Stick 30210), please bring that too, so people can buy it for
  themselves if they like it.  Do NOT go out and buy an inkstick and stone just for this class
  – plenty will be available to test.
• Your favorite or unusual tool to show the guild
• Any supplies, books, tools you don’t want and need to re-home

Michigan Road branch library –
Julie with Susannah and Bruce

Bruce is a left handed calligrapher and will gladly be available to help other left handed students become successful calligraphers

TBD – Julie or Julia with Susannah

Lombardic Capitals are chunky drawn and decorated letters commonly used in Western
manuscripts.  Julia will be teaching us how to create letters in this style.
Bring: Pencil, eraser, plain white paper, ruler, 3 black or brown monoline pens of varying sizes (like Micron Pigma 01,05,08,) fine line markers and/or colored pencils, a gold or silver fine line pen (like Gelly Roll)

Irvington branch Teen Program –

Mandy with Julia

Central Library crafternoon group (mostly young adults) –

Julia with Wendy

As more people/libraries request calligraphy classes, we are turning into a teaching guild, and
all members are encouraged to share their knowledge.  But there is an art to teaching the art of
calligraphy.  Ellen Simon is a talented teacher, and many guild members got their start in the
classes that she used to teach at the Jewish Community Center.  She will be sharing some of her
best practices and tips for teaching calligraphy.

Many of the great calligraphers, especially those in the U.K., have spent significant time in
museums and libraries, sketching and studying historical manuscripts.  Thanks to a variety of
digitized collections, we are lucky enough to be able to access these collections without
needing to travel around the world. Kathleen will present our first manuscript moment.  We
will be studying examples from European manuscripts in the amazing Digital Bodelian Library
collection, most likely focusing on leaves (trifoliate vining vs. acanthus, TBD).

Lawrence Branch –

Susannah with Bruce

Bruce is a left handed calligrapher and will gladly be available to help other left handed students become successful calligraphers

Wayne Branch –

Laura with Julia

Instructor Laura Villanyi

East 38th St Branch Library

The rose is the United States of America’s national flower.  In celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary, Julie Weinkauf will be teaching a short class on painting roses.  A supply list will be sent out closer to the meeting.