Ampersands & other Ligatures

Ampersands & other Ligatures - a two day workshop

Jill's experiments - all participants created pages and pages of examples.

The following are highly decorative ampersands from the Book of Kells. After much study of, and then research in pairs of both ampersand forms, the origins of the ampersand's nomenclature and it's variety of forms including Tironian Notes this was a relaxing way to wind down the workshop. On the afternoon of the second day we each took a different decorative ampersand from the Book of Kells and worked it in whatever fashion we wanted. The participants could use gouache, coloured pencils, watercolour or pen and ink and only had about two hours to play with these exquisite historic forms.

Some participants had illumination experience and others didn't but everyone enjoyed their results.

Sorry this one is a little blurred but I wanted to be inclusive rather than not.

My demonstration roll - nothing beats the glistening of wet ink flowing off the broad nib, yum!

My whiteboard - a very slippery demonstration surface.

The following photos are of the participants working in pairs on a research project I set them.

Angela & Lyndell

Some of the CCS participants at Urambi Village

Sara & Christine

Pamela & Ann deep in research

Maureen & Pamela

Jill & Jenni

Canberra Calligraphy Society President Jill Robertson & New Recruit Sara Posgay

Chris & Mike

Carol & James

Here are some of the photos from the weekend workshop in Canberra. It was a marvellous time of research, and pure pleasure revelling in Ampersands & other Ligatures. I was delighted with the response and the results of their research and subsequent work. Thank you Canberra for being the first to experience this Ampersands & Other Ligatures workshop ... who said anything about guinea pigs!

If anyone is interested in having me teach this fascinating two day workshop for your group please contact me and I'll look at my remaining 2011 schedule, though I am also making workshop bookings for 2012 already.