Introductions
Donata Bonacorsi
I think we have enough here to start introductions. Let me start with
myself.
As you have probably all figured out, my name is Donata Bonacorsi. I've
been active in the SCA for about mumble years now, more than most, less
than some. (in the West there is always someone who has been playing
longer than you, except for Flieg).
I first started taking night classes in printing and bookmaking at a
Community College (Foothill, in Los Altos) some five or so years ago as
a way to further myself in graphic design. Both printing and bookmaking
quickly became a passion, so when I transfered to an CCAC (California
College of Arts and Crafts) I choose to major in printing and
bookmaking.
I recently graduated from that college, and three months after
graduation I was elevated to the Order of the Laurel for bookbinding.
(Allthough, I'm still not sure if I dazzled them with my brillance or
baffled them with my bullshit.)
Let me be the first one to say that there is so much to learn about
book arts, and the related scribal and printing arts, that it would
take lifetimes to learn them all. This is not said to frighten all you
beginners out there, I love learning things, and feel that learning is
one of the best parts of living.
People on this list should feel free to study whatever aspects of these
arts they find themselves interested in, whether it is all of them or
only, say quill making (I'm sure there would be plenty of people
interested in getting quills who are not as interested in the curing
and cutting process), vellum making, or jewely making (all of those
fittings are closer to jewelry than any other metal working sport)even
if you never want to sew a book together, or fill a book with
calligraphy and illumination. There is place and time enough for
everyone at any level of skill, and any interests to grow somewhere in
these related arts.
Please, everyone, introduce yourself, your interests, and any
experiences with any of the arts I've already mentioned or even ones
that I haven't. You'll be suprised what arts translate over. Also add
where you are (and that includes you from out of Kingdom).
Donata Bonacorsi
Mists, Cloondara
Dubhgall Monetarius
Had a chance to sit with Donata and a few others making sewing frames
at a recent collegium when this group was starting to form and I think
that it is a great idea.
Currently, I am the Minister of the West Kingdom Moneyers Guild and
have been working metal, serving the crown and kingdom, and having a
great time with them for 5-7 years. So let me know if you have
questions about stamping, tool making, iron working, or have need of a
rolling mill.
A couple of years back I got my M.A. in Medieval Studies from Western
Michigan University. Go to the International Congress on Medieval
Studies located in Kalamazoo if you ever have the chance. My program
there was interdisciplinary in nature but I spent a lot of time with
paleography and codicology. In fact I was lucky enough to travel to
classes at the Newbery Library in Chicago where you can find the
largest collection of Herman Melville paraphernalia in the world,
including Moby Dick Brand Soap, and also a really decent collection of
medieval manuscripts.
My exploits thus far into SCA book arts are limited: 1 bound book
presented to the king with a doomsday style census and bound in yellow
raw silk, split oak boards the old way for book covers, a disastrous
attempt at vellum making (got to love that public dump!), made iron
gall ink from a 14th century recipe, made red brazil ink from "A Booke
of Secrets", and limited teaching about medieval book binding and ink
making at a local collegium.
I'd love to work with this group towards a beginners bibliography for
book binding and book arts. I find it too easy to get lost in technical
details and feeling the desperate need to buy tools when learning a new
craft. In the Moneyers Guild we introduce new people slowly and with
basic projects so that they do not get overwhelmed or burnt out too
quickly.
di vos incolumes custodiant,
Dubhgall
Donata Bonacorsi
border, right?
I love the idea of a biblography, there is a number great books out
there about all of the book arts (if any of you have read any you like
on any of the artforms, please share) and I am a great proponent of
work arounds. I have gotten a lot of weird looks for doing so, but
money, space and time end up winning. (one of my favorites was getting
snide comments for using bricks and heavy books as a press, but presses
are expensive and done carefully, weight is weight.
I am hoping to do large and small projects within this group. The large
projects can allow people to learn more about an art they knew little
about without having to do it all. Smaller individual projects can let
you put all the different pieces together, or work one on one for a
single joint project. These arts were not done alone, and we should
foster the idea of group projects and get ourselves away from the idea
of the cowboy bookmakers (now there's an image)
I am working on a website for this group. I will send out a link as
soon as I have the beta up.
Donata Bonacorsi
Diane Merrill
70's but didn't get serious until 1997. My main interest/experience is
in cloisonné enameling(mundane living), but I also make paper,
illuminate, gild and do ebru (marbling), suminigashi (precursor to
marbling) and nature printing. I majored in art in college&took
printmaking. I have taught college art classes &I still teach cloisonne
enameling(and other obscure crafts) for a living.
Life without learning is unthinkable so I am easy to distract and
frequently go off on tangents when encouraged or teased into it....my
lord's favorite maneuver. I am currently learning graving & other
metalworking skills and am applying these in my enameling projects
(currently playing around with acid-etch). So I wouldn't be surprised to
see some of these experiments become visible as book mounts etc. or
jewelry pieces.
I will be delighted to work in tandem with other SCA artists to make
things. Dubhgall and I might even have begun that very thing? eh,
Dubhgall? (You hold the hammer and I'll SMACK it, right?)
:D
Diane Merrill
:D