J’abuse un peu quand je dis calligramme, car il ne s’agit pas de poésie mais d’illustrations de textes religieux, écrits en hébreu. Néanmoins, admirez les dessins écrits de ces ma…

I have been a busy person today! I was so excited about learning more celtic knot designs that I started in at 6:30AM today and finally pri...

A summer camp for teenagers became a pivotal event in Hillary Waters Fayle's life. The theme of the camp was centred around nature and environmental

Ok, no I'm not really ready to get this thread up and running yet. But in the interest of letting anyone who wants to play along to […]

Coop carves this Celtic Bear Knot designed by Katrina in 2 sizes. There are so many meanings, historical and modern to the Bear. It can appeal to those who search for Strength; Lovers of the tale of King Arthur, Mothers wishing to fill a nursery with woodland animals as well as Big Hairy Men and those who love them! MEANING: Celtic Bear (Arth): Although the bear was native to the Isles, it is now extinct there. Evidence of its being a totem animal is found in many Celtic designs; although it is not mentioned in the legends. The word "arth", which means "bear", is the root word for the name Arthur. Bear symbolize warrior spirit and courage to fight. The bear’s spirit would be invoked to help warriors in battle. As the bear is a fierce and powerful fighter, its name was also adopted by kings and warriors. It is said that the Vikings would wear bear skins in times of war to scare off their enemies. They would appear as powerful as these wild animals. Bear symbolize warrior spirit and courage to fight. In spring, the Mama Bear emerges from her winter hibernation in the womb of mother earth with bear cubs in tow. This led to the bear being associated with regeneration, rebirth and adopted as a solar symbol.  Bears are known to protect their cubs with unrivaled ferocity, using all their strength and courage to protect their vulnerable offspring.  In modern times, Bear has become an affectionate term for a subculture in the gay community. Bears tend to have hairy bodies and facial hair; some are heavy-set; some project working-class masculinity; none of these are requirements or unique indicators. As LGBT culture and modern slang take on a wider appeal in modern society, the term has expanded to referring to a hairy and burly straight man as a bear, although they would not be part of the gay bear community. However, heterosexual men who have bearish physical traits and are affirming of their gay friends and family (or their gay fans, in the case of a celebrity) may also be informally accorded "honorary" bear status. THE CARVING: Our carvings are single pieces of western red cedar, designed and carved to be wall hangings. Each carving begins as a 1 X 12 inch cedar board. While we use power tools (Scroll Saw, Rotary shaft Tool, handheld detail sanders etc.), we use no laser’s, CNC machines or computer operated cutting machines. All work is done with our hands and eyes… We cut the 2 dimensional blanks with scroll and jig saws (double-sized custom orders have to be cut with jigsaw). Carving is done with rotary shaft tools and disc grinders. The 80 grit sanding is the final phase of the carving process, removing the nicks and gouges from the carving tools, and finishes the shaping of the weave. The next 2 sandings with 120 then 220 grit finishes the smoothing and polishing. They are finished with Clear Danish Oil to seal the piece, bringing out the grain and the color.

I'm back after a long break. Have been teaching wildflower sketching, preparing for upcoming Botangle/Zentangle classes, and just had to try something new to share. Every September, Estes Park (where I live) hosts the Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival, and I thought it might be fun to offer a Celtic knot drawing class this September in my new home classroom studio. Sooooo, as if I don't have enough to do, I decided to teach myself to draw Celtic knots. It's really not that different from learning to draw Zentangles, "one step at a time." Here you can see my quick and dirty "step outs" for a super simple basic knot. Then I enlarged it (but incorrectly 5x5 dots instead of 4x4.) However, the results were surprisingly pleasing. So I took the two basic patterns and did a little tangling on top. It's really fun - obviously endless possibilities. You can see I was using a dotted paper from a pre-dotted "Moleskin" journal. The paper quality is not great so my added watercolor made it buckle. But it's great for learning the knot patterns. Next I'll try a few with a more refined hand and good paper. My basic Celtic knot "step-out" notes. Had fun with making a border and adding color. "Step out" page My self-taught Celtic knot turned Zentangle. Close up of the smaller Celtic tangle. Close up of the larger Celtic tangle (my mistake knot that actually worked!)

Learn all about the medieval manuscript making process with a fascinating but short documentary, several living books, and simple DIY project.

This is a picture from the only textbook I saved from high school.

I'm back after a long break. Have been teaching wildflower sketching, preparing for upcoming Botangle/Zentangle classes, and just had to try something new to share. Every September, Estes Park (where I live) hosts the Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival, and I thought it might be fun to offer a Celtic knot drawing class this September in my new home classroom studio. Sooooo, as if I don't have enough to do, I decided to teach myself to draw Celtic knots. It's really not that different from learning to draw Zentangles, "one step at a time." Here you can see my quick and dirty "step outs" for a super simple basic knot. Then I enlarged it (but incorrectly 5x5 dots instead of 4x4.) However, the results were surprisingly pleasing. So I took the two basic patterns and did a little tangling on top. It's really fun - obviously endless possibilities. You can see I was using a dotted paper from a pre-dotted "Moleskin" journal. The paper quality is not great so my added watercolor made it buckle. But it's great for learning the knot patterns. Next I'll try a few with a more refined hand and good paper. My basic Celtic knot "step-out" notes. Had fun with making a border and adding color. "Step out" page My self-taught Celtic knot turned Zentangle. Close up of the smaller Celtic tangle. Close up of the larger Celtic tangle (my mistake knot that actually worked!)

British Library MS Cotton Nero D.iv, 138v - Carpet page introducing St Luke's Gospel, from the Lindisfarne Gospels.

Another element of celtic knotwork designs are spirals. Here's a quick tutorial of how to work with them. Having a compass and ruler are extremely useful for this type of work, though it is possible to eyeball it as well. Two Coils 2-1 Start with a circle. Bisect the circle through the middle, and mark off segments of equal length outwards from the middle of the circle. Both the bisecting line and these marks are used for guides, so don't make them too dark. 2-2 After you have the guides set up, start the spirals from the center of the circle with twin arcs moving in the same direction, to the first pair of your markers. Pick clockwise or counterclockwise -- it doesn't matter which, as long as you are consistent. 2-3 From here, it's a matter of just continuing the arcs expanding outwards, always bringing each arm around to the next pair of markers. 2-4 And continue until you reach the outside of the circle. A simpler two-coil spiral can be made with fewer segments spaced farther apart, and a more elaborate one with more segments closer together. * * * Three Coils 3-1 Start with a circle. Mark off some guidelines by dividing the circle into thirds (either by using a compass or protractor to measure the 120 degrees). Mark off segments of equal length outwards from the middle of the circle along each of these three guidelines. These marks are used for guides, so don't make them too dark. 3-2 After you have the guides set up, start the spirals from the center of the circle with three arcs moving in the same direction, to the first set of your markers. Pick clockwise or counterclockwise -- it doesn't matter which, as long as you are consistent. 3-3 From here, it's a matter of just continuing the arcs expanding outwards, always bringing each arm around to the next set of markers. 3-4 And continue until you reach the outside of the circle. * * * Working Multiple Spirals Together Okay, so those are the basics for a single spiral. You could apply the same technique to creating a spiral with as many arms as you want, just subdivide the circle with the number of guidelines equaling the number of coils you want the finished spiral to have. But how do you go about weaving those basic patterns into a more elaborate design? 4-1 Start with laying out some guidelines/circles for yourself. In this particular design, I want to have three interlocking spirals combined in a single circle. Visualize the final underlying structure, and with that in mind, lay out the guides that you need. This may take a bit of practice to be able to conceptualize beforehand and know what you need, but one thing you can do is start with what you think you need, and as you go, sketch in more guides as required. 4-2.a The initial framework is in place, but each of the inner circles is to be a spiral, and so these must have their own guidelines and markers in place. 4-2.b Start the arms of the spiral as previously described in the Three-Coil section above. 4-2.c Finish up the three coiled spiral, and repeat on each of the three circles in this design. 4-3 After finishing 4-2, you would have a large circle, with three smaller circles contained in it, each with a separate three-coiled spiral. Now you can get creative about how to link these three elements together into a cohesive design. The most natural junction of these three spirals is for the lines to lead directly into a central three-coiled spiral in the middle of the design. 4-4.a Now the three spirals are all linked together, but the design still has a lot of empty space, and the larger coils could use some tweaking and details as well. 4-4.b In a large enough piece, you could even insert panels of simple knotwork inside the arms of the coils. 4-4.c Or fill the surrounding space with a bit of knotwork. 4-5 Repeat whatever motifs you choose to implement around the entire design, and erase the guidelines to have your finished creation! * * * Examples from my current project I'm currently working on designing a stained glass hanging lampshade for my room. Here are some practical examples of the design process I go through myself.

As a new guide to Westminster Abbey's Christian treasures launches online the Abbey's curatorial team share five of its fascinating objects From a medieval guide to staging coronations to England's oldest surviving altarpiece, Westminster Abbey is home to some remarkable...

The oldest domestic cat has almost 20,000 followers on social media and the no. seems to be growing every day. seems to be leading his life

I'm back after a long break. Have been teaching wildflower sketching, preparing for upcoming Botangle/Zentangle classes, and just had to try something new to share. Every September, Estes Park (where I live) hosts the Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival, and I thought it might be fun to offer a Celtic knot drawing class this September in my new home classroom studio. Sooooo, as if I don't have enough to do, I decided to teach myself to draw Celtic knots. It's really not that different from learning to draw Zentangles, "one step at a time." Here you can see my quick and dirty "step outs" for a super simple basic knot. Then I enlarged it (but incorrectly 5x5 dots instead of 4x4.) However, the results were surprisingly pleasing. So I took the two basic patterns and did a little tangling on top. It's really fun - obviously endless possibilities. You can see I was using a dotted paper from a pre-dotted "Moleskin" journal. The paper quality is not great so my added watercolor made it buckle. But it's great for learning the knot patterns. Next I'll try a few with a more refined hand and good paper. My basic Celtic knot "step-out" notes. Had fun with making a border and adding color. "Step out" page My self-taught Celtic knot turned Zentangle. Close up of the smaller Celtic tangle. Close up of the larger Celtic tangle (my mistake knot that actually worked!)

A new website sharing George Bain's explorations into Celtic and Pictish art is continuing the pioneering work of the father of modern Celtic Art During the 1920s the illustrator, watercolourist, designer, and art teacher George Bain became captivated by the...

Rick writes: I came across these gems while sorting through files of old pictures. About eight years ago, Maria and I were in western Massachusetts. These beautiful manuscripts were in a restaurant where we enjoyed a lovely dinner. I took these pictures with the intent to share them with you. Well, better late than never. (Or, maybe I already did and we all get to enjoy them again!) I estimate that these manuscripts are from the 17th or 18th century. They are all hand-lettered on vellum, probably a sheepskin or a goatskin. The pen strokes were beautiful, so fresh and crisp, you wonder if the ink was still wet. But take a look at the tangles embellishing the initial capital letters. Here's a closer look . . . Check out those aura lines holding delicious fragments . . . and that gently crenelated outer aura. What a hand! And in this next close-up . . . More auras surrounding some flux (or is it mooka?) with some tiny orbs in the interstices. And what is that in the middle of the Q? I haven't seen that before. That has great potential for a new border tangle. Check out the background in that angled pattern. It's not a solid color. It's a tight cross-hatching. What care and affection went into this creation! Perhaps in some dimension, the scribes' hearts are basking in the appreciation of thousands of readers admiring these precious jewels. Here's a beautiful large illuminated C with marginalia: I love that positive/negative medallion in the margin with the vinings echoing sampson or is that icanthis? Look at that wonderful adaptation of hollis inside the letter. What a great idea to use hollis to totally fill a section as it curves and grows within itself. When I interrupted Maria that quiet Saturday back in 2003, she was embellishing a gilded letter with simple patterns in the spirit of these manuscripts. If you've heard our story, that was the seed inspiration for this grand Zentangle adventure. I think that is one reason we were so drawn to these manuscripts. Here are a couple more examples of some of the smaller initial caps using mooka, hollis, and, of course, lots of auraing. Here's one more . . . Notice the triangular fragment to the right of the

Learn to draw a Celtic knot. This step-by-step tutorial makes it easy. Kids and beginners alike can now draw a great looking Celtic knot.

J’abuse un peu quand je dis calligramme, car il ne s’agit pas de poésie mais d’illustrations de textes religieux, écrits en hébreu. Néanmoins, admirez les dessins écrits de ces ma…

Source “Kartuli Ornamenti II.” Marina Tevzaia, 2009.

Here is the my 100 day project - Days 33-40. Each of the 4-page spreads are unique. The first, all done with only black pen (after lightly with pencil) inspired by my Keys to Drawing Celtic Knots course, and the second spread because I’m really excited about my new garden, ordered seeds etc… Those e

The Way of Water © Jan L. Richardson If you want to get a feel for how God cares for God’s people, follow the trail of water through the scriptures. Wilderness, exodus, baptism, tempest: whet…

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee,because he trusted in Thee.”~ Isaiah 26:3 KJVThat verse hangs on the wall directly across from my bed. The picture (not shown due to copyright) is an original illumination, given to us as a wedding gift over 40 years ago. At the most

A book created in the North and of the North by the community of Lindisfarne - The Lindisfarne Gospels will return home in 2022 As Anglo Saxon treasures go, the Lindisfarne Gospels is surely up there with the Sutton Hoo...

Fleeting Time featuring DIVA #363, Joey's 216, and more...and the Ugly

Illustration of the bronze cast Urnes style openwork brooches from Roskilde and Kiaby. The brooch displays a single animal with an extraordinary neck tendril intertwining the body. Th…

This blog is the content of the classes that I teach so anyone who missed class can check and see what we did so they can work on the assignments at home. If you aren't in a class you can see how we work and maybe you'd like to sign up for a future class.