Quill/brasscast: Thoughts about roots, cut short

I wrote this with a quill and with two metal nibs, trying out some "new" old paper, while keeping track of a two-year-old.

Quillcast: checking in

Quillcast: Pinecones

I wrote this about four years ago, along with music.  One of my goals is to get an ensemble together to record it.

To live between a rock and a hard place in between time

-I really had meant to do more posts on my typewriter, I really had.

I have meant to do many things, and making excuses has never been one of them.  But dealing with all the demands on my time ("too many hands on my time," as the Canadian poet also wrote), seeing how I fail at meeting them all, and seeing the hard choices I have to make, maybe I can continue to be patient and forgiving with others when they fail to gratify some of my wishes for time spent with them.

I haven't finished any of my planned Christmas calligraphy projects this year, but I'm going to post some calligraphy of Christmases past.  Looking back over my work, I can see that I have improved my technique, even though I still have much room for more improvement.

First, a section of the Wexford Carol, one of my favorites, that I did - oh, probably three years ago.

And this one, from about the same time, showing the same shaky penmanship and indecisive long "s" (though I'm not sure how much better my current forms are):

Finally, a translation of the Magnificat, which I did as a gift for someone, also in 2012.  This was a bit of work: I translated it into one of the languages in the novel I'm writing, which required some last-minute invention of words and grammar, and then I had to write the thing out carefully and neatly.  At least in this script you have no other specimen to judge it against.  Here it is, enjoy!

Quillcast: calligraphy: Proverbs 9 excerpt in Spanish

Chapter 9 of Proverbs has been one of my favorite passages of scripture since the summer of 1996 when I was reading through the Old Testament during a course of intensive ministerial training.  I've lettered it in English, and I'll do so again, I expect.  But I've also been wanting to letter more quotes in Spanish.  So here is the first part of Proverbs 9 from the 1960 Reina-Valera version.

Yes, I did this with a quill pen, one that I made myself.  (If you're interested in learning how to do really old-fashioned calligraphy, you can buy a quill pen from me on eBay or Etsy.)  It has taken me about six years to get to my current level of skill in lettering, and I'm still looking to improve.

Quillcast: incomprehensible Yes lyrics

Another placeholder post of sorts: here's one of my favorite lines from "Heart of the Sunrise" written with my Reformed Gothic alphabet.

Quillcast: Rush quote: Available Light

A bit of calligraphy practice, using the opening lines of "Available Light."  Lyrics by Neil Peart.  The song is the closing track on Rush's Presto album.

Quillcast: kindness is strength

Since I have been negligent on the typewriters, here's a quote by Robert Ingersoll, written with one of my wild goose quills in Caroline minuscule - and in some haste, as its shakiness shows.

Quillcast: gleaning

Some calligraphy practice:

I'm not an orphan or widower, and not entirely a stranger here, but I'm still glad I got to go glean potatoes last week during harvest.

Quillcast: a good New Year's Sunday

Read more about our "Sunbeams" here.

Quillcast: Chocolate

Someone asked me for my drinking chocolate recipe, so I decided to write it out with a quill on spiffy paper in an anachronistick fashion. Although it is sloppy (in conception and execution) and blotted, I am putting it here to share with the world, or at least the handful of folks who might read this blog.

Usually my quill writing is neater than this. I blame my haste, which in turn led to carelessness in trimming my pen . . . and the fine Southworth paper, which, although it looks dandy, has a rough texture that a quill doesn't seem to like. It has a superficial resemblance to old-fashioned laid paper but it's not the same thing.

Oh well, anyway, here it is. As has become common with Blogger not liking my images, click to enlarge.

I reserve absolutely no copyright whatever for this.

Quillcast: "politics"

Last night I carved myself a new quill pen, using the small blade of my new Swiss Army Knife. The result is rather satisfactory. I tested it by writing a short, rather pessimistic rumination on workplace "politics," after reflecting on the many instances thereof that I've witnessed in my few working years.