More botanical fun!

Featuring a four-o-clock, a lemon, and something I cannot remember at the moment. I have a little bit more detailing left on the four-o-clock, like the flower stamens. Finish up a few page shadoes for the lemon and the mystery flowers and I should have this wrapped up. Hurrah.

Sorry for the slightly blurred image. I do not rock as a photographer.

Vanessa atalanta

In my many year since I have started with scribal arts, I have never once made a single piece of art that I meant to keep or was really even slated for me. I ended up with my first original illuminated border coming back to me as my AoA (and as a lesson in leaving proper borders), but since then I have none of my own art on my walls. I hear there are some nice collections of my scribal arts on the walls of my friends though, so at least that's something.

However, I was feeling unwell this week and decided to paint to take my mind ouff the hurt. I had no books of illumination to pour over and find inspiration, instead I had some printed out photos of butterflies. Thus, I was inspired.

I chose a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) as I have ever enjoyed the brilliant flash of red as these butterflies wing by. The deep velvety blacks and browns of their wings set such a gorgeous contrast for their more brilliant hues.

The first image is the butterfly photo and my rendition, one above the other. The second photo is of my painting alone.

Another sort of Inke

A few weeks ago, my apprentice Lady Bres decided to cook up some ink for an upcoming Art/Sci project. It was quite a fun day for all involved. Below, the recipe and some pictures of our lovely experience. Note the delightful color of the wooden spoon as the ink progresses.

This type of project is easy to do in an afternoon and as it involves wine it just makes sense to buy some extra a while away the cooking time with a glass of vine in your hand. I must recommend leaving open a window or two though, as it is somewhat stinky.

Take a quart of strong wine, put it into a new pot, and set it on a soft fire till it be hote, but let it not seeth, then put into it foure ounces of gauls, two ounces and a halfe of gum Arabike,and two ounces of victriall, al beaten into smal pouder, and sifted through a sive, stirre it with a wooden sticke, and it will be good inke.

Find more period ink recipes here: Ink Corrosion

A great big thanks to Bres for getting this project going and hosting the ink making at her home.