Elspeth's Rose

A number of years ago Brigid Caileen and Mittion were the Crown of Trimaris and TRM Caileen had a very special project. Her friend, Duchess Elspeth, had been in the SCA quite a number of years and although she had received many accolades, she had not received many illuminated pieces to commemorate those awards. Caileen set up to have scribes create all of the pieces that Elspeth was missing.

Caileen asked me to take the commission for the Rose scroll and although I was swamped at the time I could not say no to her. Saying no to Caileen is like saying no to your sweet grandma wrapped in a hurricane because she is a darling and a force of nature in one.

I had been toying with the knot-worked calligraphy from the Mira Calligraphae Monumenta for some time and decided this would be a good piece. I selected three of Hoefnagel's roses pictured in separate parts of the book and paired them with the knot-worked calligraphy. In the calligraphy, the award text was not long enough to create the cross shape so I added in lines from a medieval poem that I cannot recall.

The calligraphy on the curves was not easy and I recall not being entirely happy with it but the illuminations helped me to feel better about the piece as a whole.

Odo, the Bad Monkey

Odo needed a Duchy scroll and had spent the better part of his reign tormenting me. For months I had been telling him he was a bad monkey.

As he had no preferences on what I painted... I painted bad monkeys. The one at top left is scratching his backside. The one at bottom left is stealing a jewel while flagellating himself. The one at top right... well his hand is interesting position and he looks quite happy about it.

The original piece was French and actually included all of these elements. Even the very naughty monkeys. Isn't that handy?