I was very happy to get the assignment for Liadan for the maunche.  She noted in her wiki her fondness for 1:1 scrolls (same size) and going through her fb (the scribes favorite haunts to gather information) and so I incorporated that into my ideas.   Note to self, taking a screenshot of your research information is AAA best way to go.

I took the measurements of the original scroll and did the layout on black paper for my rendition of it.  Used Dr. Martin's White, plus gold Ink, and did a black and gold rendition of the Maunche medallion.

I started on the right side and worked left, adding in Liadan's cat, an owl for wisdom and her fav animal, her initial, and a cute bunny from the original.

Moved to the left side, with replication of the design elements from the right and finis.

Picture of the final version signed with the arm ring that looks lovely and matches the scroll.

I pared down the design to the essential elements, and added the Silver Crescent badge at the bottom.  I collaborated with Yehuda ben Moshe on the Rus language, correct use of letters and correct use of documents in the time period of the eleventh century.

Words:  Inspired by Charter # 81, pp. 140-141 – 1130, “Charter of Great Knyaz Mstisla Vladimirovicha and his son Vsevoloda to the Novgorod Yuriev monastery for the village of Byutsi and a silver dish”. From “Gramoty Velikogo Novgoroda i Pskova” (Charters of Great Novgorod and Pskov), Moscow, 1949
Illumination inspired by The Ostromir Gospels, 1056 or 1057, the year 6564 in the Byzantine calendar.  The Ostromir Gospels is the oldest dated book of Kievan Rus.

This is a quick one.   I found an inspiration, and then instead of going for copying it, I used the stylistic elements to made the final piece of art.  Diving into the Digital Vatican Library, I found this lovely manuscript, Vat.lat.3867, fol 74v and 75r. 5th or 6th century, in Latin.  I loved the design elements and decided to go all in on that.

I kept the border, then added the decorative border around the words, with the Silver Tyger ward on the left side.

Assignment that went out in June of this year to a friend who does a lot of service.  My research led me to the below exemplar.  It is from Bodleian Library MS. Bodl. 691,  fol.84v.   Its origins are the end of the 11th century, beginning of the 12th century.  "Fine initials, fols 72v, 84v, and 92v were added to a manuscript produced in France (late 11th century- early 12th century) by an illuminator in England the middle of the 14th century."   Note to those doing research, it is far easier to keep notes as you do an assignment than try to find out where you found an exemplar later.  Thankfully, I took a screen shot with the necessary research information.  Go me.  Don't be like me, being more lucky than smart.  Be smart, make notes.

I adored the little animal faces and wanted to be true to the original rather than modernize the faces.    The final piece came out nicely.  I am very happy with it.

I did not take as many process pictures, but there is one that shows the outline in green (color matching for the win) and my draft of the faces to be inked in.

I find it easiest to do work for someone I am close to.  I feel like I can have more depth in my art with stronger feelings.   Thus I took the assignment for the Order of Defense scroll for my friend Collin.  I decided to do a black hours scroll, with a portrait piece.  It was two pieces of black paper for the two pages of the scroll.  I did not take as many pictures, and there were lots of practice pieces on this one, unfortunately, now lost to time.  

The design was based on the Sforza Black hours here.

Sometimes rapier manuals of the time period would include a portrait of the master in the front of their treatise.   Agrippa did one, so I used his own portrait as the basis for the portrait of Collin. 

First draft was calligraphy and the start of the vines and leaves.  Added badge of the Order of defense and Collin's arms.  The portrait was sketched in with base colors, the face flushed out.

Finished up the right page with the leaves, vines, flowers, strawberries, acanthus.  Starting to do the background, shirt and sleeves.   Worked on the oval, experimenting with the white on prctice sheets.

Returned back to the face to refine the color, add detail to the doublet, cloak and background.  Finished product.

I have a friend that I have been able to see grow up into a very wonderful adult human being.  They were getting an award, the Apollo's Arrow and I was asked to do the scroll.   I went digging for an appropriate archery type of exemplar and found this lovely piece Here that spoke to me of an archer so reknown that they could take down a dragon.   I took the exemplar and made a design based on it that would feature prominently the person as Apollo, taking down a dragon.

Final piece

First step, drafting the piece, and placing the words.  For me, words always go first in that if I mess up, I don't have hours of painting to throw away.

Next step was to color match the paint to the original example.

Then the painting began.   I forgot to take some pictures along the way, because once I start painting, well, I forget to eat lunch. :-)

Then final details.  Pumping up the gold, outlining as appropriate and cleaning up the edges.

Let's start with March of this year.   Gerhardt is a good friend and deserved a lovely scroll for his Silver Crescent.  He helpfully suggested what type of scroll he wanted, complete with website, so off I went.   The exemplar is here: 

Website:
Here

Final composition

Started off with calligraphy and illumination and ideas about paint choices.

Next step tackle the acanthus leaves.

Once the design was down for the acanthus leaves and for the silver crescent, I then started working on the background color.  I chose red instead of yellow ochre as I felt it was more striking and mimicked one of the designs that the recipient liked.  Here   I added details that he came from Stonemarche (the castle), that he was seneschal (the key at the top) and that he was a webminister (webbing in the acanthus leaves) as well as the rapier that he always carries.

I retired from teaching in June of 2023.  Suddenly I had a lot of time on my hands and began to take pictures on my walks around the local bike path.  Here are some samples of my work.

I even set up an instagram account to keep track of some of the lovely work I have been doing.

Looked up my block and realized that I hadn't posted in two years.  Need to remedy that. 

Calligraphy first

Next, illumination.  Blocking in the colors that I will build on.  Used Mosaic gold for the background.  Use Holbein goauche for the rest.  

Did a period style Tyger of the East badge.  Mosaic gold background, Holbein gouache for the painting.

Adding more detail and layering.  I referenced the original quite a bit so that I was getting the right feel for the period example.

Final details in the rubricated letters, white work on the frame,  the armor, the cloak, the rings being tossed to the tiger, the reins, the horse itself.   Making sure that there was balance in the composition.  Addition of black highlights in a variety of places, again to emphasize the detail.  I kept going back to the original source to make sure that I was getting the layering and the details correct.

 In March I did  a Laurel scroll for a good friend, Vivian de Dunbar.  Her research was Ottoman era, so I chose something that would fit her personna.  The example is below

Reference: https://www.meisterdrucke.uk/fine-art-prints/Ottoman-School/659616/Folio-from-a-Quran,-sura-71:9-28;-sura-72:1-9-and-part-of-10,-detached-manuscript-folio,-2nd-half-of-16th-century-(ink,-opaque-watercolour-and-gold-on-paper).html
16th century



I had a lot of help with this scroll. 

Text by Alys Mackyntoich 
Arabic Translation by Sara al-Garnatiyya
Illumination by Nataliia Anastasiia Evgenova
Calligraphy by Æsa feilinn Jossursdottir



Rejoice! For upon this 26th day of March in the 56th year of the Society, Ioannes and Ro Honig, Imperial Sovereigns, invested and endowed Vivian de Dunbar with laurels and high accolades, showering praise like rose petals upon her head. A wreath of laurel leaves they gave her, and gifts of great value, and, that her worth be known, also Arms by Letters Patent, Purpure, a decrescent and on a chief argent three sprigs of heather palewise purpure. Rejoice!

Arabic:
نبتهج! في هذا اليوم السادس والعشرين من شهر مارس في السنة السادسة والخمسين من عمر الجمعية ، استثمر إيوان ورو هونيغ ، الإمبراطورية السيادية ، ومنحها فيفيان دي دنبار أمجاد وأوسمة عالية ، وتملأ الثناء مثل بتلات الورد على رأسها. أكاليل من أوراق الغار التي قدموها لها ، وهدايا ذات قيمة كبيرة ، ولكي تُعرف قيمتها ، منحت مكانة خطابات براءة اختراع ، أرجوانية ، متدلية وعلى رأس ثلاثة أغصان من هيذر أرجوانية باهتة. نبتهج!

Transliteration:
Nabtaji! fi hadha al-yawm al-saadis wa leishrin min shahr maris fi al-sanat al-saadisat wal-khamsin min eumr al-jam-ee-ath , aistathmar 'iiwan wa ru hunigh , al'iimbiraturiat al-siyadiat , wamanahaha fifiaan di dinbar 'amjad wa'awsimatan ealiatan , watamla al-thana' mithl bitlat al-ward ealaa rasiha. 'akalil min 'awraq alghar alati qadamuha laha , wahadaya dhat qimat kabirat , walikay tuerf qimatuha , manahat makanat khitabat bara'at aikhtirae , 'urjuaniat , mutadaliyatan waealaa ras thalathat 'aghsan min haydhar 'urjuaniat bahitatun. Nabtaji!

The above picture is to show off the glittery gold.  Damn, Feillin.