Art of MeiLan by Vanessa Wilson https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art Welcome to my page. Best viewed on computer. Due to the sheer volume of scrolls I complete, only certain pieces will feature full documentation that outline materials, methods and techniques. These posts are a different color and are marked with a * in the title. Click on the 3 dots on the right hand corner to view text. All pieces have some form of documentation included. en-us 2022-12-18 10:08:35 UTC 2025-12-12 23:06:08 UTC hello@padlet.com *AEThelmearc - Golden Alce 12/17/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423945072 Calligraphy and illumination by me
Words by Don Jehan LeBlanc
Materials: Bristol paper, 23 kt gold leaf, archival India ink in lots of different colors, chalk paint 
Hand: uncial 
Style: Norse and Celtic 8th century

This was an interesting one to work on.  I wanted it to have a wood-look feel.  So I gave it some texture with chalk paint then gilded it after. 

Methods:
This piece features the iconic Ringerike-style great beast motif comprises a lion or wolf-like creature engaging in conflict with a serpent and a vine wrapped around its body.   This design was originally featured by Jonas Lau Markussen.  I modified it to look like an alce by changing its paws to hooves.  The motif is known originally from the greater Jelling stone. It is a popular design throughout the late Viking Age and featured on numerous runestones throughout Scandinavia.

The piece was sketched out on paper, then textured with tinted chalk paint.  Instacoll and gilding was applied over top using manufacturer's recommendations.
Text used was insular majascule, which is a variety of uncial script common to Ireland.  This text style was featured in Book of Kells, c. AD 800. (see Book of Kells).

Conclusion:
This scroll was done for a "norse-celtic persona" per award requisition.  I would normally have done Norse runes for the text, however the rec was specific on the "Norse-Celtic," and I wanted to honor both heritages.

This was an interesting piece to make that I wanted to simulate a painted, wooden panel.    

References: 
Book of Kells. (384 AD). Book of Kells.  https://digitalcollections.tcd.ie/collections/ks65hc20t?locale=en
Markussen, J.L. (Dec, 2022).  Ringerike Style Great Beast. Jonas Lau Markussen.  https://jonaslaumarkussen.com/illustration/ringerike-style-great-beast/

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Words

From true and righteous Sylvan Land
Did rise a most worthy man
Whose sword in hand did oppose
The maliciousness if irreverent foes
And did maintain our rights of old
To armour men both brave and bold
King Anthor boasts his deadly art
Queen Ceirech praises his warrior heart
William Fitz William much renowned in war
We horror here in particular
In such high regard do We so hold
To bestow on you an Alce of Gold
Done this Day 17 December A.S. 57
At Our Rhydderich Hael Investiture.

Words Based on the Poem “The Acts and Deeds of the Illustrious and Valiant Champion Sir William Wallace.” By The Makar Blind Harry circa 1488.
]]> 2022-12-18 10:13:13 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423945072 Calontir - Heavy Weapons Championship 11/19/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423946689 Calontir- heavy weapons championship scroll - 11/19/2022

This one had to be mailed out without the calligraphy completed because American Airlines decided to lose my luggage.   

Calligraphy and illumination by me, finished by Holly Eddy
Inspired by the statue of victory, except with limbs 
Materials: Bristol paper, India ink
Words by: Don Cyrus Augur
This is 100% a shenanigan 

=====
Striking fast and hard, a flurry of blows wins the day. No foe could withstand such prowess, and each were felled one after the other. We, Logan kunung and Ylva drottning, have bourne witness to great mastery of timing, precision, and footwork; and thus We proclaim that _____ has proven themselves the victor of the Toys for Tots Armored Combat Tournament on this November 19th, A.S.57]]> 2022-12-18 10:18:07 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423946689 AEthelmearc - Master Bowman 9/24/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423947628 AEthelmearc - Master Bowman 9/24/2022

Calligraphy and illumination by me 
Words by Marcy McDonald
Russian translation by my amazing laurel auntie Yevgeniya Pechenaya
Materials: Bristol paper, gold gauche, India inks in lots of colors 

===

Concentration, consitency, and  cat-like reflexes help and archer to hit the target.  Lord Godzimir the Golden has such skill as to have earned the rank of Master Bowman.  Thus, in Our aim to recognize the archer in Æthelmearc,  do We, King Arntho and Queen Ceirech, present our subject with the badge of a Master Bowman.  DOne this 24th day of September, A.S. 57, at Our Coronation.  May his skill continue to bring glory to Our realm.

Words by: Aleea Bagah.]]> 2022-12-18 10:20:49 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423947628 *AEthelmearc - Golden Alce 11/5/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423948647 AEthelmearc - Golden Alce 11/5/2022

Calligraphy and illumination by me
Words by Cyrus Augur
100% a shenanigan
Materials: Bristol, India ink, gold gauche, 23 kt gold gilding, red India ink
Hand: tangliente

Period:
- intaglio engraving
- ink
- copper plate

My materials:
- bristol paper
- various metallic nibs
- feather quill
- Archival India ink, high carbon
- mechanical pencil and eraser
- straight edge ruler
- T ruler
- Spencerian calligraphy ruler guide

Method:

Method:

This piece was based off of the a sculpture of the spirit of Victory found at the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, Turkey (see https://thatmuse.com/2020/05/08/nike-greek-goddess-of-victory/https://thatmuse.com/2020/05/08/nike-greek-goddess-of-victory/).

Then, it was styled like an engraved 16th century plate, which would have employed the intalgio printmaking process. This process involves hand-engraving lines into copper metal in order to hold the ink (Met Museum, 2022).  It is likely that the period engraving was made out of copper or zinc, as both materials were available to the area at the time.

I chose this design because classical Greek and Roman art was frequently used during this period.

I sketched out the art using my favorite purple mechanical pencil before carefully outlining it in ink.  The guidelines were then erased with the eraser.  After the cross-hatching and stippling was completed, I set the text in pencil before inking.

Calligraphy guidelines were set in place using t ruler and Spencerian calligraphy ruler guide.

Hand used was tagliente, which was a period Italian hand dating back to the 1544.  This hand was chosen to pair with the art because both were present and documented during that time and location. 

I chose high carbon India ink for this project because it was particularly dark in color, and added some interesting depth and dimension to the piece.  In addition, it was also remarkably opaque.  The major con of using this particular ink is that it kept gumming up my metallic nib pen.  I would have to stop every sentence or two in order to clean the carbon residue off of my nibs.

Completely random, but for any one interested in the treatises involved in period Italian hands, you can find them here: https://pennavolans.com/16th-century-calligraphy/

Things I would have done differently:

My cross hatching improved on this project.  But I really should have gone even tighter.  Will continue to work on it. 

Reference:
Tagliente, G.A. (1544).  Lo presente libro insegna la vera arte de lo excellente scriuere de diuerse varie sorti de litere le quali se fano per geometrica ragione & con la presente opera ognuno le potra stampare e impochi  giorni per lo amaistramento, ragione, & essempli, come qui sequente vederai. Opera del Tagliente nuouamente composta cum gratia di nhttps://archive.org/details/bub_gb_nyEY0KJMUlEC/page/n3/mode/2up




====

The axe cleaves through the enemy; the spear pierces their ranks; the knife cuts a path to victory. Ranged weaponry is a most noble art, and those skilled in it most worthy. It is thus that We, King Arnthor and Queen Ceirech, see the skill of our subject Eoin Mac Cogadhain, and aim to strike his name amongst our order of the Golden Alce. Thusly spoken on this 5th of November, A.S. 57 in the Great Corn Maze.]]> 2022-12-18 10:24:12 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423948647 Atlantia - Crab Claw 9/24/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423949607 Atlantia- Crab Claw (Baronial Award)

Calligraphy and illumination by me
Art based off of Alfieri plate for La Bandera 
Words by Cyrus Augur
Materials: bristol, India ink
Hand: tangliente 

====

In a skilled hand, the sword is a most deadly weapon; It nicks the flesh, severs the muscle, pierces the heart. With good discipline, and gentle disposition, our Raban of Lochmere has acquired and developed the gifts that nature may dispense - that of skill, strength, and grace. We, Baron Linhart and Baroness Letia, have bourne witness to his exceptional prowess, and are thus moved on this 24th of September A.S. 57 to mark him among our Order of the Crab's Claw.

Words by Don Cyrus Augur
Inspired by the the works of Francesco Alfieri]]> 2022-12-18 10:27:19 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423949607 *East Kingdom - Silver Wheel 11/19/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423951254 EK - 11/19/2022- Silver Wheel 100 minutes war

Style: Korean based off of a 9th century gilded casket
C&I by me
Words: Katie Morton
Korean translation: by my coworker who wishes not to be named

Period materials:
- Gold leaf
- India ink
- Wood
- Garlic oil/egg binder
- Korean mulberry paper

Materials used:
- 23 kt gold
- Kolner Instacoll System
- Winston India inks
- Bristol paper
- Mechanical pencil and eraser
- Ruler
- Paint brushes in various sizes
- Ink pigments
- Gold mica paint
- Fountain pen with archival ink

Methods Used:
This piece was based off a 9th century gilded casket found in Orban-Szontagh (1991, p17).  Image was sketched and blocked on paper using a ruler in pencil before gilding.  Instacoll was applied using manufacturer's recommendations.  Gilding applied to scroll then outlined with black ink with a 00 paint brush.  Gold was burnished with an agate burnisher before polished to a high sheen with silk.

The original was a gilded casket covered entirely with gold over the carved features of the casket.  The original plan was to have the entire piece in gold.  However, gold is expensive.  Decision was made to fill in the flat surfaces with gold mica paint, which was then tinted and shaded to replicate the look of recessed gold.  Ink pigments were applied to other areas of the scroll to add dimension.  Painting in ink is common in many parts of Asia, especially in Korea.  Typical stylings of ink wash paintings are found on mulberry paper or silk tapestry, for example "Dream Journey to the Peach Blossom Land" by An Gyeon (1447), but the technique can be traced back to BCE. 

The documentation for the wording of the scroll was provided by Wordsmith to be in the late 14th century style.

What I would have done differently:
The divets or dimples in the gilded areas were purely incidental, and were a byproduct of the drying process.  In the future, I will sand them down to make a smoother surface.

Conclusion:
This scroll uses a design found in the 9th century, but funerary art traditions remained relatively unchanged until the 20th century.  Modern Korean was used to translate the scroll instead of period Korean due to lack of time and inability to find a person well-versed in this style who was interested in taking on this project.  I was able to find a coworker who was interested in doing the translation for me from the wordsmith's text into modern Korean.  Translation checked via Google Translate and calligraphy read by some sweet old Korean ladies who proof read the scroll in exchange for a small church donation.

References
-  An Gyeon, Dream Journey to the Peach Blossom Land (Korean: 몽유도원도; Hanja: 夢遊桃源圖), medium ink and light color on silk, dimensions 106.5 x 38.7 cm. 1447, Korea. Collected by Tenri University Central Library.
- Orban- Szontagh, M. (1991). Traditional Korean Designs. Dover Publications Inc.: Mineola, New York.
====

Sijo poetry form of the Great Joseon Dynasty of Korea. That started in the late 14th century and lasted 500 years.  Counted syllable poetic form with a pause, similar to a caesura in the line represented by the semi colon.

Autumn leaves of amber hughes;  
Bright gold on the  ground 
Rusted Woodlands each year War; 
Hundred Years has come 
Sultan Mohammad 
Brenhines Corotica 
Rulers of the East  Kingdom; 
Finds joy in people 

Chilling winds as seasons turn; 
Twisting roots deep down 
Promoting, working and staff; 
Food for Royal needs 
Our Bak Nabiya 
Embodies Service 
With the turn of the season; 
Earns the Silver Wheel 

November 19, Anno Societatis LVII]]> 2022-12-18 10:32:42 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423951254 CLASS- Fencing: how not to break ourselves 11/13/22 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423984221 Presented on 11/13/2022 at AE Academy.  

I’ll add the details for it as soon as I can figure out how. ]]> 2022-12-18 12:08:17 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423984221 Avacal - Golden Link 11/12/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423985528 Avacal - 11/12/2022 Golden Link for Montengarde

This is a pre-printed charter.  I added the name calligraphy, forgot the date, and threw in the Star Trek references.]]> 2022-12-18 12:12:00 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423985528 *East Kingdom - Silver Tyger - 10/14/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423987059 10/14/2022- EK Silver Tyger

Calligraphy and illumination by me
Materials: ink, pigment, shell gold, India ink
Hand: pseudo Kufic
Words: Katherine Journeay & Jonathan Bayles

Time: 15 hours

Period Materials:
- ceramic tiles
- combination of animal fat, grease and mineral pigments to make the glaze
- ink
- calligraphy reed
- paint brush

My Materials:
- Bristol paper
- Windsor Archival India Ink
- Sable paint brushes
- Gold mica paint
- calligraphy reed

Methods:
Design was based off of the facade of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, which was a masterpiece of the Iranian architecture built between 1602-1619 during the Safavid Dynasty (Richman-Abdou, 2018).  The original was made out of ceramic tiles that featured a combination of Turkish style design with arabesque flowers (WhyTile.com, 2022).

Colors primarily used in this piece were white, green, yellow, black, red and blue, which are period colors referenced in different surahs (Mehri, 2016).  Colors play an important role because of their remarkable qualities that can easily have an effect on people. In Islamic art, it is believed that colors  can have on people are psychological, intellectual and spiritual (Omer, 2011).

The colors used in Islamic art can vary according to historical conditions, geographic area and community.  For example, the dominant colors used in Iranian paintings are green, blue, yellow, grey, and other colors (Mehri, 2016).  Since this particular piece used was an Iranian-style piece, the colors I also used greens.  It is generally accepted that green color creates a feeling of harmony, peace, balance, sympathy and self-esteem, and it relieves nervous tension (Omer, 2011). 

Gold paint was used over top the yellow paint to accentuate the yellow.  This was an artistic decision to add some shimmer to the piece.

The hand used was psuedo-kufic, which is a period hand that was first used in the Middle Ages and Renaissance period as an imitation of Arabic cursive script.  The most notable examples of pseudo-kufic can be found on Lippi's (1438) 'Pala Barbador', which is currently housed at the Lourvre Museum. The psuedo-kufic is found on the hemlines of the Virgin Mary's mantle. 

The calligraphy was replicated using the psuedo-kufic method.  The words are in English with stylized characters.  The letters were placed on the paper using calligraphy reed that I hand carved and tempered for this project.  This project was executed using delicacy and sensitivity towards the culture.  In addition, I've studied Kufic calligraphy mundanely, used to speak Arabic as a child, travelled extensively throughout the Islamic countries, and even lived in one for a period of time. 

There is a noted mismatch between the words and over all design of the scroll. This was due to design decisions made by the recipient’s Knight, who was also the collaborating wordsmith for the scroll.  

Things I would have done differently:

I think I would have preferred to have gilded this entire project instead of using gold paint. But it still turned out amazing.

References

Lippi, F. (1438). Pala Barbador. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Pala_Barbadori_-_Fra_Filippo_Lippi_-_Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre_Peintures_INV_339.jpg
Mehri, G. (2016).  Research J. Humanities and Social Sciences, 7(1): 25-28. doi: 10.5958/2321-5828.2016.00006.1
The color of Islamic Art.  
Omer, S. (2011).  The significance of colors and light as decorative media in Islamic art and architecture.  Medinanet. https://medinanet.org/2011/03/the-significance-of-colors-and-light-as-decorative-media-in-islamic-art-and-architecture/ 
Richman-Abdou, Kelly. (2018). Dazzling elements of ancient Islamic architecture we still see today.  My Modern Met.  https://mymodernmet.com/islamic-architecture/
WhyTile.com (2022). Islamic tile history and inspiration.  https://whytile.com/tile-history/islamic-tile-history-and-inspiration/

===

Words and their documentation:

And now this saga shifts East to the swamp of Settmour.  A man lives there, Markus Farmaðr, a member of the Clan na Bheithir, squire to Jonathan Miles.  He is a man of judgment who holds to account any who dare to evade accountability. His motives are true as is the thrust of his spear on the battlefield.  His spear-skill, his sword and shield work and his melee prowess have brought him to the attention of the King, Mohammed, and the Queen, Corotica, who award him a Silver Tyger at Shire Wars October 14 - Anno Societatis 57 (LVII)
98 words
-----
Source:  
Njal’s Saga, Translation by Robert Cook, Penguin Classics, 1997 ISBN 978-0-140-4476-9, pgs 3 -5.
Word Fame for composing the words: Countess Marguerite inghean Lachlainn and Sir Jonathan Miles.
Overview:  The format for introducing a new character into Njal’s saga follows a certain pattern, which I am deliberately choosing to mimic in this scroll text.  Roughly, the format is:
Some kind of place setting language to describe where the action is taking place.
The person’s name. 
Their lineage/family.
A short description of them, which usually devolves into word fame. IE what they are good at.
A short description of their assets if they are wealthy.  
In this case, rather than list who the recipient’s family is, I listed Markus’s Knight and his household.]]> 2022-12-18 12:15:51 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423987059 East Kingdom - Pelican scroll 9/24/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423987962 9/24 - EK - Pelican Scroll @ Olympic River Wars 

*Fencing Scroll*
Time: 25 hours 

Calligraphy and illumination: me
Words by Dame Ysmay de Lynn
Welsh translation by Professor Jerry Hunter, Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies. 
Text based on THE MABINIGION

Materials: paper, India ink, gesso, shell gold, leaf gold, egg tempera paint
Hand: unical 

I must have been genuinely unhinged at the time to take on so many scrolls at once. 

=====

Y mae yn nyddiau'r rhyfeloedd mawr hyn fenyw ffyddlon o’r enw Wentlyanna Bengrek. Dywed y chwedlau ei bod hi’n fonheddig a hael, bod ei chydwladwyr yn ei charu’n fawr, a’i bod yn gymorth diflino i’r goron, y Dwyrain a’i phobl. Mae hi’n gwrtais, fel y dywed y testunau, ac mae’n ymroddedig i’r Deyrnas. Yn ystod rhyfeloedd gynt bu Wentlyanna Bengrek yno yn gweithredu fel porthor, yn croesawu gwesteion a thramorwyr, yn dechrau eu hanrhydeddu, yn dweud wrthynt arferion a moesau’r llys.  Yn ei gwlad ei hun mae ei meddwl craff a’i chalon raslon yn adeiladu ardaloedd Deheuol y deyrnas, gan sicrhau ffiniau a chynnal dyfalbarhad Bog Haearnaidd.

Pan glywodd Ryouko’jin, Brenin-Ddiafol y Tair Nef, a Rani Indrakshi, Brenhines y Bengal, ganu mawl i Wentlyanna, anfonasant eu gweision i chwilio amdani. Aeth Pelicanod y Dwyrain i’w cheisio; Daethant o hyd iddi gyda Ieuenctid y Byd Hysbys a’r Dwyrain, yn dysgu iddynt grefft rhyfel a’r meingledd. Daethant o hyd iddi a dywedasant “Mae ein calonnau’n gogwyddo tuag atat: gwyddom dy fod o’r un gwaed.”

Dyrchafodd y Brenin Ffyrnig, Ryouko'jin, a’r Frenhines Ddisglair, Indrakshi, hi i urdd y Pelican, a rhoddasant iddi freinlen arfau – Porffor, tri cheffyl ehedog llidiog i chwith arian. Gwnaethpwyd yn ystod Rhyfel yr Afon Olympaidd ar 24ain Medi yn 57fed flwyddyn y Gymdeithas. Enw’r chwedl hon yw anturiaethau Wentlyanna, Pelican mwyaf newydd y Dwyrain.

English

In these days of the great wars, there is a faithful woman named Wentlyanna Bengrek. The stories say that she is noble and generous, much loved by her companions, and a tireless aide to the crown, the East and her people. She is courteous, the texts say, and devoted to the Kingdom.  At former wars, Wentlyanna Bengrek was there acting as gatekeeper, greeting guests and foreigners, beginning to honour them, telling them the customs and habits of the court. In her own country, her nimble mind and gracious heart builds up the Southern reaches of the kingdom, securing borders and maintaining the perseverance of Iron Bog. 
 
When Ryouko’jin, Demon King of the Three Heavens, and Rani Indrakshi, Bengal Queen, heard the praises of Wentlyanna sung, they sent forth their servants to find her. The Pelicans of the East went to seek her; Where they found her was with the Youth of the Known World and of the East, teaching them the craft of war and the rapier. They found her and said “Our hearts incline toward you: we know you are of the same blood.” 

The Ferocious King Ryouko'jin and Resplendent Queen Indrakshi elevated her to the order of the Pelican, and presented her with a patent of arms - Purpure, three pegasi rampant to sinister argent. Done at the Olympic River War on the 24th of September in the 57th year of the Society. This tale is called the adventures of Wentlyanna, newest Pelican of the East.]]> 2022-12-18 12:18:11 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423987962 *Midrealm - Order of the Vanguard 9/24/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423988938 9/24- Midrealm Royal Vanguard

Calligraphy and illumination by me
Words by Cyrus Augur
Ink on paper
Hand: tagliente

Period:
- intaglio engraving
- ink
- copper plate

My materials:
- bristol paper
- various metallic nibs
- feather quill
- Archival India ink, high carbon
- mechanical pencil and eraser
- straight edge ruler
- T ruler
- Spencerian calligraphy ruler guide

Method:
The original piece was made using an engraving that employed the intalgio printmaking process, which involves lines that are cut into copper metal in order to hold the ink (Met Museum, 2022).  It is likely that the period engraving was made out of copper or zinc, as both materials were available to the area at the time.

I chose this particular plate to replicate for this award because the recipient had multiple interests in the martial field, so I wanted to incorporate all of that into his piece.  I also thought the angel on the helmet in the place of the crest was hilarious.

I sketched out the art using my favorite purple mechanical pencil before carefully outlining it in ink.  The guidelines were then erased with the eraser.  After the cross-hatching and stippling was completed, I set the text in pencil before inking.

Calligraphy guidelines were set in place using t ruler and Spencerian calligraphy ruler guide.

Hand used was tagliente, which was a period Italian hand dating back to the 1544.  This hand was chosen to pair with the art because both were present and documented during that time and location. 

I chose high carbon India ink for this project because it was particularly dark in color, and added some interesting depth and dimension to the piece.  In addition, it was also remarkably opaque.  The major con of using this particular ink is that it kept gumming up my metallic nib pen.  I would have to stop every sentence or two in order to clean the carbon residue off of my nibs.

Completely random, but for any one interested in the treatises involved in period Italian hands, you can find them here: https://pennavolans.com/16th-century-calligraphy/

Things I would have done differently:

I would would have worked on my cross hatching a bit more.  It could definitely have used a tighter cross hatch to add more dimension.  I don't know why I didn't, I guess I was just nervous at the time.

Reference:
Tagliente, G.A. (1544).  Lo presente libro insegna la vera arte de lo excellente scriuere de diuerse varie sorti de litere le quali se fano per geometrica ragione & con la presente opera ognuno le potra stampare e impochi  giorni per lo amaistramento, ragione, & essempli, come qui sequente vederai. Opera del Tagliente nuouamente composta cum gratia di nhttps://archive.org/details/bub_gb_nyEY0KJMUlEC/page/n3/mode/2up
Master FG. (1550?). Trophy. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/412293
Met Museum. (2022). Engraving. https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/Collection-Areas/drawings-and-prints/materials-and-techniques/printmaking/engraving
======
Words: 
With the throw of an axe and the toss of a knife, thy skill did win the day, and thus thou became'st a champion. Yet prowess doth not make a champion alone - service to the crown in the role was thus asked. In time and dedication, in demonstration of skill, in kind demeanor and inspiring courage hath thee paid. Those that serve and serve well as our champion ought to be marked, and so do We, King Arch and Queen Runa, all-powerful Sovereigns of this lands, call Orn Askelsson before us and induct him into our Order of the Royal Vanguard. From this day forward thou shall be marked with right to bear the badge thus: fieldless, a demi-dragon rampant argent. Done this day on the 24th of September, A.S LVII, at Coronation.]]> 2022-12-18 12:20:57 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423988938 *East Kingdom- Iron Bog Order of the Sable Gauntlet 9/24/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423998909 9/24 - EK Iron Bog Order of the Sable Gauntlet

Calligraphy and illumination by me
Words by Don Cyrus Augur (Cyrus Augur)
This is 100% a shenanigan

Period materials:
- Silver point lead
- Goat/sheep skin parchment
- Carbon black or oak gall ink
- Feather quill

What I did:
- Bristol paper
- Mechanical pencil and eraser
- Winston's Archival Carbon ink
- Feather quill
- Metal nib cartographer dip pen
- 00 Paintbrush

Methods:
I began this scroll with an initial pencil sketch of the elements, then blocked in the lettering.  I completed the calligraphy then the elements of the scroll.  The flourishes were completed using the cartographer pen.  Any discrepancies in the lettering were filled in with ink via paint brush.

Cadel was done in the style of : A treaty of navigation by Jacques Vaulx en Velin "lambie in the navy" , done in Le Havre in 1583 . BNF Richelieu MANUSCRIPTS French 150.  Documentation for the wording has been provided by my wordsmith.  Hand used was bastarde.   Bastarde was a black letter script used in France, Burgundian Netherlands and Germany during the 14th and 15th centuries. 

Conclusion:
This was a fun piece that was created for a late period French persona. 

References
- MS. 0754, f. 015v— Media Library of Troyes, Troyes.
- A treaty of navigation by Jacques Vaulx en Velin "lambie in the navy" , done in Le Havre in 1583 . BNF Richelieu MANUSCRIPTS French 150. 
- A.F. Johnson, Type designs, their history and development. Third edition. (London: 1966) pp. 21–23
====
Words:

Being to direct this discourse to persons so knowing and skillful as Ian Douglass - In commendation of his martial arts, and the displays of their excellencies. As an archer he shall be met with the just requitable of praise, honor and esteem, and eternal recognition as a champion. His skill with a blade it clearly appears to be, that which goes under the name of graceful fencing. Time and dedication to his arts further raise them to the highest pitch of perfection, and so do We, Baron Declan and Baroness Aibhilin, Induct him into our Order of the Sable Gauntlet. Done this day September 24, A.S. LVII at the Olympic River Wars. 

Words by Don Cyrus Augur
based upon the works of Sir William Hope]]> 2022-12-18 12:46:21 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2423998909 *East Kingdom- Apollo’s Arrow 9/5/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424002268 EK- Apollo’s Arrow - Barleycorn

Style: Italian 1530-1560 century plate etching of Apollo and Daphne
Medium: pen, ink and paper
Hand: Tangliente
This is 100% a shenanigan

Calligraphy and illumination by me
Words and documentation of words by Marguerite ingean Lachlainn, OP (Katherine Journeay)


Period:
- intaglio engraving
- ink
- copper plate

My materials:
- bristol paper
- various metallic nibs
- feather quill
- Archival India ink, high carbon
- mechanical pencil and eraser
- straight edge ruler
- T ruler
- Spencerian calligraphy ruler guide

Method:
The original piece was made using an engraving that employed the intalgio printmaking process, which involves lines that are cut into copper metal in order to hold the ink (Met Museum, 2022).  It is likely that the period engraving was made out of copper or zinc, as both materials were available to the area at the time.

The background art was based off of "'Apollo Killing the Python' from 'The Story of Apollo and Daphne," which is 16th century Italian.  A print of this piece is currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Italy (see https://archive.org/details/mma_apollo_killing_the_python_from_the_story_of_apollo_and_daphne_364035). 

I sketched out the art using my favorite purple mechanical pencil before carefully outlining it in ink.  The guidelines were then erased with the eraser.  After the cross-hatching and stippling was completed, I set the text in pencil before inking.

Calligraphy guidelines were set in place using t ruler and Spencerian calligraphy ruler guide.

Hand used was tagliente, which was a period Italian hand dating back to the 1544.  This hand was chosen to pair with the art because both were present and documented during that time and location. 

I chose high carbon India ink for this project because it was particularly dark in color, and added some interesting depth and dimension to the piece.  In addition, it was also remarkably opaque.  The major con of using this particular ink is that it kept gumming up my metallic nib pen.  I would have to stop every sentence or two in order to clean the carbon residue off of my nibs.

Completely random, but for any one interested in the treatises involved in period Italian hands, you can find them here: https://pennavolans.com/16th-century-calligraphy/

Things I would have done differently:

Overall, I was satisfied with this piece. I don't really have too many big concerns. I had a really big issue with the anatomy of this piece, so I had to go back to study how to draw and shade the human figure.

Reference:
Tagliente, G.A. (1544).  Lo presente libro insegna la vera arte de lo excellente scriuere de diuerse varie sorti de litere le quali se fano per geometrica ragione & con la presente opera ognuno le potra stampare e impochi  giorni per lo amaistramento, ragione, & essempli, come qui sequente vederai. Opera del Tagliente nuouamente composta cum gratia di nhttps://archive.org/details/bub_gb_nyEY0KJMUlEC/page/n3/mode/2up
Met Museum. (2022). Engraving. https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/Collection-Areas/drawings-and-prints/materials-and-techniques/printmaking/engraving

===

A man with a bow and arrow has a great advantage over all other soldiers on the battlefield, which is that even after having shot countless arrows at his enemy, he still has plenty more in his quiver to help him avert death; by far the wisest tactic in battle is to kill the enemy but not allow him to kill you. 
Anders Tyngate knows that tactic well.
Recognizing his wisdom and skill, Ryouko’jin, Demon King of the 3 Heavens, and Andrakshi, Rani of the East are inspired to award him an Apollo’s Arrow at John Barleycorn, AS LVII in the Year of the Blue Tyger
 
****************  

106 words.

Quotes from various translations of Euripedes considered:

“He that grasps
The skilful aiming bow, hath in his hand
One thing that much avails him, whence he sends
A thousand arrows 'gainst the breasts of others,
Himself from death defending;
and his stand Held distant, pours his vengeance on his foes.  _Euripedes “

Then you go on insulting the cleverest of inventions, the bow and arrow, the archer’s weapon! Come closer then and listen carefully. Come and listen to my words and learn!
A soldier on the battlefield is nothing more than a slave to the heavy weight of his weapons and to the soldier fighting next to him because if that other soldier lacks courage, then he dies there and then, on the battlefield, not because he himself lacks courage but because his battle mates do.190
And what if his spear breaks? He has no other weapon with which to fend off his death. The man with a bow and arrows, however, a man who knows how to use them well, has this one great advantage over all the other soldiers, which is that even after having shot countless arrows at his enemy, he still has plenty more of them to help him avert death!
He stands back from them and, whereas they can’t see him, he can see them and can shoot at them arrows that they can’t see. Wound them, kill them, keep them back with no danger to himself, since he is hidden from their view.200
By far, the wisest tactic in a battle is to kill the enemy but not allow him to kill you.
Quite the opposite view to your old fashioned one!
Translated by George Theodoridis- 2021 https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Greek/EuripidesHerakles.php 

Next thou dost disparage that clever invention, an archer's weapon; come, listen to me and learn wisdom. A man who fights in line is a slave to his weapons, and if his fellow-comrades want for courage he is slain himself through the cowardice of his neighbours, or, if he break his spear, he has not wherewithal to defend his body from death, having only one means of defence; whereas all who are armed with the trusty bow, though they have but one weapon, yet is it the best; for a man, after discharging countless arrows, still has others wherewith to defend himself from death, and standing at a distance keeps off the enemy, wounding them for all their watchfulness with shafts invisible, and never exposing himself to the foe, but keeping under cover; and this is far the wisest course in battle, to harm the enemy, if they are not stationed out of shot, and keep safe oneself. These arguments are completely opposite to thine with regard to the point at issue. 
http://classics.mit.edu/Euripides/heracles.html  Translated by E. P. Coleridge

Sources:  
https://www.bookandsword.com/2015/02/08/roman-archery/ Strategikon of the Emperor Maurice 600 - to 610 AD.  
https://archive.org/details/maurices-strategikon.-handbook-of-byzantine-military-strategy-by-maurice-dennis-/page/n1/mode/2up 
https://www.archerylibrary.com/books/book_of_archery/chapter12/chapter12.html 
https://www.jstor.org/stable/25528380 
https://archive.org/details/The_Book_Of_Archery_The_Complete_History_And_Practice_Of_The_Art_Ancient_And_Modern 
Translation of Euripides Heracles:  https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Greek/EuripidesHerakles.php 
http://classics.mit.edu/Euripides/heracles.html]]> 2022-12-18 12:53:45 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424002268 East Kingdom - Shenanigan Scroll 9/5/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424005272 EK- renaming scroll

This was more of a joke and shenanigans more than anything else.  Using my scribal powers for shenanigans seems like a perfectly acceptable outlet for it. 

What had happened was… I was sitting on the side of the Eric at a tournament.  
Hans: “you should fight Mikulaj, he’s a hoot.”
Me: “what does that mean?  Is he an owl?”
Hans: *pauses and thinks* “yes.  He’s a homonculus.” 
Me: *turning to Mikulaj* “hey Mikulaj, are you a homunculus?”
Mikulaj: *confused* “what?  Oh no…”
Other bystander: “but if he’s a homonculus, what’s he a homonculus of?”
Hans: “owl…… leopard.  Yes, owl leopard!”
Me: “hey Mikulaj, congratulations- you’ve now been Re-named as Mikulaj the homonculus.”
Mikulaj: *thinks* “the name will only stick if you give me a gift….”
Me: “I got it!” *rummages in bag, finds a belt* “here’s a gift!”  
Mikulaj: “I guess is sticks….”

Then chaos ensued.  We found a casual wordsmith walking by and commissioned words for a scroll.  He scribbled it into the back of a sticker. 

The scroll magically got the approval of the King, Queen and Prince as witnesses to new name.  His wife deliciously heralded it for us the next day at the side of the Eric where we presented him with his new scroll. 

Half-drunk/hung over calligraphy and illumination by me

Words: Murray J Blehart]]> 2022-12-18 13:01:23 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424005272 Midrealm - Dragon’s Heart - Pennsic 49 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424007392 Midrealm- Dragon’s Heart awarded at Pennsic 49
Time: 15 hours

Calligraphy and illumination by me
Words by Aislinn Chiabachh (Katie Morton)
Techniques: raises gilding, shell gold, textured gilding, ink on paper 

Hand: bastarde 

===

Here's the words for the Dragon's Heart. Not knowing more about the persona of the recipient, I chose Octosyllabic Rhyming Couplets. A very popular form of poetry in the various countries of the United Kingdom, from the 9th century through to the 15th century. Though the popularity of it reigned in different countries in different centuries. Thus matching their Celtic name with a poetry popular in various Celtic countries. 

*****

Faoiltigherna ni Bhroain
Staunch member of  Midrealm's terrain 

Appears before us today 
Her actions We will not downplay 

Decades of retaining the sums
Keeping records of all outcomes

Quiet Dedication to her canton 
With skills of a mathematician 

Their Majesties Runa & Arch
In these Debatable Lands of Barony-Marche 

Both agree Faoiltigherna needs
Recognition for her deeds 

The Order of the Dragon's Heart 
For one who makes service her art

Done this August 11th so
At Pennsic, this award We bestow

Wordcount 80 
Words by Aislinn Chiabach]]> 2022-12-18 13:06:37 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424007392 AEthelmearc -MOD scroll Pennsic 49 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424010478 AEthelmearc- MOD elevation scroll awarded at Pennsic 49
Time: 22 hours, scroll done on site 

Calligraphy and illumination by me
Words by Jehan LeBlanc

Techniques: raised gilding, textured gilding, shell gold, ink on paper, white work, calligraphy flourishes 
Hand: bastarde

====
Words:

Perfection is the refinement of all arts
The prize is only in eminence
Which begets example and admiration
And yet, through the noble art of defense
As fierce and bloody in execution,
may we see ones diligent application
Art meets Practice and the Master is born

When intentions meet; Superior skill will win out over brawn
Sharp wits, a calm temper, and a patient hand
are all signs of a mind keen as the rapier they employ
Cunning and deadly Our subject Caroline of Burgundy has a keen mind indeed
Through trials and adversity she perfects her craft and hones her steel
Through wise counsel she inspires and empowers all who seek to wield the sword

For these reasons do We Thomas Byron of Haverford, King by right of arms
And Ariella of Thornbury, Warrior Queen, upon the wise counsel of Our Order
Confirm her as a member of the Order of The Masters of Defense.
Done the Tenth day of August A.S, Fifty Seven, At the Great Pennsic War.]]> 2022-12-18 13:13:39 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424010478 East Kingdom- Settmour Swamp Bloody Tower - Pennsic 49 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424218532 EK- Bloody Tower (baronial award) awarded at Pennsic 49
Time: 3 hours; combat scroll done on site

Calligraphy and fancy flourishes in black by me
Words by Orlando Sforza (George LaVigne)

Style:
Hand: Bastarde

Words are in the comments]]> 2022-12-18 21:25:00 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424218532 East Kingdom - Silver Tyger - Pennsic 49 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424219556 EK- Silver Tyger, awarded Pennsic 49 
Time: 32 hours

Form: 14th century German
Hand: Batarde  
Materials: raised gilding, shell gold, gauche 

Calligraphy and illumination by me
Words by Aislinn Chiabach (Katie Morton)
Translation into High German by Claudia Anlage

Words in High German:

Der edle Herr vor euch 
Ist unser guter Alexander Krause
Geübt in Kampfeskunst,
Respekt und Freundlichkeit sind seine Stärke
Er glänzt als Kämpfer des East Kingdoms
Er hat sich alle Rechte verdient, die mit dem Silver Tyger einher gehen 

"Quarterly sable and pursuer, a bear rampant contouring maintaining in its mouth a rose fesswise argent"

Dies bestätigen wir, mit lautem Brüllen,
als Herrscher des östlichen Gebietes
Bestätigt während des Krieges zu Pennsic
Wir, Indraksh Rani und Ryouko’jin, Dämonenkönig der 3 Himmelreiche
Im Jahr des Tigers, Anno Societatis 57

===

As per the Sygnet's request I have left the specific date off the scroll for Pennsic. I have written it in 14th century German, Minnesang.  It was part of the troubadour style of romance poems.  Which fits the recipient's persona very well. Their name and arms are registered and this is their first award, So I included the heraldic latin as a break between the 2 verses.

The gentle before you
Is Our good Alexander Krause
A practiced hand at combat crew
Respect and kindness are his wheelhouse
He shines as an Eastern fighter   
He’s earned all rights that go with the Silver Tyger

Quarterly sable and purpure, a bear rampant contourny maintaining in its mouth a rose fesswise argent

We state so, with a roar
As Rulers of the Eastern Land 
Affirmed so at the Pennsic War 
We, Indraksh Rani and 
Ryouko'jin Demon King of the three heavens
In the Year of the Tyger, AS 57 

Wordcount 90]]> 2022-12-18 21:28:24 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424219556 Atlantia - Golden Dolphin 6/3/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424220147 Atlantia - 6/3 BAWT

Calligraphy assignment with illumination by Danielle Bird

Scroll translated into Latin by me
Calligraphy by me 
Words by Master Po Silvertop (Scott Werbin)

Words read as follows:
“And thus for exemplary service in both peace and combat would We, Cuan and Adelheit, King and Queen of fair Atlantia induct Caissene ingen Fhaelain into Our noble Order of the Golden Dolphin, with all conspicuous rights and responsibilities pertaining, including Granting her Arms, to whit:Sable, on a pale azure fimbriated Or between in chief an increscent and a decrescent argent two triquetras each interlaced. Done this 3rd day of June AS 57 At BWAT II within the Canton of Moorhaven”]]> 2022-12-18 21:30:23 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424220147 Meridies - Meridian Blade 7/16/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424220967 *Fencing Scroll*

Meridies- 7/16 Meridian Blade

Total hours spent: 25
Breakdown of hours: research and photography 12 hours, layout and design 3 hours, text setting 1 hour, calligraphy 5 hours, illumination 4 hours 

Construction notes: pencil and India ink on paper

- Reference image is of recipient matching capo ferro lunge plate perfectly; capo ferro plate was from 1610
- recipient stated having amount of garb, so 16th century Spanish attire was chosen from museum extant replica in white 
- hand used is tagliente based on Giovanni Tagliente 1524 writing manual. Venetian style hand was chosen to reflect the 1520 interactions involving Italy and Spain. This style of handwriting would still have been in use at the time of writing of capo ferro’s treatise.   

Words by Master Po Silvertop (Scott Werbin)

“Like the majestic rampant stags upon his Arms, he menaces with swift curved weapons..
And while he is also known for his fearsome abilities at the hunt, today his chosen prey is men. And thus he has proved in his displays of his control of the intricacies of the Blade - point and edge, lunge and parry, measure and tempo-  as well as extraordinary acts of leadership, service and teaching, that
Rodrigo Luis de Alburquerque is well true and worthy to be known as Captain and take his rightful place within Our most noble Meridian Order of the Blade, with all notorious rights and responsibilities pertaining, and Grant him Arms. 
Done this 17th day of July, AS 57, at Our zz event”

Corrections made to original text:
- reference to curved weapons removed as most photos located contained Italian rapiers or Spanish rapiers 
- spelling of name was verified with recipient
- event date and name verified with signet
- added “know that we, Lochlainn and Paraskova, the sovereign and consort of Meridies, wish to recognize:”]]> 2022-12-18 21:33:08 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2424220967 *AEthelmearc - Scarlet Battery 7/9/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2429005586 AEthelmarc- 7/9 Scarlet Battery

Styled after the work of Leonardo Da Vinci with matching handwriting. 

Period materials:
- parchment vellum made out of sheep skin
- oak gall ink
- feather quills
- silver point

My Materials:
- Bristol paper
- feather quill
- metal nib pens
- archival waterproof and acrylic ink, brown
- mechanical pencil and eraser
- Windsor & Newton water color paints
- circular stamping sponge on a stick
- straight edge/ruler
- painters tape

Methods:
Images were placed on the scroll arbitrarily as I flung random balls of paint from across the room at a practice scroll using a wooden catapault I made for my kinds off of a Da Vinci kit I purchased off of Amazon.  This process took a bit of trial and error to get right, but in the end I ended up with random pictures placed on the page.  I did this step for no other reason other than sheer fun, and this was a siege weapon scroll- so it tracks.

I wanted this piece to have the da Vinci aesthetic to it, complete with the calligraphy in Da Vinci's hand and the page tinted to look like an aged parchment.  This process required several tests using various materials, which included inks, teas and fabric dyes.  In the end, I chose to use with water colors and a circle sponge.

I prepped the page in advance by adding painter's tape to the edges to protect them from incidental paint splotches.

Images were sketched using mechanical pencil then inked in place using a combination of metal nibs and feather quill.  Any cross hatching was added to show dimension and depth.  I kept my pencil lines in place instead of erasing them when I was done.  I found that the graphite pencil resembled silver point under my test scroll. 

The calligraphy used on this scroll was derived from Da Vinci's handwriting.  Samples of his writing can be seen on Emm in London (2016).  This was the most challenging process of this whole scroll.  I created an alphabet from the writing sample using trial and error.  I believe that Da Vinci wrote in a form of court hand mixed in with flourishes popular among secretaries of the period.  I based the hand I created on a combination of period court hand and Tagliente.  You can see examples of Da Vinci's (1508) handwriting here on his 'The Codex Arundel' at https://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/record.asp?MSID=6454.

This was the most daunting part of the scroll.  I also put all the text in its proper format instead of backwards because my brain couldn't figure out how to write backwards. 

I placed the text on the page to have the feel of schematics, and ignored spacing conventions and text alignment.  I also used more than one size of text in each of the passages to give it the feel of someone who was writing down plans, then forgot some important detail and returned to scribble in more at a later time.  I contemplated trying to do all the text left-handed, but ended up doing it right handed.

After all the text was applied and allowed to dry overnight, I applied the water color paint treatment.  I did this tinting in two stages: the first stage used a yellow/orange blended paint as a wet wash with a paintbrush, the second stage used a darker orange/brown hue applied with a sponge as a dry technique.  Then I added the ink splotches for effect.

I let the whole piece dry over night again before I gingerly removed the painters tape using a heat gun, and a hope and a prayer.



Reference Images:
These reference images are from secondary or tertiary sources.  I added the links to these images because these were the clearest ones I could find on the internet.  Other resources are available, but the photo quality is poor, at best.  You can also see these machines replicated off of the designs on: https://www.emminlondon.com/2016/04/leonardo-da-vinci-exhibition-london.html

1. Military machine to catapault stones: https://www.italian-renaissance-art.com/images/Leonardo-military-catapult.jpg
2. Winch Great Spring Catapult And Ladder From Atlantic Codex Painting & Print: https://iartprints.com/prints/leonardo_da_vinci_winch_great_spring_catapult_and_ladder_from_atlantic_codex-22487.html
3. Spring Catapault: https://allaboutleonardo.wordpress.com/war-machines/da-vinci-catapult/

References
Emm in London. (2016). Leonardo da Vinci Exhibition London.   https://www.emminlondon.com/2016/04/leonardo-da-vinci-exhibition-london.html 
Da Vinci, L. (1508). The Notebook ('The Codex Arundel').  https://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/record.asp?MSID=6454
Finnan, V. (2022). Leonardo Da Vinci: Weapons of War.  Italian Renaissance Art.  https://www.italian-renaissance-art.com/Da-Vinci-weapons.html#gallery[pageGallery]/8/

=== 

Words by Master Po Silvertop (Scott Werbin)

“Unto the targets (targets crossed out), fighters of the Known World...

You are NOT safe.

Standing there confidently, distantly, across the field in numbers and resplendent panoply... 

Unaware of the danger... 

Somewhere Ceirech na Hinnsi and her crack siege team have already chosen, ranged, and aimed at thee. 

Dead men walking, thy doom is already nigh. 

Did not the great artist and inventor state, "... people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things."

You are but Things, and She is about to happen to YOU.

Like the terrible but beautiful twister, a force of nature that uproots buildings only to drop them atop the unsuspecting, leaving only your shiny footwear visible...

Ceirech and her engineers.. Those whom she has encouraged, trained and marshaled for many a year.. Are watching you even now...

May your gods have mercy, for she and hers certainly will not. 

And for her skill and determination, her dedication and vigilance in all matters siege, would We, Byron and Ariella, King and Queen of Sylvan Aethelmearc, seated safely BEHIND her engines of destruction, celebrate her ability and recognizing that "Artillery is the Queen of Battle" now proclaim her a member of Our Order of the Scarlet Battery, thus Granting her Arms, to whit:
To be held by her and her alone.
Done this 9th day of July, AS 57 at Pax within Our Barony of Thescorre “]]> 2022-12-26 17:14:42 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2429005586 My SCA Resume meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2429032850 Last Updated 12/26/2022

Introduction
Formally: Hua MeiLan
Courtesy/By Name: Ren-Xing
Pronouns: she/her
Email: meilan.renxing@gmail.com

My Affiliations:
I am cadet/protégé to Bjar the Blue of Avacal (screamingblue7@gmail.com).
I am laurel student to Vettorio Antonello of the East Kingdom. 
I am foster cadet/protégé to Gytha Oggsdottir of AEthelmearc (gythaoggs@gmail.com).
I am foster cadet to Cyrus Augur (cyrus_augur@yahoo.com)


Persona
I commonly portray a 16th century Chinese persona residing in southern China.  European influences via Portugal have afforded me a nice wardrobe of trendy European fashions.  I also alternate between a Tang dynasty lady for court.  I oftentimes pay homage to my Don(s) on the fencing field, and will often make "mini" replicas of their garb.

Awards and Accolades
  • Award of Arms, An Tir 2007
  • Defender of Bitter End, Arts & Sciences Champion 2009-2010
  • Golden Alce, AEthelmearc, 8/2022
  • Order of the Silver Brooch for scribal arts and research, East Kingdom, 8/2022
  • Coral Branch for scribal arts and replicating fencing plates, Atlantia, 10/2022
  • Order of Sycamore for scribal arts and calligraphy, AEthelmearc, 11/2022

Offices & Positions
  • Baronial Scribe, Barony of Settmour Swamp, 02/2022 to present
  • Baronial Scribe, Barony of Montengarde, 04/2022 to present
  • Kingdom Scribe, An Tir, 01/2007 to present
  • Kingdom Scribe, Atlantia, 05/2010 to present
  • Kingdom Scribe, East Kingdom, 12/2021 to present
  • Kingdom Scribe, Midrealm, 05/2022 to present
  • Kingdom Scribe, AEthelmearc, 1/2022 to present
  • Deputy Webminster, AEthelmearc 11/2022 to present

Former Positions: 
  • Queen’s Guard to Inga the Unfettered, 2009
  • Deputy Chatelaine, Barony of Borealis, 01/2008 to 05/2010
  • Baronial Scribe, Barony of Borealis, 01/2007 to 05/2010

Event Staff
  • Kitchen staff, Atlantia, Yule 12/2013
  • Assisted with Troll, East Kingdom, Coronation 4/2022
  • Assisted with demo coordination for MWTC annual demo, An Tir, 2005-2009

Projects, Publications and Classes
  • Fencing 101: Let's Not Break Ourselves, 11/2022 presented at AE Academy
  • Medieval Gynecology and Midwifery, 8/2009
  • Calligraphy 101 for the Heavy Handed, 10/2010
  • Reviewing Mortality: Causes of Death in the Middle Ages and Modern Times, 8/2020
  • All that Glitters: Gilding 101, 4/2019
  • Historical Pandemic Practices Around the World, 5/2021
]]> 2022-12-26 18:38:41 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2429032850 Midrealm - Dragon’s Treasure meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2429056648 This is a scroll remake of a scroll for a recipient who had recently changed their pronouns.

My Materials:
- Bristol board
- Kolner Instacoll system
- 23 kt gold
- gold mica paint
- archival quality India inks in various colors
- metal-nib pen

Methods:
I can't really comment much on the content and layout of this scroll because I was copying the original scroll.  Many elements on the original scroll are not period design.  I just went in to make it look pretty.

I added gilding to the scroll versus gold paint found in the original.

The hand I used on this scroll was uncial, which matches the original scroll.

Things I would have done differently:
I definitely would have double checked my hand before doing the calligraphy. I left a gigantic ink blot in the middle of the page because of an ink blot left on my hand. I ended up turning it into marginalia featuring the recipient's cat playing with a bottle of ink.]]> 2022-12-26 20:00:17 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2429056648 East Kingdom - Bronze Tower 5/29/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2429057940 Period Materials:
- vellum or parchment made out of animal skins
- oak gall ink
- feather quill
- metal nib pen
- vermillion ink (aka ground up mercuric sulphinde)

My Materials:
- Calligraphy reeds, carved specifically for this project
- Flat paint brushes
- Feather quill
- Archival-quality India Ink in black
- Prisma Micron pigment pen in red ink

Methods:

This was one of my fun, earlier pieces. This was less of a period-piece, and more of a fun, personalized piece to cater to the tastes of the recipient. The pose of the recipient is not period, but is a very flattering modern pose. ]]> 2022-12-26 20:04:56 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2429057940 *East Kingdom - Apollo’s Arrow 4/30/2022 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2429098540 EK- Apollo’s Arrow awarded 4/30

Period Materials:
- paper made of Japanese mulberry
- Sumi ink
- Paint brushes

My Materials:
- Bristol paper
- Sumi inks in various colors
- Paint brushes of all shapes and sizes
- Chinese chop for signatures
- Ruler/straight edge
- Shell gold
- Newton Inks
- India Inks
- Water color

Methods:

This design is based off of a woodcut from the Edo period.  The colors used in this piece are as close as I could get to the period model using colored inks that I had to grind and reconstitute.  Although this particular cut was made in the 17th century, the Edo period itself spanned from 1603 until 1867. There was very little change stylistically during this time frame, which would mean that the imagery in this piece would still be appropriate for earlier periods.

Materials used in construction was Bristol paper, heavy weight.  I used shell gold, egg tempera paint made of NY egg yolks and pigment with a touch of honey, windsor & newton inks, India ink and watercolor.

Colors selected for the clothing is more vibrant than in period for this region. Decision for the clothing was based off of garb that the recipient couple was wearing in the reference image.  Period ink used in Edo-era print making would have been water-soluble. In a study by Villafana & Edwards (2019), the “inorganic colorants commonly found in Edo-period nishiki-e were Prussian blue, red ochre, vermilion, red lead, yellow ochre, orpiment, as well as organic indigo, gamboge, turmeric, and lac. Dayflower was extracted from the traditional dye-infused paper.”  Replication of period colors was done to the best of my efforts using the materials and techniques I had available to match the extant piece in period.  The materials used in traditional Japanese woodblock printing ink colorants are sensitive to environmental changes, and prone to degradation.  This issue has raised several preservation concerns, which include sensitivity to environmental conditions such as light, pollutants, and high humidity, as well as sensitivity to some conservation treatment conditions, such as pH, water, and other solvents. 

The text was commissioned from the amazing Cindy Watkins, who is both an incredibly talented apprentice and fencer.  The text is a renga, which is  (連歌, linked verse) is a genre of Japanese collaborative poetry in which alternating stanzas, or ku (句), of 5-7-5 and 7-7 mora (sound units, not to be confused with syllables) per line are linked in succession by multiple poets.

The Japanese translation was commissioned from Hector Baez

The text beside the cloud on top on the right hand side says “Apollo’s arrow.”  The text on the left margin says “east kingdom” or “kingdom of the east.” 

The calligraphy was executed using modern Japanese versus period Japanese.  I was unable to locate an individual who was well-versed in this unique form of calligraphy who would work under my time constraints and budget.

My red chop, aka the stamp on the left hand side of the scroll was made for me at the start of my SCA career using the characters of my SCA name: Hua MeiLan.  It was hand carved by a specialized company in China, who have been producing this style of seal since the 1400s. 

Lessons learned with this piece:
- I sacrificed my favorite 0 paint brush so I could have the perfect tip for doing this form of calligraphy
- layer light to dark, special thanks again to Hector for layering tips


References

Department of Asian Art. “Woodblock Prints in the Ukiyo-e Style.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ukiy/hd_ukiy.htm (October 2003)

Villafana, T. & Edwards, G. (2019). Creation and reference characterization of Edo period Japanese woodblock printing ink colorant samples using multimodal imaging and reflectance spectroscopy. Heritage Science, 7(94). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-019-0330-6

===

Translation of text:

Renga for an Edo Haiga Scroll by Cindy Watkins

It is known to all
There is one who bends his strength
In peaceful service

Steady hands have made
A flight to blanket the sky
Paper crane snowfall

Trees stand adamant
But for a man of great skill
The catalpa bows 

Arrows must be straight
But truer than the arrows
Must be the archer

In a time of war
He stands not in the ranks
Look to the forefront

A golden light blooms
Among Warring Daffodils 
Apollo’s Arrow

On April 30
Of this fifty sixth year of
Our Society

High flies his name 
Ciaran Ua Mac Theire 
For his archer’s skill

Bold Rouyoukojin 
Deems it so, the Demon King 
of the Three Heavens

Rani Indrakshi
If all East bends to please her
So this must be done]]> 2022-12-26 23:55:37 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2429098540 *East Kingdom - Award of Arms meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2429121792 EK- Backlog scroll

My materials:
- Bristol paper
- shell gold
- egg tempera paint
- India ink
- gauche

This is a 12-13th century Persian scroll based off of the Book of Wonders of the Age, 12th-13th century, University of St.Andrews (Speccoll, 2013; ms32(o)). 

Text of scroll is written in pseudo-Kufic or kufesque, which consists of imitations of Kufic script that can be traced back to the 8th century, but grew in popularity in the 12th century.

The colors used in Islamic art can vary according to historical conditions, geographic area and community.  For example, the dominant colors used in Iranian paintings are green, blue, yellow, grey, and other colors (Mehri, 2016). This is a Persian-inspired piece, which also uses a similiar color palette.  It is generally accepted that green color creates a feeling of harmony, peace, balance, sympathy and self-esteem, and it relieves nervous tension (Omer, 2011). 

Gold paint was used over top the yellow paint to accentuate the yellow.  This was an artistic decision to add some shimmer to the piece.

The hand used was psuedo-kufic, which is a period hand that was first used in the Middle Ages and Renaissance period as an imitation of Arabic cursive script.  The most notable examples of pseudo-kufic can be found on Lippi's (1438) 'Pala Barbador', which is currently housed at the Lourvre Museum. The psuedo-kufic is found on the hemlines of the Virgin Mary's mantle. 

The calligraphy was faithfully replicated using the psuedo-kufic method.  The words are in English with stylized characters.  The letters were placed on the paper using calligraphy reed that I hand carved and tempered for this project.  This project was executed using delicacy and sensitivity towards the culture.  In addition, I've studied Kufic calligraphy mundanely, used to speak Arabic as a child, travelled extensively throughout the Islamic countries, and even lived in one for a period of time. 

Things I would have done differently:

I think I would have wanted to try gilding this instead of using gold paint. Not happy with how splotchy my gold paint was.

References

Lippi, F. (1438). Pala Barbador. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Pala_Barbadori_-_Fra_Filippo_Lippi_-_Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre_Peintures_INV_339.jpg
Mehri, G. (2016).  Research J. Humanities and Social Sciences, 7(1): 25-28. doi: 10.5958/2321-5828.2016.00006.1
The color of Islamic Art.  
Omer, S. (2011).  The significance of colors and light as decorative media in Islamic art and architecture.  Medinanet. https://medinanet.org/2011/03/the-significance-of-colors-and-light-as-decorative-media-in-islamic-art-and-architecture/ 
Speccoll. (2013).  52 weeks of inspiring illustrations, week 50: Book of Wonders.  University of St.Andrews. https://special-collections.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2013/07/01/52-weeks-of-inspiring-illustrations-week-50-the-book-of-wonders/]]> 2022-12-27 01:04:25 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2429121792 East Kingdom- Beast of the East meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2431851321 2023-01-02 20:47:53 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2431851321 AEthelmearc - Cyrus Augur MOD Writ 1/14/2023 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2468556135 2023-02-04 17:21:37 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2468556135 East - King’s Bardic Championship 2/4/2023 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2468556783 2023-02-04 17:23:08 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2468556783 East - Consort’s Bardic Championship 2/4/2023 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2468557118 2023-02-04 17:23:47 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2468557118 AEthelmearc Award of Excellence 2/11/2023 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2483098396 2023-02-15 07:37:52 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2483098396 An Tir - 48 hour backlog competition Advanced Category 2/11/2023 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2508483422 Calligraphy and illumination by MeiLan
Words by Cyrus Augur 

(Documentation to follow) ]]> 2023-03-08 12:00:16 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2508483422 AEthelmearc- Award of Arms 3/4/2023 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2531861925 Calligraphy and illumination by MeiLan
Words by Cyrus Augur

“Hark- What is the make of one who renders 
their service for the good of the kingdom?
It is to be all made of fantasy,
All made of passion and all made of wishes, 
All adoration, duty, and observance, 
All humbleness, all patience and impatience, 
All purity, all trial, all perseverance
This is the make of those who are markéd
Chosen to be a Noble of our Court
Wrought by our hand, King Arnthor and Queen Ceirech,
On this Fourth of March at The Donnan Party.”
]]> 2023-03-26 15:20:31 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2531861925 AEthelmearc - Golden Alce 3/25/2023 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2531863592 Calligraphy and Illumination by MeiLan
Words by Cyrus Augur

“There are few who take the job at hand as seriously as our deer Ferruchio di Cosimo. In the subtle art of swordplay, skillful in thrust and feint: he is the master of bait and invitation. Through his efforts to apply hand to sword, and valiantly defend our Sylvan kingdom from all manner of foreign invaders, he has become quite skilled. This good Gentle's rising prowess cannot be ignored, and thus do We, Rex and Regina, find it right and proper to induct him into our noble order of the Golden Alce. Performed this March 4th, A.S. 57 at the Donnan Party.”]]> 2023-03-26 15:23:28 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2531863592 AEthelmearc - 4/1/2023 Master of Defense meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2554410432 2023-04-14 10:52:11 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2554410432 Beast of the East - Take 2 meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2554412371 I felt self-conscious about how it looked, so I went back in and fixed the colors before mailing it. ]]> 2023-04-14 10:55:19 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2554412371 My time sheets meilanrenxing https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2637639359 It’s random, but I need this for work and I can’t seem to be able to upload it anywhere else because of firewalls at work ]]> 2023-07-04 03:35:40 UTC https://padlet.com/meilanrenxing/art/wish/2637639359