Illuminating my Illuminations: Scribal Work 2016-Present

Illuminating my Illuminations

Since joining the SCA in 2009 I focused mostly on sewing but always meant to try my hand at scribal arts and after 7 years I finally managed to get started!  I must mention that the calligraphy aspect of scribal arts is something I have tried and catastrophically failed at...partially because I just cannot get the hand of it and partially because it aggravates my neck and shoulder issues.  So I'm sticking to illumination!

Although I have lost some photos of past scrolls due to a computer crash (eek!), here is a sample of things I have done in the 2 years of my scribal life so far:

This is my first scroll ever...an Arts and Sciences scroll for our Ruantallan Baronial Championship.  I did the illumination as well as the wordsmithing.  My daughter (Emily Colin aka Lady Kira) did the calligraphy.  Notice the dog in the upper right corner?  Yup, this is my "scribal signature".  I like to include a dog in each of my illuminations to pay homage to all of my doggy pals past and present, as well as to honour the time I was a  Foster-Mum to a few rescues.  All the dogs in my life are in my heart forever.

Another Arts and Sciences scroll...illumination and wordsmithing by me and calligraphy by my daughter (Emily Colin aka Lady Kira)...who also happened to win the Ruantallan Baronial Arts and Sciences Championship for which the scroll was made...so she ended up with a piece of art done by her mother and herself!

Next up is a scroll for our Canton of Seashire Rattan Championship...the one and ONLY scroll where the illumination, wordsmithing AND "calligraphy" was done by me.  The "calligraphy" was achieved by very careful and painstaking tracing with the use of a light-box.  NEVER again.  My neck is still complaining.  Funny, the person who won this tournament was my husband!  The first photo is the inspiration image from 14th century manuscript:

And my version...I changed the face of the shield to the Canton of Seashire device.  Also, notice the "dog"fish?  I quite liked that little addition.

Next is one of my favourite scrolls.  It was a local Ruantallan Baronial award called "The Order of the Iceberg".  The recipient is known for her music, sewing, heralding, and archery skills.  Here is the inspiration image from a late 15th century manuscript:

In my version of the scroll I modified the image to show the recipient in one of her own outfits wearing an Iceberg medallion as a necklace, 3 rats which are from her personal device...one playing a flute, one heralding and one sewing the hem of her dress, and finally I included a very tiny Ruantallan Baronial device as a flag on the castle.  Do you see the hidden dog in this one?

Next up is a recent Arts and Sciences scroll for the Principality of Tir Mara Arts and Sciences Championship...this one is for the "Princess's Champion".  Here are the inspiration images from the Winchester Bible:

  

And my version.  Fairly simple.  I included the device for the Principality of Tir Mara in the "A" and added the Arts and Sciences candle image to the "L".  I'm loving the little doggy face at the bottom of the "A".

The last two scrolls are ones that I was given the honour of illuminating for my daughter (Emily Colin aka Lady Kira).  The first one is the most recent one.  She recieved a Silver Brooch award at the East Kingdom Spring Crown Tournament this spring (2018) for her Arts and Sciences work, specifically her calligraphy and illumination.  Seriously, she is hands down much better than me!  So, I wanted her to have a scroll that reflected her scribal work.  Here is the inspiration, an illumination from a late 12th - early 13th century manuscript depicting a female scribe by the name of Marie de France:

In my version I changed the colour of the dress to blue to add more vibrancy, the hair colour is red as is my daughter's, the boarder was changed to reflect her recently joining House Crimson Company and of course, there's a dog at her feet.

And finally, although this last scroll was done last year (2017), I left this one to the end because it is my very favourite illumination of all the illuminations I have done.  This scroll was given to Emily (Lady Kira) for her induction into the Ruantallan "Order of the Iceberg".  Before I go on, I will credit Mistress Zaneta Gavlinne Angiolieri with the lovely calligraphy.  I could not have done it myself!

Although Lady Kira does not yet have a personal device, when she does register one, it will most certainly include a sea turtle, reflecting her environmental science and marine biology education and a job she once had during one of her summers on a boat when she, of course, saw a sea turtle.  The inspirations for this scroll did not come from an actual manuscript but from various ideas.  The turtle, in mythology, is often represented as carrying the world upon it and is associated closely with the Earth and environment.  My illumination is celtic in nature, with the turtle holding a celtic tree on its back with the roots reaching through it and creating a celtic knot boarder for the scroll.  And, of course, the dog...it is depicted running on the top of the Iceberg device in the top left corner...she has wings and is dark in colour which represent a very much loved deceased family dog that will always be in Lady Kira's heart.  I am SO very proud of this scroll...almost as proud as I am of the recipient!

And that's my scribal life...so far.  I love painting, so there will be sure to be many more scrolls in my future!