The Illuminated Bible

[KCat]

if you ever get the opportunity, their is a show on PBS - The Illuminated Bible. interesting show about the Bible being written by a team of calligraphers and other artists for St. John's Abbey, led by Donald Jackson. Not enough shown about the actually writing process but nice nonetheless.

[Dip Head]

There is also a book called "Illuminating The Word: The Making of The Saint John's Bible". I found it on page 2 of the excellent 2005 Paper & Ink Arts catalog KCat recommended to me. They say it will be available end of Feb 2005. Paper & Ink Arts

 

(and yes KCat, that catalog is going to cost me.. <_< )

 

I thought it was a real nice touch that my address label on the catalog was handwritten! It really stood out as personal, in high contrast to my junk mail.

 

They also have full-color reproductions of The Saint John's Bible in a seven volumn set. Production seems to be set over the next two years. I'm going to get Gospels and Acts on order, it should be available end of Feb 2005 also.

 

I'll try to find the PBS show also..

[KCat]

Paper & Ink Arts

 

(and yes KCat, that catalog is going to cost me.. <_< )

I'm avoiding it for now... though there are so many things I'd love to try - like those little Nikko G nibs. If you ever break down and try them, before I do, let me know what you think. They're supposed to be very smooth.

 

Then there are all the lovely calligraphy inks...

 

and all the lovely dip pens...

 

their book prices are excellent, IMO. So are "John Neal Booksellers" prices.

[dava]

Howdy

 

There is also a web site with great photos and stories about this project at http://www.saintjohnsbible.org/ . Sure wish I was good enough to have a hand in something like this.

 

Dava

[KCat]

Howdy

 

There is also a web site with great photos and stories about this project at http://www.saintjohnsbible.org/ . Sure wish I was good enough to have a hand in something like this.

 

Dava

Lovely. Thanks for that link.

 

Here's a funny observation. In the PBS piece Jackson is careful to point out that no calligrapher would have ever used a quill pen "as is" with the barbs still attached. That is "just Hollywood." It would get in the way, bump into your face, etc. So he showed how the end is cut off and the barbs (on the wider side of the feather) are just stripped off leaving a much shorter and narrower quill.

 

but there on the home page of the website - a full quill pen.

[John]

It's very beautiful. I like the way they have incorporated ideas about page composition and illustration from modern fine printing and used them in MS mode.

[TheRover]

I love that show.......the way he mixed the egg yolk with the red ink....Who'd a thunk it?...The end product is going to be super cool when they finish it up.

[missclimpson]

A couple of years ago we drove to St. John's to see the Bible (I live nearby). It is an amazing thing to see. The library at St. John's Abby has a very large collection of manuscripts and they are part of am effort around the world to save ancient documents from destruction. With all the political unrest in the Middle East this is a very important project.

[webgeckos]

I saw The Book of Kells, as a teenager. It ruined me and made me want parchment, paper, fountain pens and ink

 

I watched Illuminating The Word. I think you can also see it on Youtube.