I was asked recently by a local church to create a piece for their retiring organist. Here's how I approached creating this lyrical piece.

A typical calligraphy project for me consists of using a dip pen with ink and writing on high-quality art paper or calfskin vellum. But recently a job came my way utilizing completely different materials.

Created in 1797 by 13-year old Lydia Bishop, this book is a 22-page manuscript of geometry written out when Lydia was a student at Mr. Wyman’s School in Medford, Massachusetts.

I took a group to London and Cambridge this past February/March to view manuscripts and participate in a workshop in Cambridge. While in Cambridge, we came upon a wonderful antiquarian bookseller’s shop called G. David. I purchased a few old...

This post is a follow-up to my recently published blog, A Visit with Some Manuscripts at the British Library. It’s the continuation of the chronicle of a trip recently offered by The Abbey Studio to London and Cambridge to view manuscripts...

One of the very fun aspects of my work at The Abbey Studio is that from time to time I organize trips – sometimes domestic, sometimes international – related to illuminated manuscripts and calligraphy. I recently took a group to London and...

Many of you know that bestiaries are medieval books about beasts. They contain beautiful paintings and elaborate descriptions of natural items – primarily animals, but they can also include fish, rocks, and fantastic beasts.

True confession: I’m a total traditionalist. Although I have a great appreciation for the fun and spontaneity of a wild, modern layout that runs off the page, in my own work I like to stick to the classics. I enjoy using historic examples as...