My New Website

This weekend is like Christmas for me. After spinning my wheels for 2.5 years over a new website, my web designers, Eric and Linda Wolf at www.ActiveCanvas.com have helped me to “birth” the new www.HollyMonroe.com calligraphy website. I am thrilled and grateful….a huge THANK YOU ERIC AND LINDA!!!! Stay tuned as I feature the latest from my studio in the upcoming months.

My old site was graciously designed by Marie Frances while taking a class at the Cincinnati Art Academy. It served me well and helped me gain a national presence, with a few international opportunities, as well. (Marie is presently studying painting in Italy…you should see her beautiful portrait work of the Cincinnati Ballet!)

Gold Leaf Event

This past Saturday I had the privilege of hosting the Cincinnati Book Arts Society (CBAS) and the Greater Cincinnati Calligrapher’s Guild in my studio for a show and tell!  I demonstrated a gold leaf technique and showcased two of the handmade books I’ve been creating.   The Book of Hours –as mentioned in an earlier post and a Baby Book (that I’ll feature in a later post).

 

Pictured below is my dining room table – where I displayed some of the vellum off cuts  I’ve been using to work out color and painting techniques for the book.

 

Book of Hours -Hour Glass Border in progress. See Portfolio > Books for finished work

Below I am laying gold leaf. (My glasses broke the day before–looks almost like a monocle.) I lay my homemade gesso on fine art paper or calfskin, let it dry and then blow on it to humidify. Then the gold is quickly laid on the gesso, touched up and burnished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are a few of the guild members that came to see my studio!   I would love to have you too…..come and visit sometime!