In the beginning…

For millennia, art, in the form of repeating patterns, has been a significant anthropological record of the nations of the world. Understanding their depiction (symbolized on the walls of stone-age caves, on the walls of an Egyptian pharaoh’s tomb, in precious shards of pottery unearthed over time by water and wind) has been ruthlessly pursued by man in his quest to answer questions posed by the remnants of history. This quest has brought a continual and fundamental order to what might otherwise have been a decorative chaos.

Since monastic clergymen jealously competed to produce the most flamboyant designs for the two undisputed “gems” of illumination: “The Book of Kells” and its great rival “The Lindisfarne Gospels”, scholars have argued indifinitively as to which of these two magnificent volumes is the best, or which came before the other. However, if the former is personal taste, and proof of the latter cannot be found, why ponder? Perhaps focus should be on the distinct beauty of each book, and on an appreciation of the enormous effect their content has had on calligraphy and design in this beautiful art from, in particular, from around the seventh century AD to the present day.

Modern illumination has much media and method at its disposal, and, even though there are old rules to be followed, the modern-day artist who learns and uses it has a remarkable tool at their disposal. I hope you like my designs; and more will follow.