Sondra Venable

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Frontspiece of book

1992

In the top panel, a man kneels before a king and queen, who crown him with a laurel leaf; a cook reaches into the frame to pluck a leaf from the wreath, which he adds to a kettle simmering over a fire. In the bottom panel, a brewer ladles beer from a barrel to serve his guests. I created this book for my husband, as a document for a cooking/ brewing award within the Society for Creative Anachronism. Working in the style of 13th-century manuscripts, I personalized it with coats of arms, other heraldic symbols, and references to food, beer, wine, and mead. I also used 13th-century materials and techniques -- cutting the whole calf skin into pages, writing with a quill, painting and gilding, before sewing the pages together and binding the book in leather (not shown). Note: This customized piece is not for sale; the quoted price is for a single page in the same style and materials, with roughly the same dimensions. Shipping included.

Sold $500.00

Ink, egg tempera, gesso, and gold leaf on calfskin vellum
6” x 8” each page
Shipping cost: $0.00

Image Description: Frontspiece of book / Main Image

Artist + Sondra Venable

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Calligraphy is, for me, the art form that best engages both sides of my dual identity, scholar/writer and visual artist. Calligraphic work marries words and images to convey a message that neither could alone. My use of letter-forms and decorative elements from medieval manuscripts allows me to combine scholarly rigor with artistic imagination and expression. My work is heavily influenced by many years of active participation in the Society for Creative Anachronism, where I found both an outlet for my developing skills and a community of like-minded scholar-artists. Today, my work is nurtured by New Orleans’ respect for a tradition in hand-made objects, and by the love of bright colors that infuses not only its architecture, but its language and storytelling as well.

Sondra Venable is a New Orleans artist living and working in the Uptown neighborhood.

UPTOWN

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Location All / Greater New Orleans / Greater Baton Rouge / North Louisiana / Mississippi Gulf Coast