Icon Communications

A new album of acoustic songs by Nicholas Gurney – listen to them by clicking the image.

lluminated capitals bring a printed page to life. The skill of the ancients combined to draw the reader into the manuscript in an irresistable way.

Modern digital equipment makes it easy to replicate the style if not the hand crafted brilliance of those monastic trend-setting creators. The words had better be impressive after such a triumphal beginning to the page, or is it the case that if the eye is fed, the whole being is nourished and we don’t really need to read the whole thing?

Long live illuminated capitals and their modern equivalents. Long live illuminated manuscripts where care is taken to provide the reader with every incentive to read on and enjoy the experience! Let’s take time to value our readers and engage them visually to aid their engagement with the words.

To say one is in love with type is really saying you love life. I don’t know but maybe builders love buildings and architects love architecture? I love music but I can also hate music, it all depends on the finished piece! Obviously, this a complex topic and already I’m starting to think I don’t quite have enough mental fortitude on a Friday to explore it in the detail it deserves . . . I know one thing though, I’m in love with type.

Faber Castell make a lovely range of pens called the ‘PITT® artist pen’. These pens use India Ink and do not smudge when painted over using watercolour. In fact, the only thing we have to provide is artistic talent and then the world of watercolour painting is our oyster. Treat yourself and buy some now, before we all completely lose the ability to make marks on paper using a pen!

One of the greatest joys of a new day is starting with a clean sheet of paper. Everything is possible from that moment and it’s a lovely feeling. The day doesn’t always continue in that vein but at least we know we can ‘set to zero’ each day and give ourselves another chance to shine!