Mi Contra Fa

Deer John (and Matthew, Mark and Luke)

Today, while nattering about without discipline or focus, I happened across the Book of Deer.  It's classed as a Hiberno-Saxon illuminated manuscript - the "insular style."  It may be the earliest surviving  manuscript produced in Scotland. 

More to the point, the evangelist portraits look like this:

That may actually be within my artistic talents. 

The whole manuscript is online here.  There are spots where you can see the illuminator started to fancy up some of the knotwork and then stopped...

Fifteen Minute Experiment

So, I generally come back from things like KASF and the Somerset Harp Festival inspired and frustrated.  Inspired, because there's so much neat stuff to do!  Frustrated, because I'm something of a perfectionist and that's not actually a good thing.  I want to do it all, do it now, and be great at it (without having to go through that horribly embarrassing 'making mistakes' part).

I mean, I try to get over it.  "Research means hitting wrong notes" and all.  But there's a certain critical mass of project ideas, skills needed, and time needed to improve said skills that's a bit paralyzing for me.

I'm going to try allocating just fifteen minutes a day to Art Stuff.  I have some fannish Art Stuff to clear out of my queue first.  Then, SCA Art Stuff.  Maybe musical practice.  Maybe working on the Lyre Handbook. Or sewing. Or calligraphy. Or whatever.

Fifteen is more than zero, which is what I usually get because I can't have 120 minutes.  Way, way back in college, I was so proud of my ability to get things done, often by making use of periods of time as small as 15 minutes.  That might be just one thermodynamics homework problem done - but then that was one I wouldn't have to do later.

I may be underestimating the mental downtime I need to recuperate from work/commute (mostly commute, I swear).  But it seems like I ought to be able to find fifteen minutes somewhere.

 

KASF Report

There's a devil of a choice to make at KASF - stay by your own work to talk to people about it, or wander around to see everyone else's.  I tried to do a bit of both.

I was feeling a little down about my display for a while.  Compared to some of the excellent work at KASF, it seemed a bit underwhelming.  Then someone asked me a music question, and I started yakking, and I remembered: Oh yeah, this is what I actually do and where my depth of knowledge is.

I met Wyglaf of Stierbach again; he also does Anglo-Saxon research, and he had entered the Persona Pentathalon with a 6th century Anglian entry.  He's learning Old English and did some C&I based on Kells and Lindisfarne - stuff I've been meaning to get to, and haven't.  His other thrusts - woodworking and metalworking - are totally out of my wheelhouse.  I thought the bow and arrows he made were really nifty!  He's also interested in my lyre class, if I ever teach it. (Note to self: Make more student lyres.)

I had heard that Jocelyn d'Outremer made books but had never seen one.  Finally saw one.  HOLY SCHNICKIES.  That's some awesome book-binding there.

Also saw a lady who does enameling - she made a replica of... gah, it's a gold-and-garnet eagle and I can't recall if it's Anglo-Saxon or Frankish or Vandal or what.  Shoot, all my event notes are at home; I'll have to update this report later.

There was so, so much stuff that was beautiful and amazing that I'm not mentioning. 

One lesson learned: Make sure to have note cards with me when I venture out.  Talk more.  Leave comments.  Get out of the Introvert Zone a bit.

The Duke Gyrth Oldcastle Memorial Poetry Smackdown was awesome!  My poetry was well-received, which was nice, but I think the standout piece had to be Master Dunstan's object lesson on why "A&S" must always  be carefully enunciated.  I owe Master Bran copies of my entries, come to think of it...

Feast was deee-licious!  I sat with Gratiza, the other Storvikii remaining on-site, and some lovely ladies of Bright Hills.  Very convival supper.  Then - clean up.  I took off my bling for chair-schlepping duty, and I'm not sure if all of it made it home.  I'll check my pockets and pouches one more time, then hope the autocrat reports a lost and found. :/

Travel note: It may be better to get a hotel near the site for the night before the event, and then leave the event, drive until I'm tired and find a hotel there in the future.