What is it with the Norweigian Flag?


Actually, the presence of the flag of Norway is easy to explain; my ancestors hail from Larvik, Norway. Less easy to explain is my reason for making this page. True, many reasons spring ready-made to my lips (or, in this instance, my finger-tips) when I ask myself "Why are you bothering?" However, when I sit and sift through my thoughts, a couple of things spring to mind as most important.

The foremost reason: I have a great love of these books, and I desire to share the joy I have in them with those who wander into this webpage. Secondly, many of the things I have learned have been things I stumbled across. I'd like to help other aspiring artists learn these things, too. While I do face-to-face teaching whenever I have the opportunity, there are people far removed from me who would also like to learn. This web page is a way to reach them. And of course, there is always the best reason ever, used by Milo when entering Dictionapolis, "Why Not?"

Can I get you to teach scribal stuff?
Can I use an article in a newsletter or at my site?
Who are you, anyway?
What are you primarily researching right now?

If you want face to face teaching rather than web teaching, I've taught following classes at the various SCA Events:

Into to Scribal References: Northshield A&S, March 1994

Whitevine & Goldvine Painting: March Haire Afaire 1996

Beginning Calligraphy: Northshield Scribal Symposium, October 1997

Whitevine Painting: Northshield Scribal Symposium, Oct 97

Japanese Art for SCA Scrolls: March Haire Affair, 24 April 1999

Making Paints for and Desgining an Illuminated Document: Northshield Coronet, 12 June 1999

Making Medieval Paints: Warriors and Warlords, July 1999

Period Illuminated Documents: Pennsic 1999

Paleography for Scribes: Pennsic 1999

The event name following the class title indicates the event at which the class was first taught. Most of these clases have been taught multiple times as I travel around. They are listed that you may know what I have currently prepared. I am generally willing to teach the above at SCA events if asked at least a week in advance.

Currently in preperation and expected event debut:

A Pseudo Arabic Alphabet and Commentary on Arabic Book Production: Haire Affaire 2000.

Making Your Own Tools: Kingdom Heraldic & Scribal Symposium, April 2000

Dye Pigments, Modern & Period: Kingdom H&S Symposium, April 2000

Heraldry For Scribes: Northshield Scribal Symposium, June 2000

References on Parade: Discussion of current scribal references and their value: NSS, June 2000

Advanced Scribal References: Primary Documentation: Pennsic 2000

The notes will be posted to the web after the class has run successfully. Please do not ask me to teach these classes with less than one month's notice until such time that the class notes appear on this web site. Just because they are in develpoment doesn't mean that they'll actually be taught as scheduled. I've been bumped out of class spots many times before!

If you would like me to teach a lass at an event and do not want any of the above clases, I require a minimum of three months' prep time.

I will happily provide private lessons to any SCA member if asked and if feasible. Feel free to contact me.

Some of these articles have been published in various SCA publications. I'm including the list of those instances of publication that I have permitted. It has become abundantly clear to me, however, that publication of an article on the web leaves me open to having my articles published, without my knowledge, in other mediums. Therefore, I am making this clear statement.

ALL ARTICLES CONTAINED WITHIN THIS WEBSITE ARE COPYRIGHTED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE AUTHORS. I, ELISE CAROLE BOUCHER, SOMETIMES WRITING AS MEROUDA PENDRAY, HAVE NOT RELEASED THOSE ARTICLES THAT I HAVE AUTHORED INTO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. THEREFORE, YOU MAY NOT REPRINT THESE ARTICLES IN ANY PUBLICATION, ON PAPER OR VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION, WITHOUT FIRST OBTAINING MY PERMISSION.

If you would like to reprint any of these articles, contact me. Provided that you are willing to meet a few easy conditions, I'm pretty flexible about granting permission to reprint. The preceeding statement should not, however, be construed as permission to reprint, merely a statement that I am willing to consider it.

Further, the above notice should not be construed as intendeding to discourage other sites wanting to link to any articles herein. While I like to know who links to my site--I'll provide a reciprocal link, you see--I do not in any way believe that links to articles constitutes a reprint of the article or site, as long as you are LINKED to the article at THIS site and not incorporating the article into your own by hosting the article at your site or including it as part of a larger article, as I have sometimes seen done.

On Making Tempera Paints has been also been published in:

On Visage has also been published in: Notes from an Illumination Class has been published in: Excerpts from the Bibliography appeared in: Excerpts from Period Pigments and Paints appeared as Pigments: A Brief Survey in:
Excerpts from Period Pigments and Paints appeared as To Make Paints in:
Towards a More Period Apperance in:
The Arte of Limming, with excerpts from the Bibliography and Medieval Colors and Modern Paints is schedualed for publication in the Creative Anachronist series under the title "A Very Proper Treatise on the Arte of Limming".

And just who the heck is this woman, anyway?

I am a woman of middle means and years. I adore art and one day hope to be a competent artist according to my own perception. Primarily, I do illuminated pages for the Society for Creative Anachronism, but have also done work for Stellar Graphics, TSR Inc, MagForce, and by private commission. If you are really interested in knowing a bit more about me, you can explore my other still-under-construction pages (really, are they ever finished? Probably would finish them faster if I worked on them one at a time....): Sept Pendray and Leesie's Last Resort.

And Where Is She Looking Next?

As I study illuminated manuscripts, I find that my research focus shifts. This makes sense; as you become pretty confident in your knowledge of a particular area, you start to branch into other aspects of the subject. Right now I'm specifically looking at: bookbinding; illuminated documents; visual identification of non-standard period tools, period visual representations of scribal tools; and the life of the scribe, particularly as it applies to working in chanceries rather than scriptoriums or atliers. I expect to learn many other interesting things along the way.

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