January 11 – Visigothic Knots with Risa Gettler

Register below or send a check payable to Colorado Calligraphers’ Guild, PO Box 102672, Denver, CO 80250-2672. Members have priority registration until November 20, then the workshop is open to the general public.

Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please note that registration is non-refundable unless your spot can be filled from the waiting list or a substitute provided by the enrollee. For a list of workshop policies, go to https://www.coloradocalligraphers.com/about-2/policies/.

Please contact Tess Vonfeldt-Gross with questions at ccgworkshops@coloradocalligraphers.com.

This is a live online Zoom class with full interaction with the instructor during class time. We will have a half hour break for lunch. The supply list and handouts will be sent later after you sign up. The zoom link will be sent a few days before the start of the workshop. This workshop will be recorded and available to view for one month until February 11, 2025.

Workshop Description

Solomon’s knot (aka ‘Solomon’s seal) is a traditional decorative motif used since ancient times and found in many cultures; mosaic floors in Italy, stone mosaics in ancient synagogues, mosques in Cairo, African beadwork in crowns and masks, Central Asian prayer rugs, leaded glass windows in Moorish Spain, and now in Colorado!

The Solomon knot we are painting is from a manuscript written during the Golden Age of Spain when Spain was conquered by the Moors. The artistic Islamic influence has unique and interesting decorative elements that gracefully provide us with additional painting opportunities.

I’ll be painting along with you, step by step. My document camera will be way down low so you can see me demonstrating Chiaroscuro. It’s the classic painting technique of seamlessly shading and blending made popular in the Renaissance by my boyfriend Leonardo Di Vinci.

About Risa

Risa Gettler combines her lifelong study of letters with medieval manuscript arts. Extended studies: the University of Calligraphy/Italy, Barcelona School of Design/Spain, Princeton University/Department of Spanish Medieval Art, Getty Center, and UCLA/Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. A guest on radio and TV. Art projects: the LA City Marathon, the National Council on Aging, the International Council on Alzheimer’s Disease/Toronto, and a CD design of medieval Spanish music funded by The National Endowment of the Arts. Art included in the Smithsonian, Washington National Cathedral, calligraphy and calligraphy related books, calendars, exhibits, galleries and international art publications. Teaching for international conferences, guilds, universities and museums since the 1990’s. Her work can be found in several anthologies and Risa’s work is represented in the Harrison Collection of Calligraphy and Lettering. Risa’s forthcoming book, Animating the Alphabet, is available in 2024. Risa’s most notable client is His Holiness Pope John Paul, II.