Category Archives: Louise O’Reilly

And here it is the Mottisfont Medieval Alphabet by the brilliant pupils from Portway School with graphic design by Jon Clark. My thanks to all of the members of the Mottisfont Medieval Illuminator Workshop Master of the Fish Tailed Winged … Continue reading →

Graphic designer Dan Adams is creating the typography and design layout for Mappa.   To find the right typeface he looks at the exquisite plaintext and illuminated letters in the Winchester Bible and refers to the idiosyncratic organisation of lettering in … Continue reading →

Final ink and watercolour washes are added to differentiate the different zones of the map.

In mid July I hold an Open Studio inviting staff and volunteers to come and see the work in progress.  I appreciate visits from Howard (Lead Outdoor Guide), Bobby and Fran (Outdoor Guides), Jonny (Head Gardener), Steve (Volunteer Ranger) and … Continue reading →

Within the Map are small pen and ink drawings showing various religious and secular items that were part of the medieval Mottisfont landscape including  a sheep, trout, dovecote, watermill, chalice, canon, otter, swan, duck and … sea serpent.  The major … Continue reading →

A few jewel-like drawing of things that are emblematic of medieval Mottisfont. Reliquary – a vessel containing the holy relic, said to be a finger bone of John the Baptist, would have been placed on the altar of the priory … Continue reading →

Designing the circular margin for the map required the use of a large, custom made compass created by my inventive and practical friend Charlie Bennett-Lloyd.   The design for the circular margin is created from drawings of Columbine, Herb Robert, … Continue reading →

Once the map has been transferred to water colour paper the next step is to paint the water.  I mix a colour like the chalky, turquoise green of water in the font and develop my own medieval water painting style … Continue reading →

The final workshop with Portway School.  There’s lots to do to finish the letters and this is the final workshop.  We agree a fair tariff for the labour of the medieval illuminator apprentices and they get paid in jelly babies, … Continue reading →

Workshop 5 was at Portway School.  It was a beautifully sunny day so we worked in the garden.  Most of the letters in the alphabet have been designed but they aren’t finished yet.  The illuminators continue to work on their … Continue reading →