Family Trees

Family Tree in calligraphy by Joan Merrell in Jefferson City MO, circa 1999?

One of the first large jobs I ever did on commission was a family tree. The client had an old xerox that was about three pages taped together lengthwise and written out with quite a few mistakes due the the transcriber not understanding the original German.
I had a bit of difficulty coming up with a nice layout. Many times I wished I could take a few children and move them from one family to another to balance things out. Fortunately the client didn't have a deadline, as I found that after working on it for a while I would have to give up and put it aside, sometimes for a couple of months. Eventually I did work out something I liked, using lettering appropriate for the German. I was lucky to have a husband who knows some German and was able to help with correcting some of the text.
I used walnut ink on Nidegen paper.

A few years later, I was asked to fill in a Martha Stewart family tree. This was more nerve-wracking, as I wasn't sure I could correct anything and I had to fit some long names in some tiny spaces. I thought I had really messed up until I realized that one section was repeated because there were common ancestors.

The most recent family tree job was filling out a Fraktur print, which included a little creative correcting of the form to fit in some large families.

detail of purchased family tree print from client with names filled in

I've tried designing a large papercast tree where family members can have names on paper leaves that fit indentations in the casting, but then I realized that ancestors are more roots than leaves, which put the whole thing on the back burner.

Paper Cast Certificate of Appreciation

cast paper certificate, hand done in a mold carved by the lettering artist in polymer clay

Recently I completed three more castings for the Missouri Hospital Association. A few years ago they requested some form of certificate that could be reproduced and have the names and dates filled in as necessary. Making a calligraphic papercasting mold gave them something really unique that their retirees have enjoyed receiving. Some day I'll have to see if I can go back and figure out how many I have done altogether.

this calligraphic papercasting shows raised lettering as well as opposite "indented" letters) cast with cotton linters in a polymer clay mold

     I usually don't write on a cast surface, it is not friendly to writing. I have not yet figured out a good way to be able to write with pen and ink, so I have to use a pointed brush to fill in letters transferred on from pen-designed rough drafts, using acrylic ink after spraying with fixative to help seal. I do enjoy making each name different, using whatever style seems to work well for the length of the name in the available space, as well as looking good with the particular combination of letters.

learn papercasting through tutorials on this blog

     So far the mold has lasted quite well, though occasionally I have to repair small bits. It gets tricky when there are extra words and dates because they have to be quite small, but I have gotten plenty of experience making the castings and now they always come out quite crisp. I keep my eye out for various decorative textured papers or mats for mounting them on, even though it doesn't show very much. I tired other colors but the gold works well -  including the way it shows up differently if different light similar to the way the cast letters show up according the available light.
    So, if you want one, just get onto the board of trustees.................... or learn to make your own castings through the tutorials on this blog :) or through workshops for your group or guild.