I really enjoyed Wednesday’s scriptorium exercise for many reasons (including, but not limited to, the fact that we could bring coffee). I’ve never considered myself a big artist, but I’ve always liked watercolor painting. The biggest challenge was figuring out how I wanted to decorate my letter and actually getting my ideas on the paper. I’ve never been very good at sketching, so I stuck to adorning my letter with simple flowers, vines, and birds. The exercise helped me appreciate how tedious and detailed the art of illumination is, as I did not even come close to finishing in time and mine was nowhere near as intricate as the letters in the manuscripts. Overall, the exercise made me respect the illuminators and miniaturists who devoted so much time and creative energy to their craft.
