I've always loved the idea of illuminated manuscripts - there's a mystery and an aura they've got that even coffee table books with the brilliant covers and glossy pages don't have. Mostly because these are books with personality, with all the peculiar markers of the person who made it.
The most important manuscripts use Vellum, which is quality skin stretched taut over a frame to achieve the flat, stiff surface for illumination and calligraphy. Hand-ground inks and paint as well as goose quills are used for painting and calligraphy.
In a time where coming out with printed work sometimes just means firing up your old inkjet or laser printer, People like Jackson who continue to dedicate their lives to older, less mainstream art forms are admirable for their devotion to their craft.
See the Saint John Bible site for more information on this work. Curious about traditional calligraphy? Check out the Atlanta Friends of the Alphabet.
Images are ©2007 The Saint John's Bible and Saint John's University, United States of America.
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