How to Make Walnut Ink

How to Make Walnut Ink

This brown ink is easy to make and can be used with a dip pen or brush. There are lots of recipes on the internet, all with different additions to stop the ink going mouldy and flow more easily, but before I get to that, here’s the basic process.    ...
The Mary Garden, Lincoln Cathedral Cloisters

The Mary Garden, Lincoln Cathedral Cloisters

Tapestries, new and old – a starting point. A tapestry hangs above the door of Lincoln Cathedral’s treasury. I must have passed it a hundred times and never noticed it until it was pointed out to me by Joan Smith, one of the Cathedral’s invaluable...
How to make shell gold

How to make shell gold

Shell gold – gold mixed with gum Arabic to make a paint (like watercolour) – has been used by illuminators both in the Western world and the East over many centuries. It works best when applied to a very smooth surface in relatively small areas and can be...
Day One – Artist in Residence

Day One – Artist in Residence

The summer has flown by and suddenly September 1st has arrived – my first day as Lincoln Cathedral’s Artist in Residence. Lots of people have asked me what an Artist in Residence is – or does. The term is actually a misnomer as I don’t need to...