My Psalter

 

I began my Psalter during Covid, and was inspired by the Bodleian illuminated manuscripts I was able to see when we visited our kids in 2021. Many of them have border designs that are not at all related to the text, and so some of my pages are like that. But sometimes I am struck by some lines or images in a psalm, and then try to create a border that refers to them ( like this one.)

I sketch the border directly on the page in lead pencil, and then color it in with my 150 pencil Prismacolor Premier set, my Prismacolor Verithins, my Faber Castell Classic Colors, and an assortment of odd colored pencils, some which are 50+ years old.

I often google the things I am drawing, to understand shapes and colors. For example, I've taken all these shells from images online. Sometimes as I work, I change the elements of the border design. Here, I originally thought I'd put an anemone shell where the scallop is, and the scallop where the cowrie is, but when I decided the anemone would be too hard, I switched things.

I am constantly on the lookout for designs and items I could use for the borders. This is my third "illuminated" volume. The first one was a book of favorite poems I made while in college; the second one was poetry and a copy of Etienne Gilson's essay, "The Intelligence in the Service of Christ the King," that I started in grad school but had to lay aside for several decades, and finally finished two years ago. I gave them to Susan Christine, Andrew and John. This psalter will be for Joanna and Joshua.

Some people paint, some people knit afghans, some people fish, some people jog. This is what I do, and it brings me great joy. I praise God for all the marvelous colors in the world, and for the health and strength to be able to make this Psalter.