Donald Jackson is the main calligrapher of the St. John’s Bible Project. The Bible, which is entirely handwritten and illuminated using traditional materials—quills, vellum, powdered pigments, and egg-gesso gilding—was commissioned by Saint John’s University and Abbey in Minnesota.
Finished volumes of the Bible are touring the country. A nearby library is currently exhibiting the first volume—Genesis through Deuteronomy, I think—and regardless of one’s opinion of the subject matter, it’s absolutely stunning.
As is Mr. Jackson’s description of his work, and the depths of his devotion to his art:
More about the Project is available through the Library of Congress, if you’re interested.
And, if I may have an undignified squee moment: because I work where I work, I was allowed to turn the Bible—with gloves and holding my breath—to a new page for the day’s display.
Oddly enough, Numbers has better images than the plague pages of Exodus. I was secretly hoping for frogs . . . but made do with a lovely black, silver, and gray abstract instead.
Earful of Cider 