notebook pages 75, 161, 162

Celtic Designs

At York I saw a helmet of about 750 AD which had a fascinating pattern engraved on the noseguard.

When I was trying to copy it into my notebook I was completely frustrated. It was too complicated.

I got this
helmet 750 AD
 so then, trying to draw the nose guard I got didn't work out too well #$%^& and then &%$#@!!!

So, I ran to get a book on Celtic designs to understand how they are organized.

I found Celtic Knotwork by Iain Bain, and Picts, Gaels and Scots by Sally M. Foster, which explains ancient customs and culture of Britain.

The Celtic Knotwork book has step-by-step diagrams to explain how to set up a braid bain directions for braid design so I practiced and practiced matt's scratching
and practiced celtic cross at aberlemno and now I have it down pretty well... lindisfarne design

(well, maybe next life, detail is from folio 94b of the Lindisfarne gospels)

pages from a notebook 1997 Matt McConeghy

whole page of notebook!