Ritter auf der grimburg

In the Winter of 2007 I joined a work group called “Ritter auf der Grimburg” which means “Knights at Castle Grimburg”. The work group was founded in 2000 by Bernd Hermesdorf, the local youth worker.
Every year they organize a 2-day event for children at the end of the summer holidays.
The lovely location at Castle Grimburg forms the backdrop for 10 different workshops of medieval crafts. School children in the ages ranging from 8 to 12 can attend and step back in time by participating in honest handwork, making items just like in the middle ages.

By meeting the right person at the right moment (does coincidence exist???) my interest in joining this group was triggered. I presented myself at the first meeting and made a proposal to work out an idea that could fit into the programme.
I designed a “manuscript”- like painting on antique paper, looking like real parchment. It features Castle Grimburg, its crest and the name Grimburg written in calligraphy starting with an illuminated G. This idea was based on the original manuscripts made by the early monks in their cloisters.
My idea was warmly recieved and the group was happy to have some new input.
So, after studying and trying out the use of traditional egg tempera paint and quite some additional preparation, I gave my first workshop ever at the end of July 2008.
It was a wonderful experience working with a total of 60 children in groups of 10. I quickly felt at ease and was well capable of transmiting my art and knowledge to the children, and most of them were very dedicated to their jobs. I was very lucky to have a fine assistant by the name of Jenny. She helped really well with the workshop and if my german linguistic skills failed, she quickly filled the gaps and was able to exactly explain what I wanted. We had a real good understanding and without her these days would not have been as succesfull as they were.

Guild signs

During the preparation period, our group met several times. As soon as Bernd discovered my qualities he requested me to design and paint 10 wooden “guild signs” presenting the logos of the 10 handcrafts on one side and the Grimburg crest on the other.
I had never done something like this before but the signs turned out well and it was very pleasant to do (and no harder than painting on paper). The feedback I got was very positive and the signs were a valuable addition to the event.

The entire project was done as voluntary work. Seeing the results and the promotional effects of it, I consider myself well paid. It opened the door to something new: I liked working with children, so I plan to give drawing lessons at my home, and I will start preparing a suitable programme for next year.