Join us for the fifth Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies’ Spotlight Talk featuring Tania Crossingham, heraldic artist and teacher. This talk will be recorded and the recording made available to registered participants.
Tania will go through the process of designing, drawing and painting the heraldry showing photos of her work. Here’s what she says about the talk:
How I started
I started with a dream of being a medieval illuminator. Slowly I built up my skills and started teaching. After several exhibitions I was invited to be an artist in residence at a major festival, and it was here that I came to the attention of a gentleman who introduced me to heraldry. He kindly coached me and gave me books on the topic to get me started.
What is heraldry?
It is the art and science of devising, displaying and granting armorial insignia and of tracing and recording genealogies. I will explain the history of heraldry and how it is used in our modern society.
There are two different ways of representing someone’s arms. It can be emblazoned by an artist as a visual representation of the design or a blazon can be a written description using highly specific and specialized, complex language.
How I interpret blazon and creating a new coat of arms
Often a client will give me an image of their heraldry as well as their blazon. As an artist it is important to understand what parts must be followed to the letter, and which parts can be interpreted and add my own creative flair to. Creating a new coat of arms is a highly personal and emotional experience for the client. The symbolism and colours used are a representation of who they are and often include references to their family history. I work carefully with clients to make sure the result is a true representation of who they are as well as fitting within the rules of heraldry.
How heraldry can be used
A heraldic achievement is the most common way to represent the coat of arms, However, heraldry can be incorporated into personalized bookplates, Invitations, illuminated poetry, fabric designs , letterhead and stationary - the list is endless!
Tania Crossingham is an Australian born artist now living in Finland. She began her professional career as an Art and History teacher, then left formal education to pursue her passion for medieval illumination.
In 1993, she established her career as a Solo artist, exhibiting her work at the State Library and State Museum as well as numerous other venues and galleries in Australia. She was invited to be Artist in Residence at major festivals in Australia for several years running. In 2015 Tania started creating heraldic artwork which led to a blossoming of her career. Her combination of calligraphy skills as well as the ability to create high quality, detailed illuminations and heraldic art made her work very sought after by clients all over the world. In 2019 she was accepted as a member of the prestigious Society of Heraldic Artists in the UK. Her work has been featured in multiple Heraldic publications in Europe.
Her work has been presented to Queen Elizabeth II and used in Warner Brother Films. In 2023, Tania was appointed as the Honorary Heraldic Artist for the Georgian Royal family, after creating several illuminated documents featuring decorative border designs inspired by traditional Georgian motifs.
An email with the Zoom webinar link will be sent by 12.00 GMT on 27 February 2025.