Seals and Icons

The Green Quill - the simple icon that I had begun to use when I was working as a Scribe within the Midrealm of the SCA. Since scribes didn't sign the front of their work, the simple green quill was something that I could hide in the design somewhere on the surface. It became something of a hieroglyphic signature that I began using not just in my scribal work but also in other venues.

Second to the quill, though older in use, was that of an oak leaf -specifically a white oak leaf (quercus alba). Green, the color of nature, and the image of the oak tree were all images that had a deep-rooted connection for me. In the SCA I was known as 'Thomas the Green' which came from 'Thomas the Green Guy' or 'Thomas the guy wearing the Green Tabard".




Even older than the oak leaf was the idea of a green triangle 0r three of anything in some kind of triangular configuration.

So in creating a symbol that would accurately represent me I had to incorporate those three concepts into one design.


A triangle of quills was the first idea that came to mind. It's a bit hard to draw free-hand but for a seal or letter head it kinda looks cool. The first version (left) had a big gaping hole in the center so I stuck an oak leaf in it and it seems to look like it belongs there (right).

So once I threw some color at it (turning the leaves and the quills green) it started to look more and more like a real design. I just wasn't sure which way the point should face.

Then I tried a triangle of oak leaves. That really got my attention because the interior space started to look like some celtic twist-spiral thing; a triskelion. This was a cool, if unintended design feature but it didn't look quite right. I might still use the design element - but not sure in what.

So then I pulled an image of an envelope and added the symbols to see what the seals would look like in action.