Sunday, June 10, 2018


Wellcome to the summer 2018 calligraphy challenge.  The art of beautiful handwritten messages is being lost in the technology of today.  So I challenge you to find a style you like and to work on it for about 20 minutes a day so that by the time summer is gone you will feel comfortable addressing an envelope in your own beautiful hand.  I was so lucky to have a neighbor growing up who could make a paper bag look like a work of art.  She had an individual handwriting style that I have always been fascinated with learning.  I have two copies of her letters to use as a guide and will fill in with my own for the missing letters.  My thanks to her, Helen Gard Hanes for her willingness to share her art with me over the years.
Youtube has many videos that demonstrate using Crayola markers.  I am starting with those but might also use calligraphy pens from my college days if I can get the dried ink out of them and get them flowing again.  Anything you have handy will work for practice.  One teacher at Drake University made us go out to the quad and find a stick and sharpen it and use it for our writing.  I don't recommend it but it can be done with a nice bottle of India ink and maybe some wine.  The more practice time you put in the more you will want to use more expensive pens.  Just remember that as in anything you want to master in life, practice makes perfect.
I will not be giving lessons here.  You will be keeping track of my progress and that will keep me practicing.  As you can see from my start page I do not do this well.  I am determined to improve.
Looking forward to seeing your calligraphy art work'