When I decided to start a calligraphy business one of my reasons was the low setup cost. Writing costs almost nothing – the main investment is your time. But what are the very, very basics you’ll need to try calligraphy? I wanted to write a short & sweet guide to learning modern calligraphy from scratch. …
Read more “Essential supplies and kit for modern calligraphy beginners”
One of the best things about having a creative business is the opportunities to share and swap! I’ve been lucky to meet amazing creative people across Cumbria. Last week I went to see my friends Jen & Ed’s cafe Wolf & Us at Wolfhouse in Silverdale, and to write some signs and menus for them. …
Chalkboards, blackboards – my memories from school are very different from the art I see on Pinterest and Insta nowadays! Not only has their name changed – is ‘chalkboard’ an American thing? a wedding thing? – but their purpose has too. Chalkboards now are for welcoming guests to your wedding, for displaying your seating plan …
Cheating in calligraphy isn’t really cheating. Learning modern calligraphy can be tricky, and – as with anything in life – all of us learn in different ways. If you’re one of those people who can watch someone paint or draw, and copy it perfectly straight away, then you’re lucky! I’m not one of those people. …
Read more “Now available in my online shop – calligraphy cheat sheets!”
I wonder how many of us have a hobby we do for our own artistic pleasure, and which no one ever sees. In my online workshops I make a point of framing little pieces of work – it’s very much about celebrating every small victory and seeing your own progress – but I wonder if …
Words are made of letters. Make the right shapes, put them in the right order and you’re all done, right? Wrong. In modern calligraphy, letters are the easy bit (apart form x. I hate x.) Letter drills are a fairly simple way to practice – write m 50 times and you’ll be brilliant at it. …
Read more “Modern calligraphy – what’s next when you’ve learned all the letters?”
Around about the time shabby chic became a thing and weddings all began to look vintage, an innovative eco-warrior invented kraft card and introduced it to all the brides and grooms in the world. And we all fell in love. My kraft card wedding invites have been a big seller for almost 5 years. They’re …
There are days when I begin to write and just don’t feel happy with my calligraphy. Does this happen to you too? I think as creatives we can find it all too easy to be overly critical of our work – I know I can. Those days where I begin a poetry commission four times …
Read more “When modern calligraphy gets challenging – a pep talk”