The Gentle Penman

Most everyone has loved puzzles as a child, maybe as an adult too. Now we can use this concept in designing letters & marks as puzzles, then giving the viewer a legible solution. In this workshop we will be abstracting, collaging, painting and more...

Break the rules of the rigid "Classic Roman" and find your rhythmic flow. In this workshop, we’ll take the skeleton of traditional Roman capitals and infuse them with a funky, eclectic energy using the pointed pen. Learn how to balance classical...

The scrolling acanthus technique will be the focus of this class; you will master the basic strokes and combine them to create your own beautifully adorned Roman-type initial.  This motif is very versatile, being appropriate for gifts, commissions,...

The focus of this two-session introduction to Copperplate design will be a “first run” at taking the words of a text and finding a way to express them through a series of choices, including size, texture and color.  We will work with a...

This intermediate workshop is for those ready to elevate their flourishing for both complex uppercase and lowercase letters. We take a logical approach, breaking down advanced flourishes into buildable parts. You will dive deep into shape variations,...

This workshop is your introduction to calligraphy flourishing for both lowercase and uppercase letters. We will start from the very basics, making the process simple and clear. You'll learn how to execute graceful flourishes that complement your writing...

Welcome to Capital Letters - a two-part online workshop dedicated entirely to the graceful world of Engrosser’s Script majuscules. ​In this 2-session series (each 2 hours long), we’ll slow things down to explore the beauty of the all caps...

Learn to write Engrossers’ Text like a pro!Engrossing hands, or engrosser’s texts, are uniquely American hands, derived from the influences of French and German roundhands. These hands are the workhorses of the certificate and diploma...

A 4-day immersive course blending intuitive watercolor florals, fine-line lowercase calligraphy, and Japanese-inspired scroll art. Students craft delicate details that evolve into a personal emakimono-style roll, using Asian papers for hanging or storage...

This online course is an introduction to geometric drawing through 5- and 10-fold symmetry — a fascinating system based on pentagons and five-pointed stars, used to create rich and original patterns.This type of symmetry has a unique mathematical...

In this workshop, you will learn practical skills to improve your blackboard art and succeed as a freelance artist. You’ll be guided through painting a scannable QR code from start to finish, working efficiently on A-boards, and accurately tracing...

Step into the world of floral roundels, a timeless design practice inspired by ornamentation found across Central, South, and West Asian artistic traditions. In this online workshop, you’ll learn how rotational symmetry and circular geometry forms...

I developed this style as a fun way to write humorous quotes, or for light-hearted applications like birthday cards. This playful script is generally written upright, but letters can be tilted right or left and moved up and down. There are variations to...

The use of color in your calligraphy can be a delightful revelation.  But what sort of medium works best for Copperplate, and how do we actually write in color?  In this workshop we will learn the basics of writing with gouache, generally...

Spencerian is a handwriting system developed by Platt R. Spencer in the mid-1800s.  After his death, Spencer's children and colleagues continued and further developed and standardized Spencerian script as an educational model for teaching...

The Poetic Pen Masterclass is a special course designed to enhance your practice and understanding of Italian Hand. This extensive study class will share insights from historic writing masters as well as mentors who have influenced my own practice of...

“Laugh as much as you breathe and Love as long as you live.” – Johnny Depp.  One of my favorite quotes, and daily reminders that we should all laugh a little bit more, and if possible laugh until our bellies hurt. This workshop...

This three-day workshop, open to all levels, aims to examine the fluid, expressive, and sometimes idiosyncratic letters created by Art Nouveau artists and designers from the 1890s through the early 20th century. In the 1890s and early 20th century,...

Copperplate calligraphy can be as effective a choice for creating textured writing as the more traditional scripts such as Textura and other Gothic alphabets.  Using Copperplate, we will create sample blocks of writing that are dense and tightly...

This script was developed by the late Gwen Weaver (1950 – 2013).  Gwen loved the pointed pen and just wanted other scripts to be associated with the pointed pen.  One of the reasons why she developed it. Gwen taught this script at several...