You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Caligraphy<br />
I’ve loved doing calligraphy<br />
– the art of decorative<br />
handwriting – ever since<br />
someone gave me a<br />
calligraphy set as a child.<br />
Ironically, I’ve got quite<br />
messy handwriting. But to me,<br />
calligraphy doesn’t feel like<br />
writing so much as crafting<br />
out the letter shapes. There’s<br />
something very steadying and<br />
therapeutic about ruling out<br />
guidelines, feeding the pen with<br />
ink, and carefully forming strokes<br />
with the broad pen. It feels like<br />
a cross between an art and a<br />
science – a bit like playing a<br />
musical instrument can be.<br />
When I was a child I<br />
transcribed my favourite prayers<br />
into a journal, and wrote out<br />
a poem for my mum in crude<br />
italic – it still hangs on her wall.<br />
Later, when I started evening<br />
classes in calligraphy as an adult,<br />
I learnt stronger technique - how<br />
to write on a slanting board<br />
or easel; how to make<br />
sure I maintained<br />
a consistent<br />
angle with my<br />
hand; and<br />
the various<br />
hands,<br />
starting<br />
with round<br />
foundational<br />
and<br />
progressing<br />
to italic,<br />
uncial and<br />
copperplate.<br />
But in my<br />
experience<br />
calligraphy really<br />
came alive when<br />
I started learning to be<br />
creative and play with the<br />
presentation of the words on the<br />
page. We used various colours<br />
of gouache paint in place of ink;<br />
gilded large capitals with gold<br />
leaf; and even experimented<br />
with quills (not the easiest<br />
way of writing – I pity<br />
the old clerks). I<br />
loved looking<br />
at the words<br />
I was going<br />
to write out<br />
and allowing<br />
them to<br />
spark ideas<br />
as to how<br />
I might<br />
present<br />
them. So<br />
for a friend<br />
who was a<br />
fan of Lord of<br />
the Rings I wrote<br />
out the poem about<br />
the Rings of Mordor<br />
in a spiral wrapped round a<br />
serpent. For my husband’s 30th<br />
birthday I did a poem by Lord<br />
St Chad’s Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats<br />
Church Office: Linden Avenue, Sheffield S8 0GA<br />
Tel: (0114) 274 5086<br />
Page 14<br />
email: office@stchads.org<br />
website: www.stchads.org
Change language