Putting pen and ink to paper is magic to me. I love the feel of the paper, the fluid rhythm as the ink glides onto the surface. Time disappears . . . focus is crystal clear . . . the magic of centuries past is brought to life. The word calligraphy, from the Greek . . ."kallos" and "graphia" . . .  means "beautiful writing". Since the beginning of time, man has been striving to make his words or symbols look beautiful and simultaneously communicate ideas.

 

From the earliest scratches on cave walls to designing typefaces on a computer, the written word has been passed along using a variety of tools, including papers or skins, symbols and alphabets. In ancient Egypt, hieroglyphic symbols spelled out words written on sheets fabricated from the leaves of  the papyrus plant. Within the walls of monasteries in Ireland, monks spent years during the seventh and eighth centuries creating magnificent manuscripts written out with feather quills and inks made from plants on calf skins or goat skins called vellum and parchment. The highly skillful, miniscule decorations and lettering are still revered as lettering models to this day.  Cultures from all over the globe have their own histories of written languages.

 

The art of the scribe, or lettering artist, is as exciting today as it has ever been. An artist may use a variety of lettering nibs, inks, watercolors, precious metals, various papers, glass, walls, leathers, virtually any writing surface, to make his or her thoughts look beautiful.

 

The samples shown here represent a variety of applications of the lettering arts. Many of the projects that I undertake can cross over from one application to another. A lettering design may be included into the design of a logo, or it may comprise the entire logo. A number of original photographs or illustrations may incorporate the use of calligraphic elements. Designs for wedding invitations or gifts to the bride and groom often use both illustrative and calligraphic elements. A luxuriously written personal letter is a wonderful gift to a loved one.

 

The possibilities are endless . . . .