Connecting with Atlanta Calligraphers
When I was a little girl, my mom bought me a book on Old English Style Calligraphy, a pen and some ink. I practiced daily and was quite good. Then I got distracted by other things. (Probably Donny Osmond or a boy in class.) I left my hand lettering days far behind me.
About two years ago in Atlanta, immersed in a world where I found myself constantly connected to digital media, I longed to make art. Real art where I used a real brush, pen, watercolor and ink. I learned modern calligraphy online and was hooked. I became a teacher at the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art and started the first Atlanta Calligraphers Meetup.
Then I joined an online class and I found my tribe! There were many other Atlanta calligraphers hooked on the art of modern calligraphy and hand lettering. I couldn’t believe how many students and teachers there were out there. I was so blown away, I decided to represent calligraphy and lettering artists just as I had web designers and developers for the past 20 years. I was so excited, I even started doing calligraphy in my sleep! From my enthusiasm and excitement, I created Inkwell Designers.
I think calligraphy and hand lettering connect us with a raw place inside that longs for real, handwritten notes. Atlanta calligraphers want to touch paper and ink, not glass screens or keyboards. We’re writing a lot less than we ever did before. Calligraphy is becoming a lost art.
Handwriting gives us the power to connect, whether it’s to someone we love, someone who needs our help or even with a part of ourselves that needs a little boost once in a while.
I mean who isn’t impressed and excited by the lovely flowing lines of the letters and flourishes on an envelope in their mailbox? They just know it’s an invitation to a special event like a wedding, baby shower or graduation. How about a handwritten love letter?
The art of actually doing the writing is therapeutic. Look at the recent popularity of coloring books on Amazon. People are looking to connect with art all over the globe. Sharing our artwork on Instagram is another way both worlds cross over each other.
People connect with calligraphy simply because it’s beautiful and elegant in a world of pixels and screens. It means “beautiful writing” and that’s the truth of it. It’s an art that’s becoming more and more popular, especially with brides.
I’m so excited to work with some of the best calligraphy artists in Atlanta and around the country now. I consider myself very lucky and privileged to know people like Jessica Shubert and Sarah Barrett. I rediscovered my love for calligraphy, the written word and the art of hand lettering. Now I get to share it with the world!
Thanks for helping us get started in this space. I look forward to connecting you with the beautiful art of calligraphy!
