I have been volunteering at the San Francisco Center of the Book since November of last year. It’s a wonderful place to be exposed to all the wonderful facets of book arts. The teachers range from all different backgrounds and I’ve been itching to take all their classes.
This past Saturday I attended the workshop taught by Judy Detrick, a self-taught calligrapher for over 30 years, she has a calm and easy approach to those beginning the art form. I felt very confident leaving, hand cramping and eyes strained, that I would be able to continue on with consistent practice. I found it easy to get lost in the lettering and it turns out a great way to exercise patience. She offers wonderful feedback on how to improve your technique and highly encourages you to not give up in moments of frustration. Practice over and over and it’ll come to you, just like every art form we take on. You can see her work at the San Francisco Public Library.
She also gave great history behind the art of calligraphy. The great manuscripts I so love, were all written by great calligraphers that painstakingly copied books in beautiful majuscules. What’s amazing about manuscripts is no matter the content, either the word of god or a recipe for haggis, it was all laid out in the same beautiful format.
Calligraphy will definitely be a new art form that I will continue to pursue. I highly recommend taking a class, even just for dexterity sake. You can find more information about her classes and others at friendsofcalligraphy.org.
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