I am a calligrapher, graphic designer, multimedia artist, and teacher of handwriting with more than 25 years of experience. My work has been privately and publicly commissioned, and has been shown in gallery spaces throughout the northeast, and in publications including Letter Arts Review, The Calligraphers Engagement Calendar, Zoo Haiku, and the Philadelphia Calligraphers Society’s Scripta. I offer programs designed for people of all ages and skill levels and for use in both school and community settings. Students work with a variety of media, surfaces and tools including ink, paint, brushes, steel pens, pencils, paper, canvas, papyrus, fabric, walls, and found objects.
In my teaching I find that calligraphy and its companion arts cast a unique light on learning familiar subjects such as literature, social studies, and history. People have a certain idea about what calligraphy is and are quite surprised to see that it can go beyond the written word, and venture into the realm of a creative, expressive, and visual language. What I most enjoy about bringing these arts to children and adults is that moment when a participant realizes they can make something beautiful out of something as familiar as the alphabet. It’s as if they’re rediscovering a dear old friend.
My residencies use the alphabet and book arts as a means to discover world cultures, historical periods, and personal/local heritage. Whether we’re learning cursive handwriting, exploring cultures through Japanese scrolls and Egyptian hieroglyphs, or making simple, expressive marks, the goal is the same: to enjoy the process as we learn about ourselves and others, gain confidence, and acquire new skills and knowledge.