Meetings


Standard Meeting Dates/Time:

Dates: Meetings are on the second Saturday of the month (unless otherwise noted) from September through May.

Time: 10 am to 1 pm.

Programs: We will always have someone teaching us and sometimes we will also have Show & Tell.

See meeting dates for program description and list of supplies you’ll need to bring. Coffee and tea are not provided, but you’re welcome to bring your own.

Some of the afternoon workshops require advance registration. See individual program descriptions on this page and in the blog section.


Location:

Post 2022 update: Currently, we are doing a mix of online-only, in-person only, as well as hybrid meetings. Previously, due to Covid-19, from March 2020 on, all meetings and workshops were meeting online through zoom meetings, rather than in-person. TCG newsletters will include the zoom links for the upcoming programs.

Meeting Location:
Resurrection Lutheran Church, Room #240
100 Lochmere Drive West
Cary, N.C. 27518

Google maps:

Directions:
On Kildaire Farm Road, traveling south (away from downtown Cary), pass Walmart on the right. If you come in on Tryon Road, Cary Parkway, or Maynard Road, you’ll turn south onto Kildaire Farm Road. Continue past Crescent Commons and Crescent Green and turn right onto Lochmere Dr.


 
 
 

Program Line-Up For 2023/2024

2023=2024 Programs:

  • September 9th 2023, Kerr Pelto: Back to Basics
  • October 14th 2023, Don King: Roman Lettering
  • November 11th 2023, Let’s Letter. Free practice time
  • December 9th, 2023, Holiday Party
  • January 13th, 2024, Watercolor, Peggy Williams
  • February 10th, 2024. Flourishes and Cartouches, Ann Erickson
  • March 9th, 2024, Italic, TBD
  • April 13th, 2024, Sign Painting, Joseph Giampino
  • May 11th, 2024, iPad Lettering, Jessica Yee

 

Details of 2023/2024 Program Year

Saturday, February 10, 2024
  Beginner Pointed Pen Flourishing (Flourishing and Cartouches), with Ann Erickson

(This meeting will be in-person, on-site, and maybe on zoom, if we get requests. Please contact us with any questions you may have.)

TCG member Ann Erickson will lead us through pointed pen flourishing for beginners on Saturday, February 10th. This was the highest reviewed class by TCG members from the past 6 years, previously taught by Harriet Davis.

Class Description

There is nothing quite so captivating as an elegant flourish gracefully rendered with a pointed pen. But these things don’t just happen, there are rules!

Many guild members are able to execute flourishes beautifully. But no matter where you happen to be in your calligraphic journey, going back to the basics in any discipline is extremely valuable.

During our time together, we will examine the rudiments of creating a lovely flourish, and use it in a small project. We will examine historic and modern examples of cartouches and flourishing; practice the elements on a worksheet, which will be provided; see how to put them together in a flourish and then begin executing a small project, a mandala.

 

Suggested Supplies

  • Pointed pen in either a straight or oblique holder with a flexible nib such as a Zebra G or Leonardo EF Principal, Hunt 22 or 56, Gillot 303 or 404, Esterbrook 357 or 358

  • Ink of your choice, for example Moon Palace Sumi (or whatever you like)

  • Smooth paper such as Boris Layout, Canon Marker Pad or a Rhodia pad, black or white

  • White ink or gouache, like Dr. Martin’s Bleedproof White, pen white (if you wish to work on black paper)

  • Gold gouache or ink, or metallic inks and metallic colors such as Finetec Pearl or Moire (optional)

  • A palette if you are mixing or using colors

  • Loading brush (to load fluid onto the pointed pen)

  • Water container

  • Paper towel or rag

  • Pencil

  • Eraser

  • Ruler

  • Compass (optional)

Note: should you wish to work on black paper bring colored gouache to mix with your white (maybe 3). Sometimes it is hard to see white because it bleeds into the paper. it will save time to mix these up before hand.

Meet Your Instructor

Ann’s lifelong love affair with letter-forms began as a child of 10 in her native state of Maine. Relearning cursive in fifth grade, as a result of poor handwriting throughout the entire class, launched her interest and inspired the development of her gift.

A professional photographer for 40 years she produces illuminated manuscripts, resolutions, one of a kind pieces, and all aspects of wedding work.

Ann’s work has twice been displayed in the Smithsonian Postal Museum’s Graceful Envelope Contest. She has taught calligraphy throughout the Southeast and her work has been featured in several calligraphic publications.

 

Saturday, January 13, 2024
  Create Interesting Borders with Watercolor, with Peggy Williams

(This meeting will be in-person, on-site, and maybe on zoom, if we get requests. Please contact us with any questions you may have.)

We are privileged to welcome Guild member Peggy Williams on January 13th who will guide us through a program in watercolor technique. Watercolor has an extensive history in calligraphy and penmanship. Many engrossers used watercolor to add gradient shadowing and color to their pieces in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Class Description

Enjoy creating and learning new border designs for your 2024 calligraphy projects. Peggy will demonstrate simple watercolor techniques for decorating your project as well as the traditional page layouts.

Calligraphy alone is beautiful but when enhanced with border designs, your piece becomes a work of art!

Suggested Supplies

  • Hot press, cold press or Arches text wove paper. Please cut at least four to five 5” x 7” pieces. 
  • Fine line or Micron markers 
  • Watercolors (I will have some if you don’t have them)
  • Brushes (size 1-3)
  • Watercolor pencils if you have them 
  • Washi or artist tape 
  • Ruler 
  • Tracing paper
  • Straight nib holder (I will supply the nib)
  • Water container
  • Paper towels
  • Stylus 

Meet Your Instructor

Peggy is an accomplished, published watercolor and portrait artist, professional calligrapher and designer in Charlotte. In addition to designing wedding suites and stationery, she paints house, pet & children’s portraits. She also has four kilns and paints on porcelain. Peggy has been a member of our Guild for 6 years. You can see more of her work on her website.

Saturday, October 14, 2023
  Roman Lettering, with Don King

(This meeting will be in-person, on-site, and maybe on zoom, if we get requests. Please contact us with any questions you may have.)

We are privileged to welcome Don King, our instructor for the October program and workshop. Don is a local calligrapher and Past-President of the Triangle Calligraphers Guild. Don will lead us through a one-day workshop focused on Roman lettering, both majuscules and minuscules. The morning session will be free to all Guild members. The afternoon workshop will cost $40, payable by cash or check ($45 by Paypal). Please see the Roman Lettering workshop blog post for details.

Saturday, September 9, 2023
 Back to Basics, with Kerr Pelto

(This meeting will be in-person, on-site, and maybe on zoom, if we get requests. Please contact us with any questions you may have.)

TCG member Kerr Pelto will share some tips and tricks of the trade, of practice, of learning. Members are welcome to share their experiences as well. If you have specific questions you might like answers to, please bring them.

Kerr would like to take the last half of the meeting to let members work on a simple work of art. Please bring at least one small, hard canvas. We will quickly add a background with acrylics, then will letter over the background. It will help if you already have a short quote or saying handy.

Supplies

  • 1 small, hard canvas (You can find some at Five Below on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh. That’s where Kerr got hers.)

  • Tubes of acrylics and/or watercolors (Any brand. Cheap is good!)

  • Broad edge brush (To lay down the background. Can be a really cheap brush.)

  • Brush markers (Kerr will be using pointed brush markers.)

  • Water container

  • Paper towels or a rag

Helpful Hints

If you use watercolors for your background, watercolors or acrylics can be used for lettering over it.

If you use acrylics for the background, watercolors would not work well over it for lettering; use acrylics or brush markers instead.

Meet Your Instructor

Kerr has been a member of TCG since around 1999 when we used to meet in the Page-Walker House in Cary. At that time, about eight members would attend, if that many.

She has been practicing calligraphy since 1979. Her first real class was at Meredith College with instructor Don King. She took every class she could afford. As time progressed, she learned from other calligraphers, attended international workshops, then began teaching in 2010.

She continues to think of herself as a student, always learning. You can learn more about Kerr at  her website.

 


Previous Years’ Meetings

See previous meetings page for information on programs and instructors in previous years.