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:

Note: Due to Covid-19, as of March 2020, all meetings and workshops are 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
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 2021/ 2022

  • 09/11/2021 –“Innovative Envelopes” show-and-tell and Envelope Exchange 
  • 10/9/2021 – “Textured Letters”  with Barbara Close
  • 11/13/2021 & 11/14/2021 – “Fundamental Flourishing” with Pat Blair
  • 12/11/2021 – Holiday Party
  • 1/8/2022 – “Spencerian Hand” – The History of American Penmanship and the Practice of Arm Movement Writing,  with Gray Harris (This meeting will be held in-person, on-site)
  • 2/12/2022 – “Bone Alphabet” by Carol DuBosch (This meeting will be held via Zoom.)
  • 3/12/2022 – “Architectural Drawing” Becky Davis, another of our talented members, will be teaching how it can be used to enhance our lettering. (This meeting will be held in-person, on-site)
  • 4/9/2022 – “Italic Lettering” by Connie Furgason (This meeting will be held online, on zoom)
  • 5/14/2022 – “Flower Pounding” by Ann Erickson (This meeting will be held in-person, on-site)

Details of 2021/ 2022 Program Year

Saturday, May 14, 2022
 “Flower Pounding” with Ann Erickson

(This meeting will be held in-person, on-site. Please contact Robin or Karen with any questions you may have. )

Pre-or-post program: Any of you who have pieces/works you would like to personally sell, or items to donate and share (its a great time to do a little Spring cleaning in each of our studios), please feel free to bring what you have on the 14th. We will have tables set up around the room for you to display these items.  If you’d like, please feel free to bring a brunch item (or whatever treat you’d like) to share with the group. 

Program:

Ann will be sharing her love of flowers and their meanings, in combination with calligraphy, for some lovely ideas for summer projects straight out of your garden! We will be pounding flowers/leaves on watercolour paper with beautiful results and creating cards and small works of art.

As a professional calligrapher for more than 35 years, Ann has used her gifts to produce illuminated manuscripts, resolutions, poems, quotes and scripture verses, as well as all aspects of wedding work. Most recently Ann had two of her pieces chosen for the Washington (DC) Calligraphy Guilds’ 45th annual exhibit. These were also featured in their quarterly publication, “Scripsit”

Supplies list:

  • *Please bring the following on the 14th: -A regular sized hammer -a cutting board or a flat piece of wood -pen and ink of your choice (for the type of calligraphy you may choose to use) -several sheets of watercolour paper (hot or cold press) approx. 9 x 12” for pressing flowers/leaves -ruler -pencil & eraser

    ***We will be supplying the following: -An assortment of cut flowers -wax paper -glue sticks -cardstock in assorted colors.

 

 

Saturday, April 9, 2022
 “Italic Lettering & Italic Lively Letters” with Connie Furgason

(This meeting will be ONLINE only, the zoom link will be sent by newsletter the day before. The program will be recorded and put on the TCG website for you to enjoy if you are unable to attend. Please contact Robin or Karen with any questions you may have. )

Connie Furgason will be our guest for the day! She will be with us teaching Italic Lettering via Zoom for the usual morning session from 10-1 p.m., AND an afternoon workshop, 1:30-4:30 p.m., on her Italic Lively Letters and a hint of watercolor work. There will be a small fee for the afternoon session.

See our blog post with details on both sessions, registering for the workshop, handouts link, as well as a short bio on Connie Furgason!

Supplies list:
  • Favorite practice pad, pencil, ruler
  • Favorite Ink: Sumi, Higgins Eternal, Pelikan 4001, walnut… whatever your preference. You may work in gouache if you prefer.
  • Pen Nib Size: Speedball C1,2 and 3 or equivalent size in another brand. I like the flexibility of the Speedball nibs when doing variations of italic.

 

Saturday, March 12, 2022
 “Landscape Drawing Basics and How They Can Relate to Our Lettering” with Becky Davis

This meeting will be held in-person (no zoom) at the Resurrection Lutheran Church, with or without masks, according to your comfort level.

Architectural Drawing: One of our cherished members, Becky Davis, will be joining us to share her talents with pen, ink, and watercolor, along with her knowledge of many art techniques. We’d like to welcome Becky as our host this month and thank her for her willingness to treat us all to a special morning!

Class description:

  • We will take a look at the “seven art elements” and how they are used in calligraphy

  • We will learn and practice how to create the illusion of 3-D objects on a 2-D surface

  • We will learn some lettering methods and materials using pen and ink

  • We will create a pen line drawing of a building for one more practice

  • Our finished product will be a notecard set drawing trees and a window or door

  • If time allows watercolor washes can be added

Supplies to bring:

  • A photo of a window or door

  • Your most inexpensive pointed pen tip and holder

  • Your most inexpensive ink for drawing

  • A Micron-type pen or fine Sharpie

  • ***Becky will be treating us to a ”goody bag” and says not to worry about paper or watercolors or brushes!*** She wants us to feel free to experiment and have fun with this project, so don’t forget your door or window picture! See you soon!

Examples of Becky’s work on the web:

 

Saturday, February 12, 2022
 “Bone Script: Bookhand with a Twist” with Carol DuBosch

(This meeting will be online only, the zoom link will be sent by newsletter the day before. The program will be recorded and put on the TCG website for you to enjoy if you are unable to attend. Please contact Robin or Karen with any questions you may have. See “Supplies” section below, for workshop exemplar handouts.)

Carol will join us on Saturday, February 12th to teach her very popular Bone Script. She will be treating us to an extended program as follows: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon lesson, with a 1/2 hour for lunch, followed by a 12:30 p.m.- 2:30 p.m. lesson. Carol has taught this program many times and has a “workshop” she will present, giving us plenty of time for hands on learning and questions.

“Any day that I can open a bottle of ink, is a good day. It gets even better if I can create art, make a mark-making tool or teach what I know to someone. Words are my muse and I love being able to use them as a lettering artist. When I hear the words, I ponder them, and savor them for a spell and then interact with them using art materials. It is absolutely the best job ever.

I have been a calligrapher in Portland, Oregon since I was first introduced to nibs and ink in 1959 as a high school art student. In the 58 years since, I have gained a degree in Graphic Design and have studied with every major calligrapher in the US and Europe. I have been teaching college level and private classes in the Northwest along with workshops throughout the United States and most recently in Italy. I have directed three International Calligraphy conferences in Portland, bringing 50o scribes together for a week of studying and sharing.

I am interested in every aspect of the field of calligraphy, from the formal invitation to writing on walls. I enjoy seeking out ways to stretch the boundaries of my art. As a life-long learner, I am always looking forward to the next new thing.”

Bone Script “Bookhand with a Twist”

This contemporary letterform is known as Bone Script, because of the bone-like shape of the basic pen manipulated stroke. Bone Script is a wonderful exercise in pen twisting and designing the spaces within and around the letters. The letters are fun to write and are the perfect casual choice for many creative projects. In this workshop, students will learn the script and explore its variations and expressive applications. Some experience with the edged pen is needed.

Supplies:

    • Pilot Parallel Pen 6mm
    • Wide Poster Pen (Automatic #4, #4A, #5 or equivalent)
    • Non-waterproof Ink
    • Bond Paper 11 x 17” (I like Gilbert 25% Cotton paper from John Neal)

**Note: Please view and/or print the handouts at Member Downloads page prior to class. The pdf document that Carol provided includes exemplars, guideline sheets, and details info on forming the bone letters.

Note: I highly recommend my book, Bone Script & Neuland, available at John Neal and Paper & Ink Arts

 

Saturday, January 8, 2022
 “The Spencerian Hand: History of American Penmanship and the Practice of Arm Movement Writing” with Gray Harris

(This meeting will be in-person, at usual meeting. location of Resurrection Lutheran Church. The program will be recorded and put on the TCG website for you to enjoy if you are unable to attend. Please contact Robin or Karen with any questions you may have.)
Gray is a proud husband and father, but more accurately, a habitual collector of unusual hobbies. Random facts: *He started his penmanship journey in the fall of 2017. *He lives in Durham, North Carolina *He was deeply interested in the creation and care of bonsai trees until he fully appreciated how expensive it really is. *He loves sports. His teams are the UNC Tarheels, and the Arsenal Football Club. *He also loves video games, mostly single player games like RPG’s or open world sandbox types. *He works in marketing and loves connecting people with the healthcare that they need at UNC Health.

 

Synopsis

Have you ever wondered why people don’t have “Grandma’s handwriting” anymore? Join us on January 8th for a fascinating dive into the history of penmanship in the United States followed by a practical lesson in arm movement writing.

You’ll learn about the cultural and technological forces that shaped the evolution of handwriting from around 1800 to the modern day. Brief profiles of each hand will be accompanied by examples of actual handwriting, from their most famous practitioners to that of everyday people.

As you awaken from deep slumber – my wife tells me this is a side effect of repeated exposure to my enthusiasm for the topic – you’ll join an interactive lesson in arm movement writing. We’ll cover the basics of position, pen holding, warm-up drills and as many letters of the alphabet as we can cover.

Materials

Choose your own adventure! I will have extra materials on hand, if any of these materials prove difficult to obtain, or if you’d like to try a different adventure path that day. I will have paper lined appropriately for you to use as a guide underneath blank sheets.

Arm movement writing? Sounds scary.

  • One or two pencils with sharpener OR

  • A couple of cheap pens, ballpoint/gel (something like a Pilot G2 or standard cheap disposable click pen)

  • 30 to 40 sheets of smooth copy paper, any weight/quality is fine

I’d like to get a feel for what it would have been like in 1890!

  • Pen holder, oblique or straight

  • 3 to 4 stiff, smooth pointed nibs

    : Modern: Gillott 1068A, Hiro 700 or even Nikko G

    : Vintage: Gillott 1066 Registry, Spencerian #42 Gold Point, Esterbrook 130 Easy Writer, Hunt No. 1 First National or any vintage pen labelled “School”

  • Iron gall ink or similar smooth flowing ink

    : For business penmanship any iron gall will do, diluted India ink, or walnut ink

    : For ornamental penmanship I have found Walker’s iron gall best, followed by Yoke’s, walnut ink and McCafferty’s

  • 30 to 40 sheets of smooth copy paper, 28lb or 32lb

    : If you want to try ornamental penmanship, HP Premium 32lb is a good starter paper

I LOVE ornamental penmanship. I also enjoy suffering and do not mind exploding nibs or ink splatter!

(Congrats, you are my people!)

  • An oblique penholder, adjusted for…

  • 5 to 6 extremely flexible, fine pointed nibs

    : Modern: Leonardt Principal Extra Fine, Hunt 101

    : Vintage: Gillott Principality (if you can find one, they’re not worth $30!), Hunt 101, Spencerian No. 1 School, Esterbrook A1

  • Iron gall ink

    : Walker’s, Yoke’s, walnut ink or McCafferty’s

  • 30 to 40 sheets of smooth copy paper that can hold a shade

    : HP Premium 32lb at a minimum or Neenah’s Classic Crest 28W, Mohawk SuperFine 28W OR

    : Rhodia pad No. 18 lined or blank, similar Clairefontaine pad (I find tearing out new sheets to be tedious)

 

Saturday, December 11, 2021
 Annual TCG Holiday Party

This year our holiday party will be held at the church, Resurrection Lutheran Church, 100 Lochmere Drive West, Cary, NC. 27518, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 11th. Please bring any food dishes you would like to share! We will provide plates, utensils, napkins, cups, and ice. In keeping with a holiday theme, A Few of my Favorite Things, we’d like you to think of a few of your favorite calligraphy tools, hints, ideas, discoveries, holiday items/ideas you’ve come across, and share them with us! We can use the dry erase board in the church room to write our Favorite Things down to share.

 

Saturday,  November 13, 2021
“Copperplate Flourishing,” with Pat Blair

We are so pleased to have Pat Blair, former U.S. White House Calligrapher, with us in person at Resurrection Lutheran Church on November 13th and 14th, 2021. Pat will be covering the essentials of Copperplate Flourishing, teaching basic flourished strokes and embellishments with the pointed pen.  We will work with these strokes to produce a finished cartouche design in the morning class.  The meeting will be available in-person and via Zoom.

This will be open to members only.  The meeting will be recorded and available to members for review for 30 days in the “member portal” of our website.

The following materials are needed for class:
  • Lots of paper!  Recommended 9” x 12” Canson Pro Layout Marker pad (or another translucent, non-bleed paper)
  • Your favorite oblique pen holder (s)
  • a small assortment of pointed pen nibs such as Hunt 22, Gillott 303, Hunt 101, Nikko Zebra, Nikko G or Leonardt Principal
  • Black Ink that will not bleed on your paper – ex.: Moon Palace liquid sumi ink, or McCaffery’s Penmans Ink
  • Water cup, Paper towels or rags 

 

For workshop registrants only – see Pat Blair’s Essentials of Flourishing” workshop details.

*Saturday afternoon, November 13th, 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm EST, Resurrection Lutheran Church

“Essentials of Flourishing” workshop for paid registrants

**Sunday, November 14th, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm EST, Hampton Inn, near PNC Arena

“Essentials of Flourishing” workshop continued

 
About Pat Blair:

Pat Blair served 12 1/2 years as the Chief Calligrapher at the White House in Washington, D.C., directing the production of invitation and menu design for all official and social presidential events, calligraphy of placecards, envelopes and titles, certificate and resolution design as well as production of programs and tour books. She served two years as the President of the Washington Calligrapher’s Guild in Washington, DC., was the chairperson of the Graceful Envelope contest, and served as co-director for the International Lettering Conference, Letterforum.

Her work has been published in the Calligrapher’s Engagement Calendar, Letter Arts Review, Top 100 New York Calligraphers, Grolier Club Calligraphy Revival, and Martha Stewart Weddings, among others.  She teaches at the Loudoun Academy of the Arts, and has been on the faculty of over ten International Calligraphy Conferences.  Pat has been awarded the title of “Master Penman” by the International Assoc of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting for her work.

 

Saturday, October 9, 2021
 “Textured Letters”  with Barbara Close

(This meeting will be online via Zoom)

In this fun class we will be designing letters which suit our own style (with guidance from the instructor).  Starting with a monoline/outlined alphabet, students will become familiar with shapes and proportions for strong letters.  Then we will move in other directions and decorate, texturize, colorize, accessorize to our hearts content by using techniques such as layering, masking, collaging and many more painting applications.

**This is a Zoom meeting for members only.  Dues ($30.00) can be paid by check, made payable to TCG OR paid on-line using PayPal.   Go to 
http://www.trianglecalligraphersguild.com/join-us/  and scroll down to How to Join.   
 
On Friday, October 8th, members will receive the Zoom link from TCG allowing you into Barbara‘s “Textured Letter” class.

Tools and Materials to bring:
-pencil, ruler, eraser
-practice paper: Canson Pro Layout Marker or xerox paper (only a few sheets)
-Pigma Microns #02 and #08 (any that you have for a contrast)
-pointed brush with good tip i.e. #2 or #4
-watercolors: Sets or Tubes with palette & mixing brush
-water container
-a few paper towels
-glue stick and/or double stick tape
-Arches Text Wove OR 90# watercolor paper – cut to 4 “ x 6” pieces
-Your enthusiasm, open minds & a sense of exploration
     **Note: Please download the handouts and copy them prior to class.

Other suggestions (optional):
-gold powder [Schimincke]-xacto knife & small cutting mat
-color’d pencils/ markers
-things for accents & embellishments: white gel pen   

Zoom with us in person!
**This is a Zoom meeting where we can all meet from the convenience of our homes. This month we are also offering another form of Zoom since we have the church facility available all day. Those who are interested may join us at the church classroom at our regularly scheduled meeting time (10:00-1:00) to watch Barbara teach on Zoom on the big screen! Then you are welcome to stay after and join us for some social time, lettering, practice and fellowship! Look forward to seeing you all, whether it’s in person or online!!! 

About Barbara Close:

Barbara Close (website) is an internationally known calligrapher/artist and teaches in southern California, across the USA and Canada, and will be teaching in Lake Havasu, Arizona.
She thoroughly loves teaching and sharing with students. Her work includes a wide variety of lettering styles and mixed media applications, and has been in exhibitions across the
country, as well as many private collections.

She has taught at several International Lettering and IAMPETH conferences. Barbara designed the logo for Somerset Studio Magazine and “The Calligraphy Collection” font cartridge for Cricut. She has also designed several greeting cards for Marcel Schurman, now Papyrus.
“Follow Your Heart” is a philosophy that shows in her work and continues with growth, heart, and inspiration.

 

Saturday, September 11, 2021
 “Innovative Envelopes”  by TCG members

(This meeting will be in-person as well as online via Zoom)

Members that signed up for an Envelope Exchange this summer will be sharing their envelopes with us. A special thanks to Hattie Bazemore for organizing and arranging this activity! We will learn about some tips and techniques for creating these beautiful envelopes and you will have an opportunity to create one of your own for friends or family.

 

Previous Years’ Meetings

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