About us
The Canberra Calligraphy Society was founded in 1986, when three friends gathered and called for people interested in calligraphy to come together. The Society was formed and since then has gone from strength to strength, maintaining a membership of roughly 60 calligraphy enthusiasts. In 2016 the Society celebrated its 30th anniversary and is looking forward to another exciting 30 years of calligraphy in Canberra. As ideas and techniques change the penmanship also evolves. Tutors for workshops are sourced from amongst our members, interstate and international calligraphers.
Workshops are held once a month at the Urambi Village Community Hall in Crozier Circuit, Driveway B, Kambah, usually from 1 pm–4.30 pm on the 4th Sunday of every month, except December and January. Once or twice a year the Society organises weekend workshops with visiting tutors.
Workshops are held once a month at the Urambi Village Community Hall in Crozier Circuit, Driveway B, Kambah, usually from 1 pm–4.30 pm on the 4th Sunday of every month, except December and January. Once or twice a year the Society organises weekend workshops with visiting tutors.
Calligraphic News
Member's Profile - Sue Quayle
When did you become interested in calligraphy?
In 1983, a few months after the National Gallery opened, it was noticed that the ‘Visitors Book’ needed a description written for the occasion of the opening which had occurred in the previous October. It was decided that I was the person to whom this task would be given because I had good hand writing and would therefore be able to produce the calligraphy necessary for the page. What they didn’t tell me was that the page had already been signed by the Queen and I just had to write above! I didn’t think they’d call her back if I got it wrong so it was a very stressful time spent trying to produce a few words that were acceptable. Needless to say…when I looked back at that page years later…oh dear! I’m not sure if I was really interested in calligraphy as such but I loved the look of a well written page and was asked to continue writing in the ‘book’. I was very pleased when I heard that there was to be a meeting of people in the Jamison Centre, in 1986, who were keen to get a ‘calligraphy’ group started.
Who are the calligraphers who influenced your calligraphy? Has that changed? Who are they now?
There are so many and not all are international!
At the start of my calligraphy ‘journey’, I didn’t know any calligraphers but I came to admire Ricky Edmunds for his talent and attended his classes for a couple of semesters. I was also inspired by Dave Woods and visited his lovely home on the South Coast, when he lived there and had exhibitions fairly regularly. I am now influenced by many calligraphers, with Gemma Black being one I love to follow. We started together, but she has done such wonderful things with her calligraphy and I’m in awe of her achievements. I have recently (last year, 2018) begun lessons with Angela Hillier because I needed to improve my skills. Angela is dedicated to teaching calligraphy and has a loyal and deserved following of students. Besides her calligraphy, I admire her artistic talents. She is a treasure!
Are there any other artists who have influenced your calligraphy?
Olive Bull is someone whose workshops I’ve really enjoyed for their challenges and Elaine Witton inspires her followers to extend their thinking. Calligraphers I’ve never met but whose work I admire are Amity Parks and Marina Soria. Many other calligraphers whose work I admire will continue to challenge me to better things.
What are the best/stand out calligraphy courses you have attended and why?
I attended a six week course in 2009 with Gemma Black on Illumination. I loved it because it involved a fair bit of freehand work and drawing. Unfortunately, I haven’t produced many illuminated pieces since then but it remains as something I would love to study further….
What are your favourite tools and why?
I have so many favourites! I guess graphite (we used to call them ‘lead’) pencils would be up there and I love my collection of nibs which I’ve collected over many years. Some of them belonged to my wonderfully clever mother who was a ‘ticket writer’ and artist. My brushes, I love, because I can not only write with them but paint as well. Coloured pencils, pastel pencils...I could go on!
What are your favourite scripts and why?
I’ve always had a leaning toward Italic. Perhaps because that seemed the most natural and closest to my own handwriting. Since beginning Angela’s classes though, I’ve enjoyed learning Uncial correctly and now see where I can improve. I do like the look of a handwritten page and either of these scripts, done well, look lovely.
What is the most challenging script or course you have attended? Do you have examples of this?
I’m ashamed to say that the most challenging script I’ve attempted to date is the one I learned at school…copperplate! I thought I was once quite good at it but over the years I seem to have forgotten the skill? The examples I have of my last attempt are not going to be shown any time soon but I intend working to improve this.
What are your current projects?
I’m working on ideas for the exhibition planned for the end of this year (2019). With a theme as wide spreading as gardens and lettering it shouldn’t be too difficult. Also, doing my homework is often an interesting ’project’ in itself. Trying new tools and inks, paints and pencils is something I like to spend time doing.
Have you observed major changes in the calligraphy world from when you first started calligraphy?
The world of art and calligraphy seem to have melded in ways not tried or accepted when I began. It was much more formal and though I think a good grounding in the basic scripts is really helpful, I love to see what fun can be had with letters used as art.
Biography
When I started school (Bathurst), I loved the writing part! I think my parents would have been happier if I had taken a bit more notice of the content of my books and not so much about making them look beautiful. I won a scholarship to art school in Sydney which began a career in the art world which took many turns. A move to Canberra in 1965 meant that I couldn’t continue the same course so I took up a position as a trainee graphic artist at the ANU with the visual aids department.
Next was a move back to Sydney and employment with the State Planning Authority as a tracer which required technical drawing and handwriting skills. While there I was transferred to the section that used artists to draw ‘proposed’ buildings onto photographs which were then printed in newspapers to show changes to the skyline.
Back to Canberra and I began working with National Mapping on the Census and after that in Aero Chart Mapping where I produced maps for pilots – detailed work with a focus on accuracy.
Then a few lovely years out of the workforce to concentrate on my, then little, boys.
In 1982, before it opened, I applied with the required handwritten application, for the job of accessions marker at the National Gallery of Australia. This called for handwritten numbers to be inscribed onto artworks in the collection across all mediums. After eight years I moved into the ‘Exhibitions’ department where I was involved with the designing and hanging of exhibitions. It was during this time that I was approached as a likely person to produce the calligraphy needed for official events and presentation. I developed a love of calligraphy and with a ‘Rotring’ set of pen and nibs, which I bought in a shop in Munich. I was inspired to continue.
It was so exciting to find out that there was to be a meeting of like-minded people in Jamison in 1986 where our society began. I took lessons in watercolour, which is my other love, for thirteen years so that I could incorporate it with calligraphy.
Only recently have I taken up calligraphy lessons again, because I know there is so much more I can learn and so many areas where my skills can improve. Who knows when the two will come together but for now I am enjoying calligraphy and plan to for many years yet.
In 1983, a few months after the National Gallery opened, it was noticed that the ‘Visitors Book’ needed a description written for the occasion of the opening which had occurred in the previous October. It was decided that I was the person to whom this task would be given because I had good hand writing and would therefore be able to produce the calligraphy necessary for the page. What they didn’t tell me was that the page had already been signed by the Queen and I just had to write above! I didn’t think they’d call her back if I got it wrong so it was a very stressful time spent trying to produce a few words that were acceptable. Needless to say…when I looked back at that page years later…oh dear! I’m not sure if I was really interested in calligraphy as such but I loved the look of a well written page and was asked to continue writing in the ‘book’. I was very pleased when I heard that there was to be a meeting of people in the Jamison Centre, in 1986, who were keen to get a ‘calligraphy’ group started.
Who are the calligraphers who influenced your calligraphy? Has that changed? Who are they now?
There are so many and not all are international!
At the start of my calligraphy ‘journey’, I didn’t know any calligraphers but I came to admire Ricky Edmunds for his talent and attended his classes for a couple of semesters. I was also inspired by Dave Woods and visited his lovely home on the South Coast, when he lived there and had exhibitions fairly regularly. I am now influenced by many calligraphers, with Gemma Black being one I love to follow. We started together, but she has done such wonderful things with her calligraphy and I’m in awe of her achievements. I have recently (last year, 2018) begun lessons with Angela Hillier because I needed to improve my skills. Angela is dedicated to teaching calligraphy and has a loyal and deserved following of students. Besides her calligraphy, I admire her artistic talents. She is a treasure!
Are there any other artists who have influenced your calligraphy?
Olive Bull is someone whose workshops I’ve really enjoyed for their challenges and Elaine Witton inspires her followers to extend their thinking. Calligraphers I’ve never met but whose work I admire are Amity Parks and Marina Soria. Many other calligraphers whose work I admire will continue to challenge me to better things.
What are the best/stand out calligraphy courses you have attended and why?
I attended a six week course in 2009 with Gemma Black on Illumination. I loved it because it involved a fair bit of freehand work and drawing. Unfortunately, I haven’t produced many illuminated pieces since then but it remains as something I would love to study further….
What are your favourite tools and why?
I have so many favourites! I guess graphite (we used to call them ‘lead’) pencils would be up there and I love my collection of nibs which I’ve collected over many years. Some of them belonged to my wonderfully clever mother who was a ‘ticket writer’ and artist. My brushes, I love, because I can not only write with them but paint as well. Coloured pencils, pastel pencils...I could go on!
What are your favourite scripts and why?
I’ve always had a leaning toward Italic. Perhaps because that seemed the most natural and closest to my own handwriting. Since beginning Angela’s classes though, I’ve enjoyed learning Uncial correctly and now see where I can improve. I do like the look of a handwritten page and either of these scripts, done well, look lovely.
What is the most challenging script or course you have attended? Do you have examples of this?
I’m ashamed to say that the most challenging script I’ve attempted to date is the one I learned at school…copperplate! I thought I was once quite good at it but over the years I seem to have forgotten the skill? The examples I have of my last attempt are not going to be shown any time soon but I intend working to improve this.
What are your current projects?
I’m working on ideas for the exhibition planned for the end of this year (2019). With a theme as wide spreading as gardens and lettering it shouldn’t be too difficult. Also, doing my homework is often an interesting ’project’ in itself. Trying new tools and inks, paints and pencils is something I like to spend time doing.
Have you observed major changes in the calligraphy world from when you first started calligraphy?
The world of art and calligraphy seem to have melded in ways not tried or accepted when I began. It was much more formal and though I think a good grounding in the basic scripts is really helpful, I love to see what fun can be had with letters used as art.
Biography
When I started school (Bathurst), I loved the writing part! I think my parents would have been happier if I had taken a bit more notice of the content of my books and not so much about making them look beautiful. I won a scholarship to art school in Sydney which began a career in the art world which took many turns. A move to Canberra in 1965 meant that I couldn’t continue the same course so I took up a position as a trainee graphic artist at the ANU with the visual aids department.
Next was a move back to Sydney and employment with the State Planning Authority as a tracer which required technical drawing and handwriting skills. While there I was transferred to the section that used artists to draw ‘proposed’ buildings onto photographs which were then printed in newspapers to show changes to the skyline.
Back to Canberra and I began working with National Mapping on the Census and after that in Aero Chart Mapping where I produced maps for pilots – detailed work with a focus on accuracy.
Then a few lovely years out of the workforce to concentrate on my, then little, boys.
In 1982, before it opened, I applied with the required handwritten application, for the job of accessions marker at the National Gallery of Australia. This called for handwritten numbers to be inscribed onto artworks in the collection across all mediums. After eight years I moved into the ‘Exhibitions’ department where I was involved with the designing and hanging of exhibitions. It was during this time that I was approached as a likely person to produce the calligraphy needed for official events and presentation. I developed a love of calligraphy and with a ‘Rotring’ set of pen and nibs, which I bought in a shop in Munich. I was inspired to continue.
It was so exciting to find out that there was to be a meeting of like-minded people in Jamison in 1986 where our society began. I took lessons in watercolour, which is my other love, for thirteen years so that I could incorporate it with calligraphy.
Only recently have I taken up calligraphy lessons again, because I know there is so much more I can learn and so many areas where my skills can improve. Who knows when the two will come together but for now I am enjoying calligraphy and plan to for many years yet.
Royal Canberra Show
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Congratulations to Merran Hunter for winning 1st prize at the 2019 Royal Canberra Show. See Canberra Show Entries.
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