Letter from the President
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Number 125 | December 2016 Letter from the President Hello Friends of Calligraphy! Other upcoming events in 2017 FOC Council Members Happy Holidays and Best Wishes include the Antiquarian Book Fair, for the New Year! where FOC will have a presence President and Meredith Klein is coordinating Gina Vasquez As we near the end of 2016, let’s our participation. The Annual Retreat and a workshop with Annie Vice President beauty around us—we are Cicale are also coming up. Elena Caruthers surroundedpause and reflect by the on falling all the leaves, the peace of gentle rain and the As I write these words to you Treasurer twinkling of the stars above us. for the Bulletin, I get so excited Dean Robino for all of these events that I can As artists and calligraphers, we hardly wait to sign up! I hope that Secretary appreciate the wonder of it all, Jerry Lehman most of you had an opportunity and aspire to create, describe, to participate in some of our Council Members and document the beauty through workshops, classes, lectures and Martha Boccalini letterforms and the various events this past year, and if not, Evelyn Eldridge techniques we learn from the please join us in 2017! Learning Fredi Juni talented people we surround techniques to begin or master our Rick Paulus ourselves with in the Friends of love for calligraphy is my wish for Arash Shirinbab Calligraphy. you for 2017! Enjoy! This Fall, we hosted workshops Alphabet Editor Gina Carl Rohrs with Rachel Yallop from England Antiquarian and Amity Parks. Many thanks to Dena Sneider and Dorothy Yuki Book Fair 2017 �Bulletin Editor for coordinating. The Fort Mason Do you enjoy doing volunteer on- Nancy Noble workshops wrapped up the year site calligraphy? The Antiquarian with Italic Handwriting led by Book Fair is coming to Oakland Patricia Coltrin. February 10–12, 2017, and FOC In October, a New Membership has a long history of participating Welcome Event was held for our in this event, held biennially new members and, of course, our in Northern California. Groups current members. A huge welcome of calligraphers write names To view the Bulletin in color, visit: Note: � to our new members! http://friendsofcalligraphy.org/pages/ and messages on bookmarks publications.html As the new year starts, we look or keepsakes for fair-goers. forward to Trivial Pursuits XXIX. Calligraphers bring their own pens, This is a member only event and is inks, markers, and other materials a great way to begin the creative and work in several shifts, four year. Fort Mason classes begin people at a time, Friday afternoon with Copperplate, taught by Melissa to Sunday until mid-afternoon. Titone, and Foundational Hand, Meredith Klein will organize FOC’s participation for 2017, and, workshop will be with Christine anyone who is interested should Colasurdo:with Chris McDonald.Authoring your The firstArt. This contact her at [email protected]. will assist you in adding a voice to She will begin emailing potential the beauty you discover. participants in mid-December. December 2016 COUNCIL MEMBER PROFILES: COUNCIL MEMBER PROFILES: Rick Paulus Fredi Juni Where were you born, Where were you born, and where did you and where did you grow up? grow up? January, 1961 Grew Born in Brooklyn, up in Boston/ grew up in NY and Providence suburbs Connecticut. and Cape Cod, MA When did you move When did you move here? here? I moved to Berkeley Arrived in the in 1976 and have coastal hills of lived here ever since. Sonoma County in I cannot imagine autumn, 2014. Moved living anywhere else here so I could hang but the Bay Area. out with wicked cool lettering artists. ;-) Truthfully— When and how did you first become interested in adventure, climate, nature: hills and coast! calligraphy? When and how did you first become interested in I liked copying other people’s handwriting as a child, and calligraphy? as a teen spent a lot of time drawing letters. If I’d grown I have enjoyed looking at letters for about as long as I can up in the ‘80s I probably would have been a tagger. I took set and caught the bug for which there is no cure. and loved it, but for several years got busy with work and recall. At the age of 12, I purchased my first Speedball pen When did you discover Friends of Calligraphy? familymy first and calligraphy forgot about class the in joy1975 I had at City experienced. College in Then, NY Having been a calligrapher for over thirty years, it would in 1996, I read the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron be very hard to have not known of FOC. Even before and began visualizing myself being creative. In my visons, moving in 2014, I reached out to Marcia and Melissa I was practicing calligraphy. I found Carla Tenret’s class thinking that becoming involved in the conference would be a nice way to dip my toes in the water, so to speak. class, on a beautiful starry night, I experienced a peak Amongst the many blessings of moving to California, one momentin Albany in that my Spring,life, having and refoundI remember my joywhen and I leftmy art.the first of the best is FOC and the wonderful members. When did you discover Friends of Calligraphy? Family and Work: Years ago, I foolishly, made my passion my profession. Carla. I have studied with her off and on now for 20 years Hence, I remain a calligrapher. My wife, Julie, and I reside andI joined have FOC been in a1996 member when of taking FOC for that most first of class that time.with with our pets Dude the dog and Zephyr the cat. Last year I also began taking classes with Erma Takeda. I Volunteer Organizations: cherish the friendships I’ve made within the calligraphy I volunteer for local schools, teaching small calligraphy community, and both of these wonderful teachers. It’s workshops and opening the eyes of our future designers only been in the past few years that I found the courage, to the wonders of the alphabet! with support of classmates, to start taking workshops and participating in Trivial Pursuits. Honestly, I just did not Is there any other information about what you do or enjoy think I was good enough. WOW! Little did I know what that you would like to share? I’ve been missing all those years! There is so much to Calligraphy continues to take me down new roads of learn from so many calligraphers and artists locally and discovery. Since my move to CA, new projects have taken from across the country and the world. I retired two years me in new directions, from my large-scale beach art, to ago, and decided I wanted to be more involved in FOC and acrylic painting, to letter carving in wood and stone. It give back, hence, the FOC Council. just never ends! Amongst my many hobbies, the outdoors Family and Work: seems to play a role in most of them. Julie and I have been known to take long walks (PCT–2,650 miles), long paddles I worked for Alameda County Social Services, Department (Cape Cod to Canada, and back 1,000 nm) and long bike of Children and Familiy Services for 30 years as a Child rides (France, without a map, 3,000 miles) sleeping under Welfare professional, primarily working on adoptions of the stars (and storms) as we go. children and youth from foster care. I am dedicated to improving and increasing permanency outcomes for older Thoughts on calligraphy and FOC? foster youth. I worked and continue to work part time as a Waaaay too many thoughts on calligraphy to respond consultant to improve pre and post permanency services with a 50 word answer—it continues to perplex me, and to improve care and services to LGBTQ children and seduce me, confound me and satisfy me all at once! As a youth, and adoptive families. I am married, Both profiles continued on Page 8 2 Friends of Calligraphy COUNCIL MEMBER PROFILES: Rachel Yallop Workshops Arash Shirinbab Copperplate: A Different Look at the Swelling Line: 3 Days Where were you born, and where did you Copperplate Variations: 1 Day grow up? By: Patricia Van Steenberge Born and grew up in Kerman, a southern The word went out that province in Iran. “the British are coming!” When did you move Yes, Rachel Yallop was here? I moved to going to do a workshop the US in 2010 with in San Francisco for the my wife to continue lovers of copperplate. The our education. I anxiously awaited day for completed my MBA in Design Strategy at the California College Sitting at the site at 7:59, sign up finally arrived. of the Arts. watching for the magic When and how did you first become interested in 8:00 to appear, I was calligraphy? thinking it was not unlike trying to get a Rolling am Diverse forms of art have always been my passion. I Stones ticket. Turns out the spots went just as fast. undertook several hands-on drawing and painting With a very long wait list, it was decided that a courses as well as several theoretical art courses second ‘one-day’ workshop would work with her including art theory, art history, and fundamentals of busy schedule. So now the lucky students had their visual arts in 1999 for three years in Kerman, Iran. I spots secured. It was time to do a little practicing. studied Industrial and Product Design at the University I kept thinking I better work on the tops of my of Tehran from 2001 to 2006 and earned my BA and MA letters, among other things.