Meetings

Members and guests of Escribiente meet the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm. (No meetings are held in January, July and December, unless noted.)

Meeting June 2009

We feature an informative program for all levels of calligraphy with a mix of presentations and hands on projects. Everyone with an interest in creating beautiful letters is welcome to join!

Calendar

Escribiente now hosts most of our programs online via Zoom. We have two workshops in the Spring and Fall (in person where possible). We also aim to host monthly meetups in person on the third Saturday from 1–3pm (check your email for location). We will miss having all our programs in person, but our members from out-of-town can now enjoy our programming and it is easier to have guest artists too! Members receive email reminders one week beforehand.

Members receive email notices for all programs and workshops.

Live Zoom meetings are open to members only. Most Zoom replays are available for to members after the meeting, although a few are for a limited time only. An edited replay may be posted to our YouTube channel after editing, provided permission is granted from the presenter.

Program: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 @ 6:30pm * Online via Zoom

Members are encouraged to sign in at 6:15pm.

Adding a Graphic Element to Calligraphy

Presentation by Sue Greenseth

image for program

In traditional calligraphy, an emotional message can be conveyed without using a graphic element by choosing an appropriate hand, a pleasing layout, the right inks, tools, papers, and creating powerful contrasts. However, there are times when adding a graphic element can make a piece stronger.  Sue Greenseth will share her 18 different methods for successfully adding a graphic element to a calligraphic piece. After the presentation, participants can use what they’ve learned to create their own art by combining lettering and an image.

Sue Greenseth is a calligrapher and lettering artist in Portland, Oregon. She fell in love with calligraphy in the 1970s, and began a successful freelance lettering career with commercial clients in the 1990s. Sue has many creative pursuits. These days Sue enjoys teaching calligraphy as well practicing as a fulltime artist. She loves breathing life into letterforms and animating words with a pen. Visit Sue’s website.

Supply List:

  • Postage stamps (cancelled stamps are fine)
  • Paper
  • Writing tools – pens, markers, pencil, whatever the participant chooses
  • Glue (only a tiny amount is needed)

Business Meeting: Wednesday, April 3, 2024 @ 6:30pm * Online via Zoom

Members are encouraged to sign in at 6:15pm.

Business Meeting

The April 3rd Zoom meeting will be a business program only. We will not have a program at
this meeting as we have scheduled an in-person program for Saturday, April 20th.

Program: Saturday, April 20, 2024 @ 1:00 – 3:00 pm * IN-PERSON

In-person Program at: Heights Cumberland Presbyterian Church,
8600 Academy Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111 [Google Map]

Writing on Glass

Presentations by members

Our third Saturday meet-up will be jam packed with multiple presentations showing how to apply your calligraphic skills to glass. There will be five hands-on play stations for writing on glass:

  • Bill Kemp will demonstrate writing with an engraver tool and let you test drive the engraver.
  • Trish Meyer will give you the opportunity to experience etching with Etchall Creme.
  • Evelyn Costello will let you test write seven different removable markers for glass: acrylic paint, oil based, chalk based or resin!
  • Beth House will share writing with Neuland markers which are available from Heather Martinez.
  • Elizabeth McKee will have her supply of Pebeo/Vitrea glass paint and markers for members to play with. Once baked this can go through the dishwasher.

If you would like to play along, bring some glass objects or bottles (thrift stores often have glass vases or candle holders with flat sides that are easier to letter on than round bottles). Some of us will have glass on hand to share too.

One suggestion: You could make a sampler of all the different methods on one piece of glass using an old picture frame with glass from a thrift shop if you don’t have one stashed in a closet.

Program: Wednesday, May 1, 2024 @ 6:30pm * Online via Zoom

Members are encouraged to sign in at 6:15pm.

Carve a Letter Once, Use it Again and Again

Presentation by Michal Sommers

image for program

Make a hand-drawn letter and use it again and again by turning it into a hand-carved stamp. Follow along to learn fundamentals for designing, carving, and printing your own letter form or design embellishment from reusable soft carving blocks. Even one block offers an array of design options. Caution: you’ll want to make so many more!

Tools:

  • Soft carving block such as Speedball Speedy Carve (pink stuff)
  • Carving tool: Speedball straight nib holder and a #1 or #2 cutting blade, OR a Speedball linoleum handle with a cutting blade.
  • X-acto knife with a new blade
  • HB or B pencil & an old credit card/gift card
  • Small bit of tracing paper and a piece of tape (washi tape works well)
  • Stamp pad such as VersaFine Clair pigment ink which dries quickly and holds details, but try anything you might have around will work OR use water-based markers (ie, Crayola markers)
  • Copy paper for practice & smooth cardstock or envelopes for a finished design
  • Cutting mat and paper to protect your desk
  • Damp towel or sponge

Michal Sommers is an Escribiente member and visual artist living in the high desert under the big turquoise skies of New Mexico. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico. Her work has been exhibited and collected across the United States. After retiring from teaching at an independent school, she has been enjoying more time in her studio and with her family.

Members receive email notices for all programs and workshops.

Live Zoom meetings are open to members only. The Zoom replay will be available for a limited time to members after the meeting. An edited replay may be posted to our YouTube channel after editing, provided permission is granted from the presenter.

Upcoming events – please check your email for more details!

Weekend, March 16–17: Workshop (in-person in Albuquerque) – Cora Pearl. Cora will be teaching Hand Lettering with the Folded Pen workshop for Escribiente in March 2024. More details on our Workshops page.

Weds., April 3: Our first Weds. meeting will be a business program only (via Zoom).

Third Saturday, April 20: Writing on Glass –  In-person program from 1:00 to 3:00 at Heights Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Details above.

Weds., May 1: Online program (creating hand-carved stamps with Michael Sommers) via Zoom, followed by our business meeting. Details above.

View previous programs from 2023–2024 Meetings Archive page.