photograph by Nancy Prolman
Workshops, Programs & Slide Talks
Gina offers workshops for calligraphy societies, as well as organizations, institutions and private groups. These are tailored to the desires, interests, length of time available and size of the group.
Workshops
Roman Workshops
Hebrew Workshops
Programs
These are tailored to the interests, time available and size of a group.
I — Calligraphy as a Spiritual Way
(click here to read article by same title)
II — Creating Your Own Calligraphic Practice
(Details upon request)
Slide Talks
A variety of topics related to Hebrew calligraphy and script.
Teaching Schedule & Experience
2011
Workshops:
- Seattle: Afternoon workshop, 1-5pm: September 11, “Western Calligraphy as a Tool for Meditation,” Seattle Shambhala Center (Programs)
- Seattle: One-day workshop: November 19, “Continuing to Enliven Your Italic,” Society for Calligraphy & Handwriting
- Edmonds, WA: Letters of Joy, April 30
2010
Workshops:
- Seattle: One-day workshop, March 20, “Enliven Your Italic,” Society for Calligraphy & Handwriting
- Portland: Two-day workshop, April 10-11, “Finding the Flow,” Portland Society for Calligraphy
- Edmonds, WA: Letters of Joy, May 1, “How to Build Calligraphic Confidence” and “Fabulous Filigree”
- Montréal: Two-day workshop, October, “The Dynamics of Calligraphy,” La Société des calligraphes de Montréal
- New York City: Two-day workshop, November 6-7, “Living Letters: Form & Flow in Calligraphy,” Society of Scribes
Class description below:
Living Letters: Form & Flow in Calligraphy
All skill levels and teachers
This workshop introduces a foundation technique for vitalizing italic letterform: “dynamics.” Realize your calligraphic potential for creating forms with life and flow by reaching beyond ductus, stroke order and direction, to the physical act of strokemaking itself! Through exercises in dynamics delve directly into the formative interplay between body, pen and writing surface. Pen in hand, in motion and in contact, awaken all your calligraphic senses—touch and movement in addition to sight—and discover a path to sensitive, skillful, confident strokes. By so doing we also enter a larger arena of edged-pen technique which can be applied to any edged-pen alphabet. From a firm foundation in pen stroke technique prepare yourself for greater freedom and joy in the practice of calligraphy. In the process of translating visual forms into felt/fully perceived ones, rhythm and gesture emerge and we experience the dance of the pen!
Over a century ago Edward Johnston encouraged us by saying, “Our aim should be to give letters life that we ourselves may have more life.” Let “living letters” become a way to directly experience and explore vital connections to yourself and the life around you!
Programs:
- Edmonds, WA: January 12, “The Dynamics of Calligraphy,” Write On Calligraphers
- Bellevue, WA: March 19, “How to Build Calligraphic Confidence,” Society for Calligraphy & Handwriting
2009
- Montréal: Two-day workshop, November 22–23, “The Dynamics of Calligraphy,” La Société des calligraphes de Montréal
- Ellensburg, WA: One and a half-day workshop, August 18-19, “Enliven Your Italic,” Windwriters Calligraphy Guild
- Edmonds, WA: Letters of Joy, two mini-workshops: “Enliven Your Italic” and “Creating Your Own Calligraphic Practice”
2008
- Chicago: Letters Mingle Souls, International Calligraphy Conference, Mini-workshop,
“Finding the Flow”
www.chicagocalligraphy2008.org
2007
- San Francisco: Weekend Workshop, “Finding the Flow” Friends of Calligraphy
(PDF of review available here) - Belvedere, CA: Four-day Workshop, "Learning Hebrew Calligraphy," privately sponsored
- Bellevue, WA: "Calligraphy as Spiritual Way," Society for Calligraphy & Handwriting