Society for Calligraphy upcoming events

The Truly Flexible Pointed Pen (September 25, 2026)

Sat, 26 Sep 2026 01:00:00 GMT

Presenter: Rick Paulus

Sponsored by San Diego SfC

Fridays, September 25, October 9, 16, and 30 6PM-8PM PDT

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: Extend the range of your pointed pen’s potential as we break away from traditional pointed pen scripts and explore the full power of this amazing little pen nib. Following an analysis of historical models as well as the work of contemporary masters, we will put our pens to paper and systematically develop new pointed pen styles out of formal broad-edge hands such as Roman Capitals, foundational, italic, uncial, and blackletter. In addition to the introduction of new hands, each class will include additional tips and topics such as working with color, creating texture, and layout. The methods and skills acquired in this workshop will give participants the tools they need to further their reach with the pointed pen in many ways. This workshop will be recorded and made available for three months.

NECESSARY SKILL LEVEL: Beginner to intermediate

ABOUT RICK: Rick Paulus has been a calligrapher and a teacher for over forty years. He apprenticed for several years at the legendary Tolley Studios, in Washington, DC, before becoming the engrosser for the US State Department. In 1998, he was appointed chief calligrapher of the White House, where he remained for two presidents until, in 2006, he answered the call of the wild and left Washington, DC to explore new adventures in nature and art. Today, in addition to enjoying calligraphic explorations in his studio on the shores of Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, Rick is dedicated to sharing the knowledge he gained through many years of studio production and artistic experimentation with students of all ages and skill levels.

HOW TO REGISTER

PAID WORKSHOPS ARE OPEN TO MEMBERS ONLY. No refunds, since recording will be provided.

FEES: $80

Registration is handled by volunteers. Please help keep this efficient by paying within 24 hours. It's a lot of extra effort for us to chase and we may simply cancel the registration, due to workload.

Enrollment is for current paid Society for Calligraphy members only. Your membership must be current at time of sign-up as well as when class is held. No reservation will be held until your dues are current. If your membership lapses, you become ineligible. (To become a member: https://societyforcalligraphy.org/Join-SfC). After April 1, 2026, it is recommended that first time members pay $42 (rather than introductory)--membership will be valid through June 30, 2027. Even for those who aren't local, you'll want to mark the chapters which provide the workshops you love. Some chapters provide perks, such as direct email announcements, newsletters, and other helpful communications.

For conﬁrmation and prompt receipt of supply list, we recommend that your payment arrive no later than two weeks before the workshop. You do not have a spot in the workshop until you receive a conﬁrmation email.

After completing this ﬁrst step of registration, an automatic email will be sent with a PayPal button, plus instructions, should you prefer to pay by check. If you don't receive that email within a few minutes, please check your spam folder. If you don't ﬁnd it there, please contact Kristi.

For those afﬁliated with SfC's San Diego chapter, we do have scholarship funds available to assist in the education and development of calligraphic skills. Please contact Kristi to inquire.

Questions? E-mail Kristi Darwick at sdworkshops@societyforcalligraphy.org

NO audio or video recording of any program, meeting, workshop or other SfC function permitted without prior consent of both guest artist and a representative of the Board of Governors. ** You must ask permission of the artist/ instructor to photograph any copyrighted materials, including demos.

Romans Study Group (Member-led) (October 02, 2026)

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 01:30:00 GMT

Sponsored by

SAVE THE DATE!

FRIDAY, October 2, 2026, 6:30-8PM PST

Alison Clements will lead us through drawing verses.

No charge for these Study Group Sessions. They are often led by members, who do not claim to be masters, sharing what they have learned. There is no requirement to have attended prior sessions. The aim is to share knowledge with newbies and to provide a refresher for those with more experience. Each individual Romans Study Group session requires separate registration. We plan to record this session. Kristi asks that you remind her! Recording will be available for three months.

Flexible Schedule for the evening:

6:30 - 6:45 Announcements and share work from past sessions.

6:45 - 7:45 Alison will demo.

7:45 - 8:00 An opportunity for those who wish to share what they've completed before or during this session--we always love to see what our fellow lettering artists are up to. Also, there is time to ask more questions of our speaker.

SUPPLY LIST:

SfC Membership not required

Handouts and Zoom invitation will be sent a day or two in advance.

You're welcome to sign up even at the last minute, but you may have to wait and participate via the recording . . .
All who sign up in advance will automatically receive the recording. We cannot respond to all those who missed registering in advance.

Bold & Beautiful Uncials with the Broad-Edge Pen - IN-PERSON (November 14, 2026)

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 17:30:00 GMT

IN-PERSON with Barbara Close

Sponsored by:

Saturday, November 14, 2026, 9:30AM to 4:30 PM, includes a one hour break for lunch.

Location: San Diego Education Association, 10393 San Diego Mission Rd, Suite 100, San Diego, CA

COST: $50

PAID WORKSHOPS ARE OPEN TO MEMBERS ONLY. No refunds unless your spot can be filled from the wait list.

PLEASE SCROLL TO HOW TO REGISTER.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: We will be taking a look into the marvels of the Uncial hand with Parallel Pens. The beauty of this lettering style is that it can be stacked tightly on the page with very little interlinear space and thus get a lot on the page. With fun and interesting exercises, we will expand our knowledge of Uncial, create some interesting pages and have fun along the way..

The Uncial script originated in the 2nd to 4th centuries. They were the primary book hand, used in religious texts until the 9th century. They continued to evolve and were used in the hierarchy of scripts beginning in the Carolingian era. Today, this elegant alphabet may be used alone or combined with other hands. The rhythm of round and upright strokes that give this hand its distinctive appearance is what I love.

We will look at many ways to use this script for modern, contemporary use for today.

SKILL LEVEL: All levels

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Barbara is an internationally known calligrapher/artist and teaches in southern California, across the USA and Canada. She also teaches online global classes through Zoom and loves the idea of reaching so many people. Her work includes a wide variety of lettering styles and mixed media applications. She has exhibited across the country and has work in many private collections. Her work has creative passion with skillful execution. She has taught at several International Lettering Conferences, our own LETTERS CA STYLE Conference, and IAMPETH conferences. Barbara has designed the logo for Somerset Studio Magazine and the Calligraphy Collection font cartridge for Cricut. She’s also designed several greeting cards for Marcel Schurman, now Papyrus. Her philosophy of “Follow Your Heart” shows in her work, and continues with growth, heart and inspiration.

www.barbclose.com

barbara.close IG & FB

HOW TO REGISTER

PAID WORKSHOPS ARE OPEN TO MEMBERS ONLY. No refunds unless your spot can be filled from the wait list. .

COST: $50

Questions/comments? please contact Kristi at sdworkshops@societyforcalligraphy.org

PLEASE READ:

For those afﬁliated with SfC's San Diego chapter, we do have scholarship funds available to assist in the education and development of calligraphic skills. Please contact Kristi to inquire.

Questions? E-mail Kristi Darwick at sdworkshops@societyforcalligraphy.org

Elegant Uncials in Pointed Pen - IN-PERSON (November 15, 2026)

Sun, 15 Nov 2026 17:30:00 GMT

IN-PERSON with Barbara Close

Sponsored by:

Sunday, November 15, 2026, 9:30AM to 4:30 PM, includes a one hour break for lunch.

Location: San Diego Education Association, 10393 San Diego Mission Rd, Suite 100, San Diego, CA

COST: $50

PAID WORKSHOPS ARE OPEN TO MEMBERS ONLY. No refunds unless your spot can be filled from the wait list.

PLEASE SCROLL TO HOW TO REGISTER

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: Whether you're new to Uncial or looking to expand your lettering repertoire, trying Uncials with your pointed pen will inspire you and give you some expansion on variations. Enjoy the discoveries with new possibilities.

SKILL LEVEL: All levels.

www.barbclose.com

barbara.close IG & FB

HOW TO REGISTER

PAID WORKSHOPS ARE OPEN TO MEMBERS ONLY. No refunds unless your spot can be filled from the wait list.

COST: $50

Questions/comments? please contact Kristi at sdworkshops@societyforcalligraphy.org

PLEASE READ:

For those afﬁliated with SfC's San Diego chapter, we do have scholarship funds available to assist in the education and development of calligraphic skills. Please contact Kristi to inquire.

Questions? E-mail Kristi Darwick at sdworkshops@societyforcalligraphy.org