King Charles III looks set to combine tradition within modernity when he is crowned alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort, on Saturday, May 6, 2023. As President of the Heritage Crafts Association during his time as the Prince of Wales, it’s perhaps unsurprising that master craftspeople have been called upon for various projects in the early days of his reign and in the run-up to the Coronation celebrations. Here’s how calligraphy and associated elements have been playing their part. His Majesty the King’s Cypher The cypher is the Sovereign’s monogram, consisting of the initials of the monarch ..read more

Inspired by Lindisfarne is on the move again! The calligraphic tribute to the Lindisfarne Gospels has gone on display at South Shields Museum and Art Gallery. It’s the final stop-off for the collection of more than 20 artworks and over a dozen handmade books created by two of my weekly calligraphy groups. The exhibition is the culmination of a three-month project launched in September last year, which was supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. A successful £2,664 Project Grant bid enabled the groups to work with guest artists Yvette Ja and Carrie ..read more

What do you take as gospel? That was the prompt for the amateur calligraphers in my weekly groups, who are exhibiting their work for the first time at The Customs House in South Shields. Inspired by Lindisfarne is the culmination of a three-month project supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England (ACE). The project itself was inspired by the return of The Lindisfarne Gospels to their native north east, on loan from The British Library, last year. Celebrating the Lindisfarne Gospels The calligraphers, part of two groups who meet weekly at Mortimer Commun ..read more

Well, this year has certainly been less dramatic than the last one. With Covid-19 restrictions still in place for most of 2021, my last review of the year featured remote learning via craft packs and online workshops. So, it goes without saying that one of the highlights for me this year has been a return to in-person teaching under normal conditions. 2022 saw a return to normal in-person teachingA return to normal in-person teaching I’ve taught almost 40 workshops, alongside my weekly classes, in 2022. The majority of these have been at my regular venues, but some new opportunities opened up ..read more

My calligraphy groups are half-way through their Inspired by Lindisfarne project. Over the last five weeks, we have been working with guest artists Yvette Ja and Carrie Dennison to make books and create Celtic knots. Each group has also enjoyed a trip to Newcastle to see the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery. The project has been supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. My Thursday (left) and Friday groups (right) with the books they made with Yvette Ja. Paper artist Yvette Ja spent six hours with each group, introducing them to ..read more

The Lindisfarne Gospels are back in their native north east. The manuscript, produced in the Northumberland island monastery of Lindisfarne at the end of the seventh century, is considered one of the nation’s greatest treasures. A unique relic of early Christianity in England, it is so precious that the British Library only loans it out at least every seven years – and strict rules govern the exposure of its pages. Having visited the region in 1987, 1996, 2000 and 2013, the Lindisfarne Gospels are currently on show at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle. The Laing Art Gallery The Lindisfarne Go ..read more

I’m delighted to announce that my weekly calligraphy groups have been successful in accessing funding from Arts Council England to run a project inspired by the Lindisfarne Gospels. The money, from the National Lottery Project Grants scheme, will enable the groups to work with guest artists, visit the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle and create work inspired by the highly decorative medieval manuscript. They will then stage their own touring exhibition in early 2023. Applying for ACE funding can be a daunting prospect, but I was spurred on by the enthusiasm ..read more

An exhibition of Northern Typography is currently on show beneath the iconic dome of Whitley Bay’s Spanish City. The complex – once a funfair – is home to For the Love of the North, among other independent businesses, which has pulled some of the most talented artists and creatives in the region together for its latest show. They include Alex Richardson, from Mango Signs; Sofia Barton Illustration; Bianco Perry – Embroidery; graphic designer and printmaker Georgie Estill; Charlotte Turnock from Silly Rabbit & Co; calligrapher and lettering designer Tim Sokell; Bethan Laker Illustration; Ai ..read more

Spring is a time for new beginnings. So, I’m taking some time out from the usual hustle and bustle of running a creative business to make some plans for the future. Creative Calligraphy is heading towards its eighth birthday on May 27, 2022. According to business data platform Statista, 42.5% of businesses established in 2014 survived five years to 2019 – and that was before Covid-19 hit. Taking some time out to plan for the future of Creative Calligraphy.Getting rid of ‘imposter syndrome’ I’ve always struggled to give myself a job title, although I have moved on from describing myself as some ..read more

A note scribbled by an orphaned boy in church almost 125 years ago has inspired a letter writing project in Sunderland. Dear Friend has been launched by Seventeen Nineteen at Holy Trinity Church in Hendon, in collaboration with calligrapher Jules Eachus, from The Inkling Studio in the city. The church recently underwent a £5m refurbishment led by The Churches Conservation Trust and an official opening ceremony is due to be held on Saturday, April 16, 2022. Inside Holy Trinity Church in Sunderland During the restoration project, a letter was found hidden under a pew, written on the back of an O ..read more