Looking for a teacher, a class or a professional lettering artist? You have found us. Here we are!

My exposure to letters and using words artistically started from an excellent high school art teacher. She laid before us a world of art and challenged us to embrace many styles and techniques. The love of art and letters and words was later brought steps further in my college days at the Memphis Academy of Arts.

Twenty years or so ago, I joined the St. Louis Calligraphy Guild, which has served as my tutor by means of meetings, workshops, year long classes, and the exposure to the talents of those around me. The guild members and their artwork, tips, and encouragement have been the single most important tool for growing in my lettering arts journey. It’s not just the letters, it’s been the education in learning to communicate in a way as to make each letter and word, each layout, speak to the viewer. It’s been a beautiful ride.

A hand lettered alphabet on the blackboard caught my eye back in fourth grade. During a graphic design class at Washington University, I expanded my drawing skills into copying alphabets from catalogs of rub off letters.   At the end of the semester, Professor Dick Brunell told me about a potential career as a calligrapher, but I did not comprehend what that might be. 

As a novice high school art teacher, I wrote my student worksheets with an Osmiroid pen in Chancery Cursive, the italic hand he had taught.

With summer months free to plan our wedding, I lettered all our stationery.  That initiated my business as people began to ask me to write poems and fill in names on certificates.  Fortunately, I learned about the newly formed Saint Louis Calligraphy Guild, and joined in its first months. We were a sizable group, meeting and exhibiting our art at the Missouri Botanical Garden.  I helped with the guild newsletter and exhibits until our growing family left me little time for adult art. Guild enrichment was soon replaced by teaching art in school, scouting and family activities.

The Saint Louis guild introduced me to countless aspects of calligraphy through a calendar of monthly meetings, seasonal workshops, events around town, inspiring friendships, connections to other guilds and conferences. These are some of the member perks which grew my single fountain pen skills into a “flourishing” professional business.  The array of lettering styles I now enjoy includes pointed pen Copperplate with its delightful oval line extensions.

During the 8 years we lived in Tennessee, I was very active in the Nashville guild, and participated in 4 IAMPETH conferences. I love the extensive variety of lettering and decorative skills I have learned through multiple workshops every year with many top calligraphic artists.   

My fellow calligraphers are generous and fun, fascinated with expanding their skills and trying new tools and media.  Come for a visit. I have a studio full to share with you!   

Leslie has taught italic through the junior college. prepared projects for our semi-annual retreat weekend, and energized us since 1981. She can answer all your questions about materials, pens, paper, inks and more.