Residents can learn graceful calligraphy at Madison Public Library
Carol Tillman will teach a six-week calligraphy course at Madison Public Library. She stands by her mantle with samples of her calligraphy. (CONTRIBUTED)
MADISON – A resident well versed in the art of calligraphy will share her skills in upcoming classes at Madison Public Library.
Carol Tillman has worked in calligraphy for more than 35 years. She is a member of the Calligraphy Arts Guild of Huntsville and Utah Calligraphic Artists and helped organize a group in northern Utah.
“I’ve always admired beautiful handwriting,” Tillman said. “That’s what peaked my interest. The simplest definition of calligraphy is ‘The art of beautiful handwriting.'”
Handwritten, calligraphy styles were prominent in the first versions of the Bible’s Old and New Testament, Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” “Beowulf” and the romances of King Arthur’s court.
In 1977, she took her first calligraphy class at Utah State University and then pursued workshops, even two classes with “Queen of Calligraphy” Sheila Waters.
“When handwriting merely transmits ideas, it is referred to as penmanship. When handwriting transmits ideas and inspires beauty, it is the art of calligraphy,” Tillman said quoting an unknown author.
With the omnipresence of computers, Tillman fears that handwriting will become a lost art. “There is something about beautiful lettering that just makes me smile,” she said.
The class will meet on Thursdays from April 3 through May 8 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. During the six-week course, Tillman will teach beginning Italic or Chancery Cursive calligraphy. Participants will learn lower- and uppercase letters and numbers.
“Italic is done with a broad-edge pen, so thin and thick strokes are created as the letters are drawn,” she said. “The Italic hand dates from about 1400 and is probably the most common text hand used today.”
The class’ supply fee is $15. Participants can mail checks payable to Carol Tillman, Madison Public Library, 130 Plaza Blvd., Madison AL 35758. Deadline for fee payment and reservations is March 24.
To register, call the library at 256-461-0046. For class questions, email to tillmancjt@knology.net.
For reference material on the artform, visit calligraphy.co.uk.
