"I loved learning calligraphy so much, I now teach others at workshops in Wolverhampton and Stourbridge"
Life has come a full circle for Coreen Campbell. Around seven years ago, she attended a calligraphy class to learn how to create beautiful lettering. Now she is sharing her skills and knowledge by teaching her own workshops at the same venue as a professional calligrapher.
The art of calligraphy, a term derived from the Greek words for beautiful writing, dates back centuries.
Each letter is carefully designed with thin and thick strokes to create an aesthetically pleasing composition.
In traditional calligraphy, it is crucial that practitioners adhere to strict rules for the formation, styling and spacing of the letters.
Coreen, who lives in Oxley, Wolverhampton, specialises in modern calligraphy, a style that combines traditional techniques with contemporary designs and a more relaxed structure.
"It does have rules but you can be more creative and be experimental,” she explains.
The former primary school teacher fell in love with the art form while attending a workshop at Crafty Happenings in Upper Penn.
"I remember sitting in the workshop and thinking ‘I love this’.
"I had always liked drawing and painting but it requires a lot of time and a lot of materials.
"This is very mindful, very relaxing and you can make something beautiful,” explains the 34-year-old.
She left the class eager to use her newly-acquired skills and went on to introduce the children at her primary school to the art, setting up a calligraphy club so they could practise their lettering. "They would bring in their brush pens and gel pens and we would do calligraphy together," she says
After honing her skills for a while, Coreen began making greetings cards for her family and friends.
As more people started expressing an interest in her work, she branched out into selling her creations on Etsy around six years ago.
Her product range includes greeting cards, motivational prints and wedding keepsakes such as decorative booklets for vows and speeches.
In 2021, she began hosting modern calligraphy workshops and now teaches pointed pen calligraphy, using a nib and ink, as well as brush lettering using brush pens with flexible tips to create thin and thick line strokes.
She says her fun and friendly workshops are ideal for beginners who are looking for an enjoyable new hobby as well as those who want to try their hand at creating their own wedding stationery or personalised gifts.
“At the end of a beginners workshop, you will have all the skills you need to master it in your own time,” says Coreen.
"The main thing people like about the workshop is that they get a kit to take home with a nib and ink, or pens, and paper so they can carry on practising as soon as they get home,” she adds.
Coreen currently teaches workshops at Crafty Happenings in Upper Penn; Paint & Create at Apley Farm Shop in Norton, near Bridgnorth; and Eleven in Oldswinford, Stourbridge.
Helping people to learn a new skill is very rewarding for Coreen.
"I love being able to pass on my love for calligraphy and see other people fall in love with it
"People say they get to switch off and that it's so nice to do something where they don’t have to think about anything else,” she says.
Coreen runs a monthly club at Crafty Happenings for people who want to practise what they have learned.
One-to-one tuition is also available for anyone who is unable to attend one of her workshops.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/lovelyinletters, follow www.instagram.com/lovelyinletters or email Coreen at [email protected]
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