Have you Tried Calligraphy?

Calligraphy is “the art of giving a pleasing, harmonious form to the written word”. While one would think that calligraphy and mixed media should be a natural combination, Katja Blum who has been into collage and other paper arts often finds herself developing a special form of writer’s block – calligrapher’s block.

Many works of mixed media art include text – individual words or text blocks – as a focal point and added layer of texture, color and meaning. The surface of a piece of mixed media art is often textured and varied, with layers of different materials that make it hard to control the nib or brush, the classic calligraphy tools. Katja embraces her handwriting and forgets aids such as ruled lines and light boxes. So there is just freehand writing. And for good results she advises that you take a good look at your art tools first. Choose your tool, take a deep breath and just start writing on your artwork. The tools should be simple tools. For example; a calligraphy pen with a broad and fine tip is a good choice for a block of text, perhaps on a journal page.

Play with brushes. Pastels and crayons look substantial, but still relaxed – lovely in white on a dark background. Katja Blum is a big admirer of the work of calligraphy artists and to the delight of her husband she also likes to find creative solutions for ugly or broken things around the house.