Calligraphy and Drawing Classes at Bluestone Farm & Living Arts Center at Melrose

Registration is open for ages 10 and up to learn the time honored craft of hand calligraphy or participate in a basic drawing class at Bluestone Farm & Living Arts Center at Melrose.

Bluestone Farm & Living Arts Center is a center created and maintained by the Sisters of the Community of the Holy Spirit at Melrose. Bluestone Farm features an organic farm, chickens, and a lovely cow named Mercy. What better place than this to offer calligraphy and drawing classes which are also ”living arts”.

Take a break from the age of texting and keyboarding, use dip pens and ink to create beautiful, imaginative, whimsical and creative letters by hand! Calligraphy is a timeless and meditative art form. Forming letters carefully, the student concentrates and relaxes. There is no hurrying the letters. In the end there is achievement and beauty and creativity.

Learning to draw increases our wonder and appreciation for the world and people around us. We become more observant in our day to day lives. There is such a pleasure in touching pencil to paper and seeing your marks become a vase with flowers, a child’s face, or a home with picket fence. Drawing is a skill, like reading and writing, that can be acquired by anyone, and gives as much reward.

Classes begin Monday, February 22nd and end on March 28th. For more information and to register, contact Anne Tascio. 914-343-6649 – anne.tascio@benediciteart.com

BASIC DRAWING - 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm ~

Learning to draw is a skill that everyone can learn! The class environment is welcoming, encouraging and positive. We will create drawings working from still life and photographs using artist’s pencils, erasers and drawing paper.

AFTER SCHOOL CALLIGRAPHY - 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

This course uses a broad edged nib and ink to learn the letterforms of the 15th century “Italique Hande”. Italic; graceful and legible, is a basic hand for every calligrapher. Students will use their new calligraphy skills to create a final piece

SPENCERIAN SCRIPT - 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm –

Students will use pointed dip pens and ink to learn this authentic and beautiful ornamental American hand. Today, this pointed pen hand – a true penmanship -is suitable for all calligraphy applications; invitations, place cards, quotes, poems, prayers and more!

ADVANCED CALLIGRAPHY & GILDING 10 am – 12 pm –

Students with at least three prior calligraphy classes will study a lettering style of their choice or fine tune their existing lettering skills and work to complete a project. March 7 and March 14 we will work in 23k gold leaf.