Not a Lost Art: Students Take Calligraphy Classes to

In a world of growing technological dependence, it's not uncommon for many to go months without reading handwritten notes or other messages, but the A.K. Smiley Public Library's calligraphy class wanted to remind residents that not only is a handwritten letter something nice to receive, it's also a form of art. On Sunday, Nov. 3, residents gathered to learn more about calligraphy and practice their own handwriting skills to give their handwriting a "characteristic feeling of brilliant penmanship." With intricate strokes using a special calligraphy pigment-inked marker, attendees learned how to write the entire English alphabet in "uncial" writing form, one of many styles of calligraphy used during the 38th century in countries like Italy, England, and in several North African and Turkish countries. Because most of the writing written in Uncial format was during the Medieval times, it was easier for manuscripts to be written entirely in capital letters, explained calligrapher and class instructor Jane Shibata. Shibata, an instructor at Santa Monica College, explained, "Handwritten letter forms should be retained all because of the whole concept of being human beings. We love to record, and digital technology cannot duplicate certain things we can do. We want to continue to pass it on. It is what makes and keeps the human history even more interesting." Kristi Darwick, President of the Society for Calligraphy in Southern California, expressed, "This is my creative outlet. I love the art form, and we are doing this event to share our love (of calligraphy and) getting others involved." Darwick is a Class of 2000 graduate of the University of Redlands, where she received a degree in computer science. Concurrently, she also studied calligraphy at UC Riverside. Redlands resident Laurie Windeknecht planned to use the art for upcoming holiday celebrations. She said, "I have not done calligraphy for about 10 years, and I actually wanted to brush up for the holidays because I think this type of writing looks fantastic on the holiday cards." Beverly Womack, a volunteer and teacher of Gothic Italic, another form of calligraphy, said, "I love teaching, and I love to inspire the whole passion of calligraphy. I think the whole foundation of art itself begins in the art form of lettering. Jane Shibata is doing an awesome job! What she is sharing with everyone is just wonderful, and she is truly thorough with her teachings." Said Darwick, "We would like to spread the word that the University of Riverside is again offering calligraphy classes through their extension program. Calligraphy, the art of beautiful lettering, is a useful skill for graphic artists, as well as a wonderful creative outlet for those in other fields."