About the Artful Letter and the Calligraphy Guild of Pittsburgh

Welcome to The Calligraphy Guild of Pittsburgh's Exhibit at The Artists Hand! This exhibit features a mix of professional artists and newcomers eager to share their creativity. It’s a beautiful thing to see. Calligraphy is all about the elegance of the page and the words we choose. The phrases we pick matter.

Two nationally recognized calligraphers from the greater Pittsburgh region are among the many guild-member artists displaying their calligraphic art in "The Artful Letter." Approximately 40 works are priced for collectors who may wish to assemble a set or give gifts. This is a show for the mind and eye to do a joyful jig together. It's not just what you say; it's how you say it. After years of honing their craft through persistent practice, these masters open fresh possibilities by knowing just how.

Meet the Artists

Myrna Rosen has taught calligraphy at Carnegie Mellon University for over 40 years. Her art has graced many group exhibits and a solo gallery show. One of her most cherished honors was inscribing donors' names on stone in the chapel of Duquesne University. Her work has appeared in books and the journal, Letter Art Review. She is the emeritus president of Calligraphy Guild Pittsburgh.

Judy Melvin spent over 16 years as a calligrapher at American Greetings, designing cards that blend words with joyful art. She developed a line of greeting cards and several fonts based on her lettering. Judy has since ventured into expressive and abstract art based on letter forms, showcased in galleries and Letter Arts Review.

Read more below to learn about the exhibit and the artists!

About the Exhibit

Our goal is to showcase a wide array of calligraphy styles and levels of experience. Calligraphy is an art form accessible to anyone who enjoys historic lettering styles or whimsical modern designs. Hand lettering pairs well with journaling, botanical art, bookmaking, gifts, card-making, framed pieces of art, and items for special events.

The Calligraphy Guild Pittsburgh is a community of artists, enthusiasts, and calligraphy professionals located in and around the greater Pittsburgh region. Membership in the guild is open to anyone interested in the lettering arts. The guild fosters a community where calligraphers of all levels, from beginners to professionals, can share experiences, ideas, and technical insights. Our classes, workshops, and play days run from September to May. Thank you, Indiana, Pennsylvania!

For more information: www.calligraphypittsburgh.org

About the Artists

Anette Duensing

I always start with the painted part of my artwork, which is spontaneous, intuitive, and somewhat abstract. The calligraphy I add provides both background and context. What I see in the painting guides me toward the text I incorporate.

• Cathedral: Acrylic paint, sumi ink on watercolor paper (300 gsm). This piece reflects how we associate cathedrals with ancient places of silence and prayer.

• Cathedral of Learning: Acrylic paint, sumi ink on watercolor paper (300 gsm). This piece celebrates the iconic building of the University of Pittsburgh, using Pitt’s colors to symbolize its “halls of wisdom and knowledge.”

• The Wave: Acrylic paint, sumi ink on watercolor paper (300 gsm). Here, I share my thoughts on how waves can be both beautiful and dangerous. This piece was completed after the devastating floods of Hurricanes Helene and Milton last year.

  
  

Diane Stum Fekete

• Let Me Go: Gouache, graphite, and acrylic paints & mediums on Arches Text Wove paper (archival). These thoughts came to me as I pondered the din of being wrapped up in oneself.

• Autumn Mystery: Gouache & wax-based medium on Arches Text Wove paper (archival). These loosely connected thoughts mirror the web of letterforms linked together.

• O Wise Spirit: Gouache & alkyd paints on Arches Black Cover paper (archival). The layering of letterforms creates a visual mantra that echoes each other.

  
  

Amy Flanders

• My Flower Garden: Sumi Ink on Canson watercolor paper and pressed wildflowers. Growing wildflowers in my garden inspired me to incorporate them with this quote.

  
  

Lori Frola

• Still Life at Window / A Walk in the Moonlight: Cyanotype Photography Toned with Fenugreek, 24K Gold Leaf, Gouache, Oil Pastel on Watercolor Paper. I began working with alternative photographic processes, requiring relentless experimentation and careful observation. They are dynamic and ever-changing, thanks to the materials used.

• Springtime at Home: Cyanotype Photography Toned with Madder Root and Green Tea, Gouache on Watercolor Paper. These pieces have been created layer by layer over days, months, and even years. I hope they evoke warm memories immersed in nature, books, and friends.

• Green Gables in July: Polaroid Emulsion, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper. This temperamental process highlights the magical quality of art to communicate the intangible, like curiosity and intention.

  
  

Lam Gray

Lam Gray is a Vietnamese calligrapher and artist in Pittsburgh, PA. Her art is inspired by the word of her Lord Jesus and the hope and salvation He gives. She explores the beauty of creation and the human experience in her work.

• Hope, Flourished: Black ink on Watercolor Paper.

• The Fruit of The Spirit: Black ink on Watercolor Paper.

• Reclaim Analog: Black ink on Watercolor Paper.

  
  

Lily Hoy

• Paraprosdokians: Sumi inks, Manuscript silver light ink, and pan pastels on Strathmore drawing paper. A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech where the latter part of a sentence provides a surprising or unexpected resolution, often humorously, playing on the listener's expectations.

• Chocolate: Gouache on Arches text wove and paste paper. Random thoughts on chocolate with a twist.

  
  

Diane Keane

• Tempus Fugit: Cut-paper Collage with found images, handmade paper, gouache on bristol board. A sundial and a bird in flight remind us, in Latin, that time flies.

• Winter Moon: Cut paper collage with found images, handmade paper, gouache on museum board. A cloaked maiden stands on the ice, listening to the music of the Moon while being watched by heavenly eyes.

  
  

Cindi Kordell

• Song of Solomon: Sumi ink, collage papers upcycled from other projects, and touches of gold leaf on Acid Free Hot Press Watercolor. This verse from the Song of Solomon speaks to my heart, especially during these times. I chose the dark, dense style of Textura Blackletter for the calligraphy, incorporating gold elements to represent light and hope.

• Squeamish: Sumi & calligraphy ink, various colors on Acid Free Hot Press Watercolor Paper. I recently completed an amazing workshop through the Calligraphy Guild Pittsburgh called “The Art of Breaking the Rules” with nationally acclaimed calligrapher Mike Gold. It was an incredible experience exploring techniques to “Don’t just make Letters….MAKE LETTERS INTO ART!!” When we recognize that letters are shapes that can be molded into a composition, a new world opens up for us as calligraphers!

• Light a Candle: Mixed Media, upcycled collage papers, sumi ink, transfer gold. For this piece, I pulled out endless bits of papers I’ve collected over the years to create flames for the candles, choosing warm colors to convey light and hope.

  
  

Karen Jane McIlwain

• Dream: Watercolor & Ink on Arches Bright White Hot Press. This piece is inspired by a quote from Henry Thoreau: “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”

  
  

Lori Mitchell McMahon

• Ecclesiastes 3: Archival Reproduction. This work reproduces calligraphy rendered in both Gothic and Roman hands, layered over a watercolor background, meditating on Scripture from Ecclesiastes 3.

• Frost’s Road Less Traveled: Archival Reproduction. This reproduction features words from Robert Frost’s beloved poem rendered in Neuland hand, accompanied by a mountainous landscape and gilded highlights.

• The Book of Questions: Watercolor, pigma micron fineliner on Canson Mi-Teintes paper, watercolor, Tamisé metal leaf surface gilding. These pensive questions were selected from those posed in “The Book of Questions” by Pablo Neruda, leading us beyond the rational mind into intuition and awe.

  
  

Judy Melvin

• We the People: Gouache on archival navy paper. The Iroquois words inspired the first words of the U.S. Constitution written by Governor Morris of Pennsylvania.

• Forty-five: Gouache and pastels on archival art paper. Designed for the symphony in Melbourne, FL, in honor of the 45th anniversary, the border includes the names of 45 classical musicians.

• Uncial: Points of View: Gouache on archival art paper. Written in the calligraphy style of Uncial, this piece includes inspiring words from historical political figures.

• What Does It Matter?: White gouache, variegated gold leaf on archival art paper. The unique lettering style was invented by the calligrapher to interpret poignant words commenting on the biblical quote from Mark 8:36.

• Letters as Symbols: Ink on textured archival art paper. Letters are symbols that turn matter into spirit, Alphonse de Lamartine, freely written with a broad tool.

  
  

Judy Mueller

• Salt Water Taffy: Watercolor on Aquabee Co-Mo Sketch Acid Free Paper. The brush-written text is cut out and floated on a sudoku pattern of colors that do not repeat in each row, column, or small square.

• Sweet Heart: Watercolor on Aquabee Co-Mo Sketch Acid Free Paper. The brush-written text is cut out and floated on a sudoku pattern of colors that do not repeat in each row, column, or small square.

  
  

Karen Nordstrom Roberts

• Three Passions: Reproduction. Archival giclee print. The words of Bertrand Russell inspired this calligraphic art that embodies his philosophy of the Three Passions.

• While GOD Waits: Reproduction with hand-painted gold watercolor on Arches Text Wove archival paper. The words were written by the poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore.

• Trees: Reproduction with hand-painting and color pencil on Arches archival paper. The well-known quote about trees was written by the poet and journalist Joyce Kilmer, who was killed in action in WWI at age 31. His poem praising trees lives on more than 100 years later.

  
  

Myrna Rosen

• Gothic Abstraction: Gouache on layout paper. This abstract letting was informed by historic gothic lettering styles, created freely in watercolor as an experimental, playful exercise.

• Shakespeare Quotes: Gouache on Black archival paper. This piece was written in Secretary Hand, the style of handwriting in Shakespeare's time, elevated to an artistic calligraphic style.

• The Chinese Dragon: Gouache on watercolor paper. Created for the Carnegie Museum's annual Christmas tree exhibit with Italic lettering written in gouache, the traditional Chinese Dragon was added for an Asian flair.

  
  

Anne Semmler

• In Flanders Fields: This watercolor and calligraphy piece was inspired by the third stanza of John McCrae’s poem, “In Flanders Fields.” I concentrated the calligraphy in a circle, drawing the eye into the poppy to emphasize the immediacy of the dead urging the living to continue the struggle for freedom.

  
  

Indiana Calligraphy Exhibition

Emerging Calligraphers

Cindi Kordell is passionate about the art of calligraphy and is currently a member of the Calligraphy Guild of Pittsburgh. Through the Indiana Arts Association (IAA), she teaches calligraphy classes to the community. Cindi’s “Sip n Dip” group was formed after completing her IAA Calligraphy Class. These emerging calligraphers would like to thank Cindi for sharing her talents, her husband Damian for matting and framing, and the Artists Hand Gallery for supporting local artists.

Pat Andrascik

I am a beginner watercolorist and left-handed calligrapher.

• Gardeners Proverb: Inspired by my friends who are gardeners, I found this saying to be very true. Their beautiful homes and flowering gardens are due to their gardening knowledge, tender care, and hard work. Medium: Watercolor and Sumi Ink on Watercolor Paper.

• Butterfly Inspiration: As a gardener and nature lover, I believe this is a wonderful adage. We all know someone who may not see their wonderful qualities, but their kindness, consideration, and inner beauty are evident to all who know them. Medium: Watercolor and Sumi Ink on Watercolor Paper.

  
  

Candace Joseph

• Synchronity’s Path: My inspiration comes from a quote by Stella Terrill Mann, which I discovered while reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I began reflecting on our inner self and its connection to the external world. One’s inner mind and external reality need not be separate; they are part of our interconnected world. Medium: Abstract Mixed Media (background) and brush pen.

• Chase Your Dreams: I have been working with abstract art for several years and recently started incorporating collage. Calligraphy, asemic writing, and letter forms have become a new addition to my work. Medium: Abstract Mixed Media, Collage & Sumi Ink on wooden panel.

• Intention: The quote by Henry David Thoreau leads me to think about one’s true aspirations and the desire to live with purpose and intent. I find the use of ink and a brush stroke very moving in its simplicity. Medium: Mixed Media, Sumi Ink (sink art).

  
  

Kim Kordell

• Love Each Other As I Have Loved You: Jesus, at the Last Supper, commands us to “love each other as I have loved you.” This sacrificial love is represented by the altar of the cross blooming with life and hope. Medium: Watercolor and oil pencils with sumi ink.

  
  

Barb Kubala

• Happy Halloween: A framed hand-drawn piece with several shades of orange and gray. Letters for “Happy Halloween” repeat in a diagonal pattern throughout.

  
  

Colleen Myers

• Shamira: This angel was created as a gift for a friend who loves angels. I named her Shamira, which means "Protected by God." Medium: Acrylic paint on wood panel, sumi ink on wet strength tissue paper.

• Psalm 91:1: Psalm 91 was my husband Joe’s favorite verse. Medium: Sumi ink on mixed media paper and angel print.

  
  

Elaine Palmer

• Imagine: John Lennon’s song, “Imagine,” inspired my calligraphy project. Just imagine a world united by shared values, without the turmoil caused by borders, religion, politics, and material possessions. I encourage you to envision a world where everyone lives in peace! Medium: Calligraphy Brush Pens and Watercolor.

  
  

Karen Pizarchik

Left-handed calligrapher.

• Beacon of Hope: It’s exciting to be an emerging left-handed calligrapher under the guidance of Cindi Kordell. “Beacon of Hope” is a special prayer for my friend in need who loves lighthouses. Medium: Watercolor, pigment marker, and sumi ink on watercolor paper.

  
  

Yuriko Sampson

• Infinite Beauty: My view of mathematics expanded because of my son’s passion for it. I created this design inspired by his notebooks.

• Growing Hope: Flowers lift my spirit. May the beauty of nature lift your spirit as well.

• Second Spring: I find myself picking up beautiful, colorful leaves in autumn. To me, the leaves can be as beautiful as flowers.

  
  

This exhibit is a celebration of creativity and community. Come join us at The Artists Hand, where art, coffee, and local talent come together!