The 61st Annual Iampeth Convention

The 61st Annual IAMPETH Convention will be held August 9-14th at Hilton at the Walt Disney Resort, Orlando, Florida.

Instructor Biographies

PAT BLAIR has been a professional calligrapher for 24 years, and currently holds the position of Chief Calligrapher at The White House in Washington, D.C. Her work has been published in Letter Arts Review, The Calligrapher’s Engagement Calendar, Scripsit, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Tabellae Insatae. Sharing and teaching what she loves is a high priority, and she teaches at the Loudoun Academy of the Arts in Virginia, and has been on the faculty of several International Calligraphy Conferences. Pat has served two years as President of the Washington Calligrapher’s Guild, been Chairperson of The Graceful Envelope Contest, and has been Co-Director of Letterforum, the 26th International Calligraphy Conference. Pat’s love of pointed pen lettering led her to her study of Copperplate and Spencerian letterforms. The International Association of Master Penman and Engrossers recently awarded her the honor “Master Penman” for her work in this area.

ROSEMARY BUCZEK holds a BFA and has been freelancing and creating commissioned works for over 30 years. Her work hangs in the White House, the Vatican and in private collections throughout the U. S., Canada, the U.K., Europe and Hong Kong. Springing off the traditional use of gouache for the manuscript letter she brings her love of watercolor to the illuminated letter to give it a different twist.

BARBARA CALZOLARI, the daughter of a cabinetmaker and restaurateur, was born in Bologna. She attended the ENALC, a school of commercial art, in Bologna. Later, she worked for Bologna’s Modern Art’s Galleries. She cultivated and pursued her greatest passion: calligraphy. She contacted the Associazione Calligrafica Italiana, where she met Anna Ronchi and Giovanni De Faccio. In 2000, she took part in a training workshop with Brody Neuenschwander. In the United States, she studied Spencerian script in greater depth by participating in a retreat at YMCA University with Michael Sull, and attending the Advanced Spencerian Saga workshop. She regularly attends international calligraphy conventions. Barbara applied her skills to the creation of the masterpiece Deus Caritas EST, a complete work of art in book form, for the Italian art publishing house Marilena Ferrari-FMR. For the same publisher, she also engrossed a souvenir of Italy’s beautiful national anthem that the prime minister of Italy presented to the heads of state assembled at the G8 Summit in 2009. Currently she is working to complete a prestigious book on Catherine de Medici. This year she was a special guest calligrapher at the International calligraphy Exhibition held in Moscow in October 2009 where she taught Spencerian.

HARVEST CRITTENDEN has been a professional lettering artist for more than 30 years. Past owner of The Gold Leaf and founder of Acorn Arts, Harvest specializes in calligraphy with gentle illustrations and illuminating words that inspire and support our ever-changing world. Harvest has studied illumination and lettering in the United States and Italy. She has been invited to teach at numerous international calligraphy conferences and teaches for the St. Michael Institute of Sacred Arts, The Religious Sisters of Mercy and offers workshops around the country. Her website is www.acornarts.org.

NAN DeLUCA, a professional calligrapher in NYC for over 17 years, works only in pointed pen. Nan has had her work featured in InStyle Weddings, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Entertainment Weekly, as well as providing props for photo shoots and TV shows (Law and Order: Criminal Intent). She has been a member of the Society of Scribes, NYC Board of Governors for nearly 10 years, planning and teaching classes and workshops, and is the Recording Secretary for IAMPETH.

JOANNE FINK, noted designer, calligrapher, author, speaker, and founder of Lakeside Design in 1981. Joanne’s studio specializes in developing greeting cards and inspirational products for the stationery, gift, craft and Christian markets, and is a 6 time Louie Award winner. Joanne’s latest collection of artwork, Zenspirations, has been widely licensed for greeting cards, plaques, bookmarks, journals and other products. She has written several books, including Greeting Card Design, the 22nd and 23rd Editions of The Speedball Textbook, The Lettershop Calligraphy Project Kit (with Cheryl Adams), Lettering Arts (with Judy Kastin) and recently wrote and designed Faber Castell’s Brush Lettering and Calligraphy kit. Joanne is devoted to educating people about the calligraphic and book arts. She has taught and lectured throughout the United States, as well as Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, Japan. Joanne was the Founding President of the International Association for the Calligraphic Arts, and was one of the Founding Board Members of the New York-based American Guild of Judaic Art. She also served as President of the Foundation for the Calligraphic Arts. Most recently she has become a political activist, and has been heavily involved in opposing the Orphan Works legislation currently before Congress. Visit her website: www.lakeside-design.com, or contact her by phone at 407-330-4465 or by e-mail at joanne@lakeside-design.com.

MARIAN GAULT is a California calligrapher, as well as a watercolor, pen-and-ink, and colored pencil artist, who teaches and exhibits frequently. While the pointed pen (especially Copperplate and Spencerian) continues to be her favorites, she has also taught the broad-edge styles extensively over 25 years. She was recently responsible for re-starting and teaching an educational outreach program by her local guild, which offers 8th grade students a 10-12 week calligraphy class which has been very successful in local elementary schools. Her work and articles have been published in IAMPETH’s Penman’s Journal, and she has been given first prize in two Handwriting Contests originating in Tennessee. More details and examples of her pieces are on her website, www.flyingquill.com.

LINDA CAROL GRAY's obsession with art became a career in 2000 when she made the decision to leave her public school career to begin “Linda Carol Arts, a full service calligraphy design and art studio”. Linda has been involved with the Philadelphia Calligraphers’ Society and other local art groups and has been active in her local business community. Her client base is local and managed with face-to-face contact with her clients on a daily basis. Her art education comes from the community college, the Calligraphy Societies, and especially IAMPETH. Linda has been published in local magazines and The Penman’s Journal.

HEATHER VICTORIA HELD is a freelance lettering artist living in St. George, Ontario, Canada. She has studied extensively with Master Penman Michael Sull and was the recipient of the Spencerian Heritage Award through the Spencerian Saga. She is a postal member of Master Penman Brian Walker’s Spencerian Review, CLAS, The Copperplate Special Interest Group, past president of the Hamilton Calligraphy Guild and faculty member of Odyssey 2010 Calligraphy Conference. Her offhand flourishing work has been featured in Bound and Lettered, Somerset Studio, Romantic Homes, The Penman’s Journal, Scripsit, 1000 Handmade Cards and Good Mail Day.

BOB HURFORD, from Wrightstown, Pennsylvania, is in his ninth year as Editor of the IAMPETH Penman’s Journal. He has more than 30 years experience in the graphic arts industry, particularly in printing. He has written extensively on the history and techniques of penmanship and has given lectures and penmanship demonstrations throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania on spencerian, copperplate and vertical ornamental scripts as well as offhand flourishing.

BILL KEMP, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been studying the calligraphic arts for more then 30 years. His mentor for Copperplate is Mr. Bill Lilly. Learning sessions with Mr. Lilly occur once or twice a year, which have been going on for several years. Bill is a member of Escribiente in Albuquerque, is on the IAMPETH Executive Board, and belongs to several other guilds. He has been teaching at Castle in the Air in Berkeley, California for 8 years, and has taught at Houston, Albuquerque and at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico.

RICK MUFFLER has been an active member of IAMPETH for 19 years, helping organize the annual conventions, teaching, and lending procedural guidance in updating our constitution and by-laws. In addition to his behind the scenes efforts, Rick has served as an officer of IAMPETH in many capacities including Newsletter Editor, Member-at-Large, and three terms as President. Rick was also one of the original four members of IAMPETH to be inducted as a Master Penman by Senior Master Penman, Bill Lilly. For nearly the past 30 years, Rick has been a fixture in the White House Calligraphy Office, penning official documents, certificates, invitations and illustrations as well as the less glamorous tasks of addressing envelopes and inscribing photos. In addition to the hand-work done at the office, Rick also designs and typesets programs and booklets for White House functions. Outside the artistic realm of his job, Rick is well-versed in etiquette and protocol, noting the cultural shifts taking place today while maintaining the integrity of proper social form.

MICHAEL SULL is a past president of IAMPETH, Master Penman, author of Spencerian Script & Ornamental Penmanship and founder of the annual week-long program known as the Spencerian Saga, now in its 24th year. He has recently published his newest book: American Cursive Handwriting. A former lettering artist for Hallmark Cards, Mike is a professional penman and engrosser and has conducted workshops in Spencerian Script and American Ornamental Penmanship throughout the United States and abroad. He currently serves IAMPETH as Director of the Master Penman program, and is widely recognized for his efforts to re-introduce the techniques and heritage of 19th century American handwriting.

RON TATE, from Salt Lake City, Utah, began his training as a Spencerian Penman at the Spencerian Saga by Mike Sull in 1990. He teaches art at a Salt Lake Community College while working as a full-time calligrapher . He has served as the calligrapher for the State of Utah under the direction of the Governor with his appointed offices providing beautiful resolutions. He continues to design wedding invitations and perform calligraphic services for clients throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa and numerous other countries.

JERRY TRESSER has studied with Herman Zapf, Shelia Waters, and Emre Schwemmel; has been involved in the scribal arts for almost 40 years, and taught raised gilding at 5 international conventions. He is the author of the book The Technique Of Raised Gilding - now out of print but it is available in a cd format. He has a piece of calligraphy in the Speedball Handbook and 2 pieces of calligraphy in the book Lettering Arts by PBC International. His approach is historical in that the mediums that are used are 14th century based with a 21st century eye. He has written several articles on the subject of raised gilding through the Gilders Tip publication which is sponsored through the Society of Gilders and the Smithsonian, as well as John Neal Booksellers Bound & Lettered.

DR. JOSEPH VITOLO is a specialist in Engrosser’s script and the webmaster for both zanerian.com and the Ornamental Penmanship Group on Yahoo. In 1999, he developed a passion for script in the Copperplate style, specifically Engrosser’s script. Dr. Vitolo is also an avid historian of the golden age of American Ornamental Penmanship. He has written extensively on penmanship/calligraphy and lectures around the country on topics ranging from calligraphy to science. Dr. Vitolo holds two doctorates: a D.M.D. in Dentistry and Ph.D. in Biochemistry.

GWEN WEAVER’s work has been exhibited at many of the International Conferences and at other venues including The National Cathedral in Washington, DC, The Graceful Envelope, The Day of the Handmade Book, Alpha-Mark, Visual Voices, the Newberry Library, Strathmore Hall, the Donnell Library and others. She’s been published in Letter Arts Reviews, Glen’s Calendars, Bound and Lettered, Somerset Magazine, The Art and Craft of Hand Lettering, and Scripsit. She has taught at IAMPETH, the Boston Conference in 2001, Legacies in 2005, Letterforum in 2006 and Chicago in 2008. Visit her website: www.pointedpen.com.

JAKE WEIDMANN from Centennial, Colorado is a recent graduate from Biola University in La Mirada, California. His life’s pleasure is to create art. His love affair began at age seven and now in his twenties, it grows ever more. He works in several mediums which include paintings in acrylic, oil and airbrush; photography, calligraphy, illustration in pen and ink, pencil, scratchboard, and sculptures/carvings in wood, stone, antler and pre-ban ivory.

DEBI ZEINERT has been doing lettering and calligraphy for most of her life. Left-handed and self taught, she’s been a wedding calligrapher for the past 25 years. In 1999, she put up her first website, and by early 2001 she quit her full time job and The Blooming Quill was born. Debi loves brides, helping and making a beautiful event for over 200 of them each year.