Imogen Owen’s first book Modern Calligraphy Workshop has just been published. Imogen chats to PGBuzz about calligraphy, her book and greeting cards.
How did you get stared in calligraphy, was it a hobby? What was the path to becoming a professional?
“When I started my stationery and greetings brand back in 2013, I started looking at the style of calligraphy that was popular in the US, and I really wanted to do something similar as it just wasn’t something that you saw in the UK. I’d been quite good at calligraphy as a child, but it was a totally different style of calligraphy that I’d learned then. I set about teaching myself to do the style of calligraphy I’d seen in the US, and practiced as much as possible until I thought I’d got pretty good at it.
It started off as a way to relax from letterpress printing, but with a view to using it for my work in the future. When I posted my work on Instagram, I was instantly asked if I’d teach my skills to others as there were no modern calligraphy workshops in the UK. Both Abigail Warner, and stationery store Quill wanted to host one of my workshops, and as I’d got teaching experience at De Montfort University, I was happy to develop a workshop. It went crazy from there and I’ve now taught thousands of people on my courses.”
Who is your book targeted at?
“The book is an extension of my workshop. It’s targeted at people who like the look of what I do and would love to give it a go, and have no experience whatever, to those who’ve got experience of calligraphy, and want to update their style or develop their own work. It’s an introduction to a really meditative and relaxing hobby, that’s not going to cost the earth, and can be useful in lots of ways! It’s also a little like an intro to typography for anyone who’s not really considered lettering before.”
Handwriting and stylised words on greeting cards are a big trend right now, why do you think this is?
“I think analogue skills are massively popular right now as the antithesis to the digital world. Yes you can create all manner of effects in photoshop and illustrator, but they aren’t the same as hand skills, hand lettering, calligraphy, watercolour lettering are all so appealing because of the imperfections. I think there’s a real resurgence to reference traditional skills in a more contemporary context.”
What does the rest of 2017 hold for you, anything that you’re particularly looking forward to?
“2017 is a bit crazy, it’s been such a whirlwind to get to where we are now, I feel like I’ve barely stopped to draw breath. I’m off to New York in a few weeks for the National Stationery Show which is pretty full on. Then I’ve got lots of workshops, trade shows, The Handmade Fair, and some projects I want to work on myself, not to mention wedding stationery briefs to work on. I think the book being published, and me being on TV talking about it on Sunday Brunch were pretty awesome. I’m looking forward to New York as my book is out in the US too, so that’s pretty cool, to be honest this year has already been incredible so let’s see what happens next!”
MODERN CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP by Imogen Owen (Quadrille, £15) Photography: Kim Lightbody is available to buy on Amazon.
