Lemon Meringue and Other Amazing Things About My First Calligraphy Class

Okay, everything I know about art is mostly from spending my afternoons, excitedly watching Art Attack on the telly back in the 2000s and spending the weekend making paper mache mountains and figures.

So, a class on the intricate art of calligraphy seemed a little far fetched for my amateur art skills.

Here's what I discovered; calligraphy on a Sunday is so relaxing, therapeutic and an amazing way to just clear your thoughts from all the flurry and buzz of the week.

I mean, with the world rapidly moving towards getting machines to do everything for us, the thought of humans not being able to write sometime in the future is a possibility.

You would think that the process would be tedious or even complicated, but it isn't. Once you figure out how to hold the pen, you can already start writing, and then it's just a matter of knowing the amount of pressure you need to apply to get the strokes nice and cursive.

Writing alphabets, repetitively was actually fun!

You'll receive a set of calligraphy pens (oblique and straight holders), two nibs, a jar of sumi moon palace black ink, along with calligraphy notes and practice sheets.

Imagine a playlist with Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald's amazing numbers playing in the background? What could be more relaxing that that!

Denise is really flexible about the class. Just pay attention to her super quick explanation on things like the calligraphy pens, ink, the styles and her writing demonstrations. After which, you can try out writing and take breaks either for a quick bite or walk about the venue.

Denise picked the perfect place for the class, it had plenty of natural lighting and was cosy enough without being too crammed for a small group of people.

I walked out of the workshop feeling all relaxed and happy, almost like walking out of a meditation class!

It was my first time trying out calligraphy, so I wasn't sure if I was getting the strokes right. But, the group I was with, was really nice with their positive encouragements throughout the workshop!

Started by Denise Chen, DC Calligraphy is a design studio that offers customised calligraphy and hand-lettering services and products. Be it wall art, messages or inspirational quotes on glass, wood or even fabric, DC will cater to all your personalised requests.

When speaking to SAYS, Denise mentioned that the most popular requests she gets, are usually handwritten wedding, baby shower and birthday invitations. But, she added that she can basically work with any surface that you want the message or quote to be on.

The passionate, 36-year-old self-taught calligrapher and hand-letterer believes in adding a personal touch to things around her, especially when it comes to gifts, letters and cards. Denise was previously in the marketing line, till she decided to take her love for calligraphy and hand-lettering and transform it into a full-time business.

When asked about her future plans, Denise excitedly spoke about her ideas to start fountain pen writing classes for children and teaching intermediary calligraphy classes for adults, starting sometime next year.

DC will be holding two more beginners calligraphy workshops next month, on 5 and 6 December.

Denise likes holding the classes in different artistic venues to mix things up a little, so this time around, the class will be held at THE CO. in Bangsar. A beginners class costs RM280 and runs for about 3.5 hours. You will receive a calligraphy kit that contains; a jar of ink, calligraphy pens, two nibs, notes and practice sheets on calligraphy.

For registration and details, click here.