FLAGSTAFF — Pen, nib, brush, paint, ink and paper: In the hands of a skilled calligrapher, these tools become fluid instruments to convey emotion through forms, especially letters.
From the earliest renderings on cave walls to Assyrian etchings on beeswax and Egyptian hieroglyphics on papyrus, calligraphy — from the Greek word kallos ("beauty") plus graph ("writing") — has gone beyond plain penmanship, as scribes explored the creative possibilities of lettering.
For more than 50 years, Jan Petrucci, a Flagstaff resident since 1988, has been learning the fine art of calligraphy and expounding its virtues to the public.
"I welcome the chance to speak for the calligraphic arts," Petrucci said. "I love to show the difference between hand-lettering and computer-enhanced. It's about passion and feeling flowing from the end of a tool."
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Petrucci said the warmth of hand-lettering is not as popular as it once was.
"There used to be more market for this until the computer," she said. "It's just a little more on the back burner. People want things to go faster. It's the art of convenience and the culture we're in right now. Computers have a little stiffer feeling than what comes out of the calligrapher's hand."
There is still a modest demand for calligraphy on wedding and party invitations, fancy labels, posters, fliers and certificates.
Petrucci maintains a calligraphic correspondence with other practitioners of the art and saves them in her "buddy folder."
In her well-organized studio behind her house, she privately teaches students how to use the demanding tools of calligraphy.
"It's always a fight between you and the tools," said Petrucci, who has taught calligraphy since the 1970s. "When you first study, you're so tight, because you're trying to make everything more perfect."
Adding to the fluidity of calligraphic forms is the use of watercolor paper with a high rag content, either hot press (smooth surface), or cold press (with more texture).
"Teaching is my first love — to see the 'aha' happening when a student makes a form they're finally happy with." Petrucci said.
Petrucci has taught locally at Coconino Community College and Northern Arizona University.
Petrucci's voice was prominent during the Arizona promotion of the new illuminated St. John's Bible, selections of which are on display at the Phoenix Art Museum through March 9.
"The St. John's Bible has helped in this revival of calligraphy," she said. "It is the first hand-calligraphed and illuminated Bible of the 21st century."
As a former member of a religious community for 18 years, the School Sisters of St. Francis in Wisconsin, Petrucci is no stranger to religious art. With a degree in art, she taught kindergarten through 12th-grade students from her early adult years.
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