One of the joys of my work is meeting other talented vendors in the DC area who are doing really great work in their area of expertise. One such vendor is Michele Hatty Fritz whom I have the pleasure of getting to know recently and I am over the moon for her calligraphy. Today in the first installment of a two-part series, Michele graciously shares about her work as a calligrapher and tips and trends she is seeing, particularly for weddings.

Thanks, Michele!

1) Why did you decide to become a calligrapher?
I had been a journalist for about 15 years, covering entertainment, pop culture and food at a national level. But in 2009 I was ready for a change, so I decided to turn my avocational passion into a full-time business. On June 1, 2009, Meant To Be Calligraphy launched. It’s been an exciting time ever since, as I’ve had the chance to marry my passion for calligraphy with my desire to work directly with clients in helping them achieve their vision for paper elements of their weddings and events.

I should also say, on a very personal note, that I was inspired to begin a career in hand-lettering by my father. He is an artist and he spent his entire career – 36 years – creating gorgeous lettering every single day for his employer. It’s wonderful to get to talk to him now about the work I’m doing. Even though he’s long since retired, he still has plenty of tips and tricks to offer me – and he’s my best critic. It’s wonderful to be following in his footsteps!

2) What new trends are you seeing in calligraphy right now?
First, a color trend: I have used more gray in the past few months than one could ever imagine. Chacoal gray, dove gray, slate gray – you name it, I’ve mixed and written with it! It is definitely the new black, as far as ink color goes. Other hot colors: pink (in all its many variations) and chartreuse. Secondly, I’ve seen more and more of my clients opting for my more modern lettering styles.

Although this area still has a healthy share of traditional brides, more and more seem to be going modern and bold and I find myself writing out more envelopes in all lowercase, for example, or in some of my more modern styles of pointed pen calligraphy, such as my Palmer and Johnson styles. Finally, it’s been fun to see clients get create with what they want me to write on – I’ve done a good bit of chalkboard calligraphy of late and I think there will be some writing on mirrors in my future.

3) What do you wish more people knew about calligraphy?
It is a true artistic endeavor. Sure, I may be writing an address on an envelope, but it is my truest intention to make that envelope – and every envelope I address – look pretty enough that the recipient will know at first glance that the sender is inviting them to a truly special event.

Also, calligraphy – real hand calligraphy – takes time to produce. I can only work on one piece at a time, so it’s important, if you want to work with a specific calligrapher, to get in touch in advance to ensure that you’ll be able to get on the calligrapher’s schedule. Although I wish that I could work on more than one project at a time, that is literally and physically impossible. I always feel awful when I have to tell a potential client who needs an immediate turnaround that I won’t be able to accommodate them, but that’s sometimes the case.

Finally, calligraphy does not equal old-fashioned or boring. At least it doesn’t have to! I offer a number of modern styles and I continue to try to innovate with playful, modern alphabets. You’d be amazed at all of the fun options out there these days that marry this extremely old school technique with very modern, fun looks.