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 I attended my first Lettering Conference in Portland, Oregon, where I studied with Carl Rohrs. It was an inspiring class, and I was so new, so excited, and so pleased to be surrounded by a group of people with the same interest and passion for calligraphy. I was fortunate because I selected an instructor/teacher who was calm and had a gift of making everyone in the class feel comfortable no matter what level of expertise.
After 15 maybe 20 years I decided to take an SDFC weekend workshop with Carl Rohrs. To my delight and memory he had all those attributes that I admired from so many years ago.
His generosity and interest in everyone was paramount from the beginning when we were each given (after a small materials fee) a book with our names on the inside cover. The exemplars of lettering styles are wonderful to study. He hand lettered the names and then had stencils made, using his computer technology and sign painting skills, and then pressed these templates out of vinyl press-on lettering.
On this unusually hot day, a small number of us convened in a chilled room to learn how to “flick”, “lift the pen”, and “bounce.” Carl informed us that we could choose how thick the stroke could be. For two days we played with the bead of ink and tried to loose contact between the pen and the paper.
Carl never lost contact with each of the participants. He was thoughtful to spend one on one time, and he was aware of his students’ capabilities. He gently encouraged all levels. Through the whole two days, there was a relaxed and playful camaraderie between the instructor and the participants. When Carl expressed an interest in a new German word, everyone was a part of increasing our language skills. The word, Schnörkel (right) (which means flourish) found its way into our new vocabulary for the day. We also heard such encouraging words as “Head south until I bounce. Make distinct marks. Bounce with flicks. Lift the trailing edge. Moving while you do it.”
His teaching skills were enhanced by using new technology. He adapted well to his first time use of the camera projector. Everyone saw his artful hand, dancing across the paper. No more big sheets of butcher paper taped to the wall! He was also able to cover much more in the way of demonstrations. We became mesmerized with the ease and watching his joy with the pen. Some even practiced along with him, while he was demonstrating.
A teacher is a life long learner, and Carl shared his research and knowledge of graphic artists/calligraphers who were typographers. Names like Oldrich Menhart, Georg Turmp, Walter Brudi, and Helmut Salden are worth investigating to see what they contributed to lettering and typography.
Carl shared a thought with us: A visitor to New York asked how to get to Carnegie Hall. The response: Practice.
That’s where I’m headed right now. Not Carnegie Hall, but my studio!
By Terrilynn
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