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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels April 7, 2004 Turning writing into art By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings In the 15th century, a monk bent over a scroll and laboriously writing out a scripture had no need to suppress a fit of swearing if he smudged his ink or penned the wrong letter. He just calmly blamed Titivillus. Phil Gagnon, a veteran calligrapher, practices his art in Ashland. Gagnon is offering an eight-week course in calligraphy that starts Thursday. Photos by Satsuki Doi | Ashland Daily Tidings "Titivillus was the patron devil of calligraphers," said Ashlander Phil Gagnon, a veteran calligrapher. "He would collect the mistakes throughout the day when scribes and monks made mistakes. Whenever a scribe or monk would make a mistake, he would blame it on Titivillus. There are even notes on the side of scrolls that say, 'Titivillus made me do it.'" Local residents can study the history of calligraphy while they are learning the skill that combines writing with art during a series of classes taught by Gagnon that begin Thursday. Students will focus on the 15th century Italic style, one of the most popular calligraphy forms today. The style, developed in Italy, was a spin-off from the more traditional Carolingian style and became the form of choice for scribes and monks, according to Gagnon. "The Italic style enabled them to write faster. The letters flow from one to another because of ligatures. Those are ways of tying letters together," he explained. The style's right-leaning letters also promoted speed, he said. Gagnon - who worked as a professional calligrapher in the San Francisco Bay area doing everything from wedding invitations to restaurant signs to business cards - said learning calligraphy is about more than just memorizing how to write the upper and lower case forms of the 26 letters. He also will teach design, composition and the creation of decorative flourishes so that students can complete the series of classes with their own finished masterpiece. "Once you start teaching this to people, they want to know more ways of developing the hand. You don't have to hold to the basic form. You can spread your wings by maintaining the same style but with flourishes," Gagnon said. After the series of classes, new calligraphers can continue their education through The Calligraphers' Guild, which holds regular events and publishes its own newsletter, the Rogue Pen. People with virtually illegible handwriting have no reason to fear that they couldn't learn calligraphy, according to Gagnon. "Some of the top notch calligraphers' writing is terrible, but put them on a drawing, and they're incredible," he said. Gagnon said there is no way to predict who will become a masterful calligrapher. "It's like playing the piano - some people can't do it. It's a challenging art form and an enriching one, too, because of the history," he said. And just remember, if you make a mistake in class, blame Titivillus. The series of eight classes runs from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays through May 27 at the Congregational Church, 717 Siskiyou Blvd. The fee is $70. For more information or to register, call Gagnon at 488-4289. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams