Learn to make art the write way

EVOKING the beautiful words of an old Chinese poem, Linda Upfold created an award-winning piece of calligraphy.

Linda Upfold

Mrs. Upfold, who was a research science assistant before she had children, started calligraphy classes at Ku-ring-gai Arts Centre as a hobby 20 years ago. She has since won many Royal Easter Show awards for her work, this year winning the traditional category for Fallen Flowers. The poem begins: The guests have all left their high pavilion/and in the little garden a whirling storm of petals/ they lie in random heaps across the twisting path/ and stretch into the distance to catch the setting sun.

“The words of the poem inspired me and I used Roman capitals to spell out Fallen Flowers”, Mrs. Upfold, of Roseville, said. “I also drew petals to represent the falling tears, using watercolour to make it look like the tears had washed down the paper”.

What goes around, comes around

Now in her mid 50s, it was after she had children that she decided she wanted something for herself. “I needed a creative outlet to oppose my science background and my mother would mind the kids while I went to class”, Mrs. Upfold said. “I enjoyed learning about all different aspects of calligraphy — it goes back to Roman times and some of the early Bible manuscripts were in calligraphy. They were handwritten by monks from 400 AD to the Middle Ages because they were the only ones who were literate. The history interests me just as much as learning calligraphy”.

Entering the Royal Easter Show competition for the last seven years, it didn’t take long before she was taking home ribbons and certificates. This year she also won a second and third ribbon in the arts and crafts section. Mrs. Upfold, who specializes in different forms of western-style calligraphy, uses a broad-nib pen to create lovely contrasting thick and thin letters. Or for a more ornamental-style calligraphy, she uses a sharp-pointed nib pen — “even after 20 years I’m still learning”.

Earth

Source: North Shore Times