Calligraphy as Art and Meditation by Gina Jonas

This is a beautifully made workbook, and it is perfect for those who are interested in developing calligraphy as a relaxing practice of artmaking, rather than perfecting certain fonts. Calligraphy as Art and Meditation would be perfect as a gift.

As the title implies, this is not just another copybook. Being a calligrapher and instructor of many years, I find Gina Jonas' book to be one of the most comprehensive ever when dealing with an often overlooked aspect of writing--touch & movement. Both calligraphy students and longtime practitioners will benefit from understanding her approach. Those who follow her detailed progression of novel scripts, using basic pointed tools to the edged pen, should be well rewarded. Mindfulness does matter! One observation...I wish there were more information for left-handers.

I view this book as a hymn to letters, words, and the art of calligraphy. The work ably joins a meditative philosophic approach and concrete teaching methods. The text is richly illustrated with images for exercises and tools. The depth of reflection and learning shown makes reading full of surprising insights. The author believes when feeling and the body connect, meaningful expressions of text are possible. Here, there's a poem, there a Chinese manuscript page, or you might come upon an exercise for creating ink toccatas. Throughout, there are splendid examples of original calligraphy done by the author. The book is at once intelligent, playful, and instructive.

Gina Jonas' book Calligraphy as Art and Meditation is a purely unique calligraphy instruction manual that reflects Gina's distinctive interpretation of learning the art of hand-lettering. It is an analytical approach to instruction for not only beginners, but those with more experience because of its in-depth study of every aspect of learning, from body position, pen preparation and pen hold to Gina's designs for innovative new hands. She equates her Word as Image theory to a child at play and allows the reader to be an explorer with her as the guide - but the adventure is yours. If one wishes to learn the art of calligraphy done joyfully and freely, just follow along her step by step detailed instruction.