The New Zealand Calligraphers is a non-profit group of calligraphers, lettering artists and people who share a love of creating beautiful words and letters.
About the Society
The New Zealand Calligraphers has been an organisation since the early 1990’s.
The society meets monthly at a central location in Auckland, conducts regular workshops in calligraphy and complementary arts, organises exhibitions, and generally supports and promotes calligraphy and excellence in lettering.
The New Zealand Calligrapher’s members include professional lettering artists, commercial calligraphers, illustrators and designers, tutors and hobbyists and their interests range from the most traditional types of calligraphy, to contemporary and experimental forms.
We invite you to browse this site – which contains information about our society, membership, current events, workshops and other relevant topics – and to consider joining the New Zealand Calligraphers.
Monthly Meetings
Members are encouraged to attend the Society’s monthly meetings. Meetings and workshops are held on the first Sunday of each month to allow members outside of Auckland to join in.
Please sign up for our newsletters to get latest update on workshops and meetings.
Meetings are a social, friendly affair and usually feature guest speakers or a workshop.
SUN 5TH JULY 2026
CALLIGRAPHY WITH A PARALLEL PEN with
Dale-Cormack Pearson
The Gifford Gallery, 27A Poronui St, Mt Eden
2 to 5pm
The Pilot Parallel Pen is a very useful pen especially for calligraphy beginners. It is good for any pen lettering styles, both modern calligraphy and ornamental lettering. And with a continuous flow of ink you can concentrate on letter form rather than dealing with a traditional dip nib.
At this workshop, Dale-Cormack Pearson will show you how to use your parallel pen to its maximum potential. You will learn how to manipulate your pen from 0 to 90 degrees, and how to use it for illustration. You will also learn how to clean your nibs and refill cartridges.
Dale will also demonstrate using the Parallel Pen using the NEULAND script.
If you are a beginner, this workshop will give you confidence to further develop your calligraphy skills. There will be pens and paper available to use. Just bring a pencil, ruler, eraser and notepad.
For more experienced Calligraphers the workshop will be an ideal refresher. Please bring your own parallel pens if you have them, and Zeta paper.
How to Register
- $40 for Members or $45 for Non-members
- 01-0288-0137566-00 New Zealand Calligraphers
Please email newzealandcalligraphers@gmail.com to indicate that you will attend and deposit the fee into our account.
TBD DATE — Keep posted
LETTERING ON FABRICS with Margaret Woollett
VENUE: The Gifford Gallery, 27a Poronui St, Mt Eden
A practical application for our letters
Our workshop format will be one of looking at examples, demonstration and then doing. So come prepared with some small, around A3 size- pieces of fabric… usually I like to work on natural woven fabrics, cotton, linen, a mix of these, wool, silk, calico, canvas etc.
Bring along:
Your favourite tools, brushes, both flat ferrule and round pointed ones, folded pens, ruling pens… anything that you think might write well for you. Small nibs are not really suitable and will be hard to manage.
A larger piece of old cloth to place under to catch the pigment that might go through. I use artificial felt piece.. it also ‘holds’ the top fabric stopping it from shifting around as you write.
Pigments, acrylics- Golden colours, Tube acrylics, and small containers to mix and dilute the pigments, Flache paint, if you have it.
I will supply the fabric medium required. And some other supplies to share…
I am so excited to to be able to share my process and samples for my play and artwork.
Past events
SUN 3RD MAY 2026
STAMP MAKING with
Dale-Cormack Pearson
The Gifford Gallery, 27A Poronui St, Mt Eden
3 to 5pm
In this mini workshop demo we’ll be making a stamp from your initials, by preparing and then carving them onto an eraser (stamp).
Before the workshop, please design your initials to fit into a 2cm along by 3cm down block on paper. Try two or three different sizes and styles and bring these pieces with you. We will transfer the initials to tracing paper and then in reverse trace them onto the stamp. Then the fun begins as we learn to carve these initials onto your stamp. You won’t finish before the end of time but you will know what to do.
Bring with you your usual gear, pencils etc., plus, if you have them, bring a craft knife (new blade please) or lino cutter and a stamp pad. I have plenty of erasers.
WED 27TH MAY 2026
BEGINNERS CALLIGRAPHY CLASS – ITALIC HANDS with
Jan Leonard
The Gifford Gallery, 27A Poronui St, Mt Eden
10am to 2pm
We encourage you to take this opportunity in collaboration with the NZ Fellowship of Artists. They are running a beginner’s workshop with our own Jan Leonard teaching you the basics of the Italic Hand.
All calligraphy equipment is provided but please bring: a pencil, ruler and a medium sized paint brush for loading ink.
SUN 14TH JUN 2026
2026 AGM + Show & Tell
Andrew Codling‘s Pen Collection
The Gifford Gallery, 27A Poronui St, Mt Eden
3 to 5pm
It is time for our yearly AGM again, come along and share your thoughts.
After that we will be having a show and tell from Andrew about his pen collection with some great stories to hear!
There will also be an afternoon high tea and raffle.
Contact
We love to hear from people interested in calligraphy so please get in touch.
email: newzealandcalligraphers@gmail.com
post: New Zealand Calligraphers, 13 Allenby Avenue, Devonport, Auckland, 9010.
If you’d like to receive updates about upcoming workshops and events, please complete the form by clicking here.
For any other inquiries, please complete the form below with a description of your request.
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