Get The TechniqueA little while ago, I attended a talk and noticed this sign in the adjacent coffeehouse:
Shortly after, I saw this in a local spice shop:
As I spotted more and more chalkboards in the same hand, I was determined to find the person in charge of revitalizing the city's signage.
WHO: Rajiv Surendra
WHAT: Calligrapher and chalkboard artist
WHERE: Toronto, ON
WHEN: Since 2001.
HOW: In elementary school Rajiv began copying the penmanship of handwritten letters from the 1800's. Self-taught, he has learned through trial-and-error and is also a member of the International Association of Master Penman, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting (IAMPETH). The chalkboards are an extension of his calligraphy work and help him get noticed by potential clients.
WHY: Rajiv writes, "Hand-written correspondence is beginning to have such a special role in this digital world we live in. If anything, I hope I have inspired you to turn off your computer, put aside your cell phone, and perhaps write down a few words to someone you care about – the old fashioned way."
From: Siti Nuriati Husin | 3/13/13 at 10:23 am
That's an amazing work!!
From: Angie Dunlap | 3/13/13 at 7:57 pm
Wow, such beauty! Rajiv's penmanship is a work of art. People used to care about how they wrote long ago. Now, some public schools have even discontinued teaching cursive writing. The benefits to the brain from cursive and calligraphy have been shown to be simalar to those gained from doing artwork. We should all try to write more, it's true.Good on you Rajiv!