Contributed by Alyssa Tuma
Last Saturday the Colleagues of Calligraphy met for a very special program, indeed! Colleagues member and former president Maura Lynch gave a truly inspirational presentation on her time spent working under the legendary Sheila Waters and Julian Waters in the fall of 2019. Current president Sally Wightkin also provided her perspective as a fellow student at the same retreat. All of us were rapt as Maura chronicled her time with the Waters duo—her goals, creative process, and the delightful, almost magical, day-to-day occurrences of working in residence with masters of the craft. The talk was full of humor, imagery, and above all, appreciation for the rare gift of being taught by two of the most accomplished calligraphers with us today.
And as if this weren’t enough, a big surprise was yet to come! Despite our “Zoom fatigue” over the past year, technology made something possible that turned this monthly program from exceptional to truly unforgettable. Maura had quietly arranged for Sheila and Julian themselves to join us during our meeting. It was incredible to see their faces on our call and hear their perspectives as teachers and artists. (The analogy I put to my husband—not a calligrapher—was, “It’s like if Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods suddenly popped up in your web meeting!”) They discussed everything from technique to calligraphy history to the comical happenings of hosting artists, from all kinds of backgrounds, in their home. I was particularly touched by the many Colleagues members who took time to share their own memories of working with Sheila and Julian in the past.
I would like to deeply thank Maura for the care she put into her presentation. In classic Maura fashion, the style was warm and engaging. And going the extra mile and inviting Sheila and Julian into our circle was just beyond all expectations. Thanks also to Sally who did an expert job facilitating the meeting, moderating the lively chat, and sharing her own experiences and impressions of working with Sheila and Julian. Maura and Sally, I look forward to hearing even more!
Cover of Sheila Waters’ Foundations of Calligraphy
NOTE: Sheila Waters and Julian Waters are internationally renowned calligraphers and rank among the most accomplished letterers working today. Julian is Sheila’s son. His late father, Sheila’s husband, was the prominent bookbinder and preservationist, Peter Waters. Their family’s legacy is long and rich and far too extensive to detail in this review. To learn more, I encourage you to explore their books and works, many of which are available in our own Colleagues of Calligraphy library. Sheila’s landmark work, Foundations of Calligraphy, would be a good place to start.