Holiday Calligraphy Workshop Series
Wednesdays, October 15 – November 26, 12-1:30pm (7 weeks)
Course Overview
Get holiday-ready with a practical, project-based calligraphy course, suitable for adult beginners to refreshers. Each week we’ll build core skills (pointed pen and brush pen) and immediately apply them to real-life pieces—place cards, tags, gift-wrap accents, cards, and addressed envelopes. Students will leave with a toolkit of techniques and a portfolio of festive projects.
Weekly Syllabus
- Oct 15 — Pointed-Pen Fundamentals
Focus: tools & setup, posture, stroke mechanics, pressure/contrast, steady rhythm
Project: elegant practice sheet set (basic strokes & joins) - Oct 22 — Lowercase Latin Alphabet
Focus: letter families, proportions, spacing, entry/exit strokes, smooth connections
Project: lowercase alphabet poster - Oct 29 — Uppercase Latin Alphabet
Focus: capitals, balance, simple flourishing
Project: “A–Z” capitals reference sheet - Nov 5 — Brush-Pen Lettering + Halloween Décor
Focus: pressure control, bounce lettering, scale & contrast
Project: hand-lettered pumpkin décor and mini party signs - Nov 12 — Thanksgiving Table Suite
Focus: layout & hierarchy, quick composition, repeating styles across pieces
Project: coordinated set—place cards and a mini table sign - Nov 19 — Gift Wrap & Tag Lettering
Focus: lettering on varied surfaces, simple pattern repeats, spacing on small formats
Project: gift-tag set and a hand-lettered wrapping-paper strip - Nov 26 — Holiday Cards & Envelopes
Focus: card composition, concise greetings, addressing etiquette, neat envelope layouts
Project: a set of holiday cards with addressed envelopes (ready to mail or photograph)
Students will gain confident control of pointed pen and brush pen, clean consistent lowercase and uppercase alphabets. Simple flourishes, spacing and layout skills for real projects. A ready-to-use seasonal stationery kit: table decor, tags, wrap accents, card & envelopes.
Missed sessions
- If you are unable to attend one or two sessions, Dina will provide the week’s worksheets and a brief practice plan so you can work at home. Dina can also offer a 10-minute early Q&A at the start of the next class for quick catch-up.
Non Members $375 / Members $400 (all supplies included)
Dina Ruzha is a local illustrator, calligrapher, and lettering artist who tells stories through bold characters, expressive letterforms, and color palettes that stop the scroll.
She specializes in book covers for romance, romcom, romantasy, and YA — with a particular love for illustrated characters paired with custom hand-drawn titles. Her focus is always on color, emotion, and composition so that each cover not only stands out beautifully on digital storefronts but also connects instantly with the right readers.
Beyond illustration, she is deeply passionate about calligraphy. Her work has been exhibited at the United Nations, where she was honored to perform live calligraphy and speak as part of their cultural programming. Today, she also shares this craft through calligraphy workshops, helping people discover the beauty of the written word and even creating custom commissions like family trees and marriage certificates.
Her love for travel and exploring places with heart has led me to create illustrated maps — capturing food, people, and lifestyle with warmth, detail, and charm.
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About the Carriage Barn
The mission of the New Canaan Society for the Arts, Inc. is to promote the visual and performing arts, and to enrich the community through exhibitions, education, and cultural experiences, and to operate the Carriage Barn Arts Center.
Keep in Touch
Carriage Barn Arts Center
Waveny Park
681 South Avenue
New Canaan, CT 06840
(203) 594-3638
