Calligraphy and Spirituality: The Lindisfarne Gospels

Eadfrith, Bishop of Lindisfarne and creator of the Lindisfarne Gospels, was an innovator of his time. His beautiful, quirky Display Capitals draw from the art of several cultures. His spirituality shines through his artistic masterpiece and can still inspire us today. We’ll take a close look at his work, and this will lead us into some lettering exploration of our own, using easily obtainable tools.

A bit like music, it’s possible for ideas and emotions to be reflected and interpreted through calligraphy and lettering, and we’ll spend a little time considering this. Our practical experiments will lead to a greater appreciation of how the shape of the letters in a hand-created word can reflect the meaning of that word, allowing creative and spiritual expression.

You might experience the slow, meditative and mindful process of designing and working on your letters as a welcome contrast to a busy pace of life.

Participants need no prior lettering or art experience. All you need is a willingness to experiment, under the guidance of the tutor. Methods will be demonstrated and discussed during the Zoom session, ready for participants to continue with their own explorations afterwards.

You’ll need some paper, a pencil, a black fineliner pen, a small brush and some coloured paints or pencils, including black and red. You’ll work on a single word or short phrase, which has meaning for you.