Kalghoda Festival Workshop on Calligraphy for Children

1. “Kalaghoda Festival” workshop on Calligraphy
From10/4/2008 to 12/4/2008 on the invitation from
Artist Brinda Chudasama Miller
Photography: Prof.Sonalkar ( B.D.Somani College of Applied Art and Craft-Mumbai)

2. GROUP “A” Age 5 to10
I was curios and decided to take this opportunity to test my basic concept of Informal and Formal calligraphy
conceived in 1976/77, for the syllabus implemented for Directorate of Art ,Maharashtra State with this group.
Informal calligraphy format was more appropriate because kids enjoy such art experience in a playful manner.
I consulted Artist Brinda Chudasama Miller the main organizer of KALA-GHODA FESTIVAL , also my past
student who were exposed to this learning of calligraphy in 1976/77,
she agreed to it and expressed the same curiosity!

3. Group “B” Age 10 to 15
This grown up group was a different challenge because after 30 years calligraphy is quite popular as regards to
what was then because today it is accepted as an ART form!
I decided to introduce Formal calligraphy simultaneously with juniors. They were observing each other while
doing my exercises. The advantage was both group were attending simultaneously which has saved my energy.
In the festival the overall mood is playful and time bound schedule must be respected.

4. Senior group in action! This is knowing the
scale and ratio of the basic stroke in relation
to the height of the letterform and in
accordance the number of lines. The tool
selected is important because the thickness
of that point decides the final scale and ratio.
Important basic for FORMAL CALLIGRAPHY.

5. On the right is scale and ratio of letter forms and its tools, on the
left top examples of writing styles, and letter forms basic strokes
formation, at the bottom left is a brief to learn fundamentals of
Phonetics to Script and its relationship to calligraphy.

7. On the left
interactive
secession
with the
participants.
On the top very interesting exercise
based on the concept of encoding and
decoding of the script( Language). The
roman alphabets are encoded with an
individually defined calligraphic strokes.
These encoded strokes are applied to
write the original roman script
paragraph into newly defined
calligraphic script. Observe the example
displayed herewith.

8. Students are rearranging earlier
practiced calligraphic strokes by
cutting and exploring new
possibilities for creating new script.
The objective is to expose their visual
experience to calligraphic writing
system. This is mix and match
method to expand visual thinking for
better understand beauty of strokes.

9. Concluding and summing up the workshop
by Artist Brinda Chudasama Miller.
Students displaying the final mural of
Calligraphy!