Have you ever heard of a creative activity called “lettering”, or calligraphy?
Time and again I have noticed beautiful fonts on greeting cards, certificates or in pictures. The fact that you can actually learn the art of calligraphy in a relatively short time, thanks to professional guidance, was new to me.
Theresa Lichtenegger is THE local calligraphy expert here in Vienna / Lower Austria, piquing my curiosity for quite some time with her courses: Can I really learn calligraphy, or lettering as she calls it, ‘from scratch’? And where – how is this done?
At home with Theresa Lichtenegger in Horn in the Waldviertel: The font diversity expert has organised her house purchase according to her workshops and welcomes us to her well-booked hand lettering courses in the middle of her living area.
Arrival and intro: How can one get creative with letters?
First of all, I find it’s the surroundings that matter just as much as the teacher: everything in Theresa’s house is bursting with colour and creativity. Wherever I look, I find beautiful sayings, curved lettering, colours, shapes and lots of light – a real artist’s studio that invites you to join in the fun. She says about herself and her environment: “I want everyone to feel at home here. I love my hand lettering courses and really enjoy teaching my students each and every time.”
As soon as I arrive, a large folder with my name in beautifully curved letters awaits me at my workshop place: clearly something for advanced students, I realise appreciatively. As I unpack the many beautiful sheets of paper, pens and other materials that we need for our lettering class, I feel the excitement rising.
Arriving at Theresa Lichtenegger’s workshop is both motivating and pleasing to the eye: With these important and loving messages we are welcomed as workshop participants …
… and more: VIEL FREUDE (lots of joy)!
Just as we start off, like Julia here …
… it’s worth taking a look around to appreciate the creative surroundings …
… and to listen to Theresa explaining how she came to be an expert on calligraphy and hand lettering courses: “If I could learn how to do it, so can you!”
The art of hand lettering is a treat for the eye … and relaxes the mind. Let’s FLOW!
Before we get started, Theresa asks us to write down about ten to fifteen words that characterise us (positively). Friendship, creativity, reading or languages are among them for me.
The first exercise is to write the letters of a certain word – for example, the word “read” – in a very choppy way. Then everything in very small, narrow letters or everything in capital letters, but with the centre bar of the letters strongly offset downwards (or upwards). We soon make do with our own sheets of paper, which remind me of handwriting exercises in primary school: several lines for each painted letter in order to place each letter as proportionally as possible. It’s fun and immediately results in a beautiful typeface!
It doesn’t really matter which writing style or font we choose: “The main thing”, Theresa smiles, “is that you get into it and have fun with it.”
She is always on hand with help and advice, and there is even a small camera above her instruction paper that transmits her lettering exercises directly to a large screen. So we can all learn exactly how lettering works, watching her work. Check this out.
Here is a glimpse of our first writing exercises using different styles of lettering …
… soon, we get to practice on this particular paper used by calligraphy artists …
… and yes, it’s colours of course, too.
I really enjoy being part of Theresa Lichtenegger’s workshop!
Elisabeth Koller, an expert for healthy and mindful nutrition, supports Theresa and us with great food for lunch.
On the occasion of our workshop, we enjoy a wonderfully refreshing and invigorating lunch, which is just as good for the soul as the hand lettering workshop with Theresa Lichtenegger.
Elisabeth Koller, a dear friend of Theresa’s who I have already met, has prepared a vegan-vegetarian lunch especially for us; also, Theresa’s parents have brought fresh pastries to the house.
While we savour all the delicacies, Elisabeth, an expert in mindful eating, shares her advice for everyday healthy living (and eating): “It’s all about the right preparation and ingredients! The energy balls here, for example, are very easy to make and are ideal as a snack between meals.”
Served alongside the energy balls: delicious couscous and vegetable salad …
… carrot cake and coffee …
… leading up to inspiration and energy for our beautiful creations.
Thank you so much, Theresa Lichtenegger, for welcoming us to this creative break in the Waldviertel region!
I can only recommend to join Theresa for a workshop on creative lettering! The many pens, techniques and paper formats encourage a creativity around words and writing that I would not have thought possible in such a short time and with so little experience on the subject.
The eye is delighted by the many beautiful possibilities for creating, colouring and writing special words or sayings: It’s just right to learn that Theresa also offers her courses online and always has special offers ready.
At the end of our creative workshop in the Waldviertel, I realise that I don’t want to go home yet, but would rather continue to stay – which is also possible, as Theresa offers several courses that build on each other.
Thank you for sharing all the beauty around you, dear Theresa …
… dear Elisabeth …
… dear fellow lettering students: What great, creative day we’ve shared.
Check out even more travel tips about the Waldviertel here:
- Farm Holidays in the Lower Austrian Waldviertel: Welcome to the Besenbäck family!
- Luxury Travel in the Waldviertel: Poppy Blossom, Castles & Whisky
- Hiking Destination Upper Waldviertel: Culinary-Creative Travel Tips
- Healing Abstinence & Digital Detox: A unique travel account from Waldviertel, Lower Austria.
Disclaimer: We have been invited by Theresa Lichtenegger, Elisabeth Koller and Creative Tourism Austria on this creative workshop in the Waldviertel. All opinions are my own.