Our committee
A dedicated group of passionate calligraphers that keep the Canberra Calligraphy Society and it’s workshops running day-to-day.
The Canberra Calligraphy Society is entirely volunteer‑led, with committee members generously donating their time and talent to keep our community and the art of calligraphy alive and thriving in our region.
Find out more about our passionate committee below.
Jill Robertson
President
How long have you been a member?
I joined the Society in early 2002, so have been a member for 24 years.
Your most memorable or enjoyable workshop:
As a tutor I love seeing people pick up a new script or decorative skill at workshops I have run. Finding ways to draw Celtic Knots was one I remember – under, over, under, over!
Your favourite type(s) of calligraphy:
I like legible calligraphy more than abstract, but am trying to learn more ways of presenting work. I love the historical scripts, their stories as well as the way they are written and presented.
What inspires your art:
I like having a purpose for a piece. It may be to follow a theme for an exhibition, or a piece for a particular person or occasion.
Your favourite calligraphy tool or nib you can’t live without:
My set of Brause nibs get used more than anything else in my drawer. I also love my Horizon pen that is 5/16th of an inch – a very strange size to make, surely! It writes so smoothly, it is a delight to use.
Deborah Carraro
Secretary
How long have you been a member?
Joined in 2011
Your most memorable or enjoyable workshop:
There have been so many workshops given by our local tutors that have been both enjoyable and challenging.
It is difficult to choose even one or two. The effort put in by our tutors is very generous and truly admirable. For other types of workshops, I can say that the ones organised by the Calligraphy Society of Victoria and which formed the Summer School in Winter were fabulous. International and interstate tutors all in one place for a residential school. Heaven! The first one I attended was with Georgia Angelopoulos and is the most memorable as I was so nervous.
In another year the workshop I selected was with Denise Lach and I was really challenged, but she made it possible to get the most out of what was presented. Sadly, the Summer School in Winter hasn’t operated since 2019.
Finally, the workshop I attended in Italy in 2024 with Massimo Polello was by far the best thing I’ve done as a student of calligraphy.
Your favourite type(s) of calligraphy:
More traditional types of calligraphy are favoured, but I am also attracted to less formal styles and, depending on the words or the theme, I will be drawn one way or the other in what I try to achieve.
What inspires your art:
Words, poetry, song titles, nature.
Your favourite calligraphy tool or nib you can’t live without:
A size 2mm Brause nib is my favourite nib (or the Speedball equivalent). I also like using a folded pen, or a ruling writer for less formal work.
Monoline nibs are good fun, too.
