Since the birth of the particularly free-wheeling art form known as psychedelia was created 50 years ago, let's take this opportunity to celebrate by letting that freedom, color, flowing detail, and exuberance inspire our calligraphy.

Its inspiration has ALWAYS been a factor in my artwork, no matter how classic or traditional the form may have appeared, and I believe that it will enhance the kind of work you do as well, whatever the style. We're not looking to turn your manuscript into a rave poster — but wouldn't you like your letters to have a more dynamic interaction with each other and aren't you longing for the letters themselves to have richer details and be more surprising? The new letters we'll be writing with pen and brush will be created with very specific modern techniques and loose inspiration from dozens of unexpected sources, both of which will help you in a fresher attack at creating your own new letters or transforming traditional ones.

It's not just writing. The color possibilities and unlimited pattern combinations has inspired ever-more adventurous cut-paper and cut-fabric work in the last several years. How can pattern upon contrasting pattern be used in increasing numbers while still remaining distinct from each other yet still create a cohesive whole? That's another challenge we'll to meet and beat in our jam-packed day, while learning the simple techniques of paper-cutting that offer unlimited potential.

The ulterior motive of the class is that, by exercising our skills to create something out at the fringes of normal calligraphy, everything we do will have rich ramifications when you bring it back to your classic ways of working, whether during the class or in the years to come. It's really not so much about a particular style of working, it's about putting a new focus on detail and finding a new freedom in your own work, whatever that is now and whatever it will become.