Folded Pen Adventures
With Lorraine Douglas
This is an intensive two-day workshop with Lorraine Douglas in which we will learn about the folded pen and how it can be used to develop new written forms. After practicing our folded pen moves, we will go on to explore colour blending with acrylic inks and diluted ink techniques for calligraphic writing.
On the second day of the workshop, we will make collage pieces out of our work and mount them on boards or cradles.
In this workshop, the spirit of play will prevail.
Folded Pen Moves: Let’s play with this wonderful tool !
Colour blended writing and collage mounted on a masonite panel.
Colour blended writing and rice paper collage mounted on a cradle.
About Lorraine
Lorraine Douglas is an accomplished mixed media artist and calligrapher who is well known to our Calligraphy Guild. As a former president, she helped shape the Guild’s direction and formed a lasting friendship with our membership.
Throughout a career dedicated to the arts, Lorraine has earned numerous awards and exhibited her work nationally and internationally. Her art has been published in the Letter Arts Review, the Bound and Lettered journal, and included in the Berlin Calligraphy Archive, among others.
Lorraine’s technical versatility is evident through her use of various media, including painting, bookmaking, printmaking, collage, and calligraphy.
https://www.lorrainedouglas.ca
A group of cradles with the sides painted and the paper collaged, the writing is done with a diluted ink technique.
Supply List
- A folded pen of your choice
- Strathmore 400 Drawing Paper 8 x 11 inch pad
- One piece of Stonehenge Printmaking Paper 22 x 30 inches – or – one piece of 300 gsm/140lb hot press watercolour paper 22 x 30 inches (Do not fold or cut up your papers)
- One small board (approx. 6″ x 6″) – either a pre-assembled wooden cradle – or – a 1/8″ thick piece of flat Masonite board (check our Resources page for retailers)
- Ink for practicing your folded pen moves (Higgins Eternal, Sumi or Walnut Ink)
- Two water jars and a jar for your Sumi Ink
- Paper Towels
- HB Pencil
- Eraser
- 12 or 18 inch ruler
- Scrap Paper to prevent getting glue on your workspace (such as a fashion magazine !)
- UHU Glue stick
- 1 or 2 small palettes (6 well)
- 2 or 3 sponge brushes (1 inch wide)
- Pipettes
- A quote or two that you would like to work on
- Please bring your own lunch
Folded Pens – from left to right:
- Tim’s Pen (available from Tim Leigh or John Neal Books)
- Folded Pen (available from John Neal Books or Paper and Ink Arts)
- Handwritmic Pen also known as the Brody Pen (available from the Paint Spot in Edmonton or John Neal Books)
- The Ruling Writer Pen (available from Paper and Ink Arts)
- Handmade Pen in holder
Note: The instructor will have some handmade folded pen tips for sale ($10.00 each) that can be used with a regular straight calligraphy nib holder.
Sample Cradle (available from Michaels):
“Cradled Wood Painting Panel” comes in a pack of 5 panels
Folded Pen Adventures Workshop
Saturday April 18, 2026 & Sunday April 19, 2026
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wildwood Park Community Centre
Address: 271 North Drive, Winnipeg, MB
Registration
Calligraphers' Guild of Manitoba 