Get inkspired by embracing the art of calligraphy with Betty Soldi

Feeling Inkspired? Give your penmanship the flourish it deserves by embracing the art of calligraphy with Betty Soldi

Your finest pen may caress a notebook with confidence or perhaps your hand lettering days came to an abrupt halt when school ended, but there’s one thing we can all agree upon – there is something very magical about inky adventures on paper.

There’s one person who knows that better than anyone, and that’s Betty Soldi. An internationally accomplished calligrapher and graphic designer, she’s worked with brands from Fortnum & Mason to Hermès.

Born into a Florentine family famous for making fireworks, Betty Soldi’s introduction to calligraphy is completely enchanting.“Growing up just outside of Florence, I remember spending time with my grandmother, tearing up strips of newspaper and scrunching them into small balls which would then be used to stuff the fireworks,” remembers Betty. “The more compressed all the elements, the better the bang! So newspaper ink on my hands was my first taste of what would later become writing ink on my fingers.”

Betty’s love of writing led her to a BA course in Graphic Design and Communication. “I was on the cusp of ‘old school’ – creating letterforms and type by hand. The first year was fundamental in teaching all the rules, from typographic kerning and balancing spaces between letters to tension on paper.” She spent weeks moving and glueing small black squares onto white sheets to train the eye about space, dynamics and visual calibrations. It may sound like another language, but these skills still resonate with Betty today. “I often speak about noticing the negative space all around, the placement of words and the silence that speaks just as much.”

She was taught traditional calligraphy by Miriam Stribley, a wonderful teacher who encouraged her students to break the rules and nurture their own expressive, modern style. And Betty’s style has been evolving ever since. “We don’t have the same haircut or make-up we had years ago, so why not encourage different ways of writing that reflect who we have become?” she asks. “My handwriting reflects my emotional state of being… there are days when my calligraphy just doesn’t ‘work’. It doesn’t flow or create shapes that I love – sometimes I blame that on the full moon!

At the age of seven Betty moved to London, but she returned to Florence during the summer months. “It held the most amazing memories of delicious gelato and sun-filled skies, family reunions and friendships rediscovered year after year,” she says. “I met my future husband Matteo there when we were 18 and I always admired how much he knew and loved his own city, showing me hidden treasures and sharing artistic insights.” After having a calligraphy and design business in London for many years, Betty returned to Florence full-time to become a mother. “Shortly afterwards my husband and I opened our shop selling salvaged and antique furniture and objects. Within a few years the furniture was used to furnish our boutique bed and breakfasts nearby, and I design calligraphic objects such as handmade embroidered pillows, plates, coffee cups and stationery for the shop.”

Calligraphy is on the rise. The hashtag on Instagram has been used 10.4 million times and counting – the social media platform is awash with both professionals and novices turning their hands to the time-honoured tradition and breathing new life into it. “I am a believer in people nourishing their handwriting to become more decorative, but above all widening their horizons in how and where it is applied. Leaving a lipstick note on a mirror, writing a message on a bottle, getting kids to draw and write on balloons at a party – bringing writing to life!”

Eager to give calligraphy a go? Head to papercraftermagazine.co.uk for lots of calligraphy projects and templates for you to download for free.

Inkspired by Betty Soldi (£16.99, Kyle Books) kylebooks.co.uk. Photography by Debi Treloar.