Questions and answers

Where do you give the course?

At the Bibliotheque Nationale du Quebec (www.bnquebec.ca) or at Centre St-Pierre. The rooms can accommodate up to 12 people.

We can also arrange it at your place, for convenience. You organize it also for your friends.

How many people can participate?

A minimum of 3 people is required to schedule a workshop. If you have friends or colleagues, bring them along! A maximum of 8 people will allow everyone to receive personal attention.

I already have a calligraphy pen set. Should I bring it?

You can, but we will be using the Staedler felt-tip pen and the black fountain pen I provide, since they are best for learning, in my experience. You can also buy it at Omer Deserres.

Have you taught calligraphy before?

Yes, I taught calligraphy to over 100 people for the City of Montreal and in several specialized boutiques and galleries.

How do I register?

You can pay online at www.sureforms.net/peterswork.form. Just enter $15.00 and proceed with the payment via credit card or Paypal.

Can I pay you when we meet instead?

I prefer to receive the payment ahead of time in orderto buy the 2 pens and guidelined sheets and several master samples. This ensures that only serious people will register.

After the 60-minute demo course, can I register for a full course?

Yes, of course. Rates vary from $30 an hour for private courses, and is cheaper for groups.

I bought a book that shows how to learn calligraphy. Do I still need a calligraphy course?

Calligraphy is the way your pen "dances" over the white surface of the paper. You wouldn't learn social dancing from reading a book, so it's the same with calligraphy. Sure, you can try to rewrite the samples drawn in the book, but you would completely miss the essential principles if you don't have a master sitting beside you to point out mistakes in execution (pen angle, how you hold the pen, movement, stroke speed and direction, etc.).

With an experienced teacher, you can learn more in a few hours than you can by reading 12 books! Also, you will avoid the development of bad habits, which are quite hard to correct once they are entrenched.

There is a conference room available where I work. Can that be a suitable place for the course?

Absolutely. We can do it after 5 PM, and you can invite co-workers also.

Donnez-vous ce cours en français aussi ?

Oui ! Mais il faut s'assurer que tous les participants et participantes parlent une même langue (français ou anglais).