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Flourish 2027 Faculty

Sachin Shah

Beautiful letters. Unexpected possibilities. Four days to explore both.

Some classes make you want to practise. Others make you see your entire practice differently.

Sachin’s workshops offer room for both: two days exploring the distinctive letterforms of Pointura, followed by two days taking calligraphy into abstraction and personal expression.

Come for the letters. Make room for what happens next.

Register for Flourish 2027 See the workshops
October 13–17, 2027 Calgary Pointura · Oct 14 & 15 Abstraction and Expression · Oct 16 & 17
Calligrapher Sachin Shah

Meet Sachin

Craft, meet curiosity.

From a copy of The Speedball Textbook in 1992 to co-editing its 25th edition. A rather lovely full-circle moment.

Sachin Shah’s calligraphy story began in 1992 with a copy of The Speedball Textbook and the tools he could find. Years later, he became a co-editor of its 25th edition. A rather lovely full-circle moment.

A software engineer by training, Sachin brings a fascination with structure and a love of experimentation to his lettering. Traditional scripts become starting points for fresh interpretations, inventive variations and new possibilities.

He has taught and mentored students around the world and is a member of the Calligraphy Masters crew. At Flourish, you’ll have the opportunity to spend two days, or all four, exploring that combination of craft and curiosity with him.

Sachin’s Workshops

Two workshops. Two days each.

October 14 & 15 Pointura pointed pen lettering by Sachin Shah

Two-day workshop · October 14 & 15, 2027

Pointura

A fresh direction for your pointed pen

You know that feeling when you see an alphabet and immediately want to clear your desk?

Meet Pointura.

Developed by Sachin, this upright pointed pen script pairs delicate lines with beautifully placed shading. It has a distinctive personality and plenty of possibilities for making it your own.

Over two days, you’ll explore how the letters work, from the strokes that give them structure to the details that make a word feel beautifully balanced. You’ll study lowercase and capital forms, consider variations, and begin bringing them together in words and short compositions.

Along the way, you’ll explore:

  • Foundational strokes and control of the pointed nib
  • Lowercase and capital letter construction
  • Placement of shading and contrast in line weight
  • Letter variations that bring variety to your writing
  • Spacing and composition that help individual letters work together

This is time to look closely, ask questions and practise while the process is still fresh in your hand.

Give your pointed pen something new to say.

October 16 & 17 Abstract expressive calligraphy by Sachin Shah

Two-day workshop · October 16 & 17, 2027

Abstraction and Expression

What happens when letters become art?

You’ve spent time learning to make letters behave.
Now, what else could they do?

Abstraction and Expression invites you to explore calligraphy beyond the familiar alphabet on a practice sheet. Letters and strokes become material for creating movement, rhythm, contrast and feeling.

The intriguing part? Deciding what to keep, what to change and how far to follow an idea.

Over two days, you’ll explore the possibilities of calligraphic form, considering how marks interact, how space shapes a composition and how a change in scale or repetition can take your work somewhere unexpected.

This workshop offers space to experiment, develop your eye and begin recognising the choices that make a piece feel like yours.

For anyone who has looked at expressive calligraphic art and thought, “I’d love to try that, but where would I start?” this is a compelling place to begin.

Bring your curiosity. Give it two whole days.

The full Sachin experience

Make it four days with Sachin

An alphabet you can keep exploring. An approach that can open up your work.

Spend October 14 and 15 immersed in Pointura, then stay for Abstraction and Expression on October 16 and 17 to explore another side of calligraphy with the same teacher.

Four days gives you time to settle in, ask the next question and follow an idea beyond that first promising attempt. All while surrounded by people who understand why a single beautiful stroke can make your day.

If Sachin is on your wish list, make him part of your festival plans early. Choose the workshops you want while you’re building the experience you came for.

Register for Flourish 2027