Ashley Sellars’s calligraphy is a modern marvel
The centuries-old art of calligraphy is very much back in style. With a boost from Instagram aesthetics and YouTube tutorials showcasing the craft, beautiful lettering has made a real resurgence. So, it’s no surprise that Ashley Sellars, a USC grad with an MBA from Clemson, keeps busy creating wedding invitations, engravings, book title pages, and menus, as well as business and event logos.
It may seem counterintuitive, but according to Sellars, “You don’t have to have good handwriting to be a good calligrapher. You just have to have passion, drive, and patience. But it’s like golf; you must practice constantly.” She writes every other day to avoid suffering from hand exhaustion, using low-tech tools such as nibs, an oblique pen, and ink, which have remained the same for ages.
Sellars is a member of the International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting (IAMPETH), an international nonprofit dedicated to the lettering arts. They hold an educational conference once a year, and this year the audience included a preponderance of young men (who’ve lately gotten into the calligraphy game in big way), along with a sprinkling of illustrators and tattoo artists. Some enterprising calligraphers even create alphabets, which they end up selling to creative software companies like Adobe.
What started as a hobby after she took an online class in 2013 has turned into her flourishing enterprise, The Script Shop, where she handles everything from a one-off commission to a huge 1,100-person wedding. Her clients come from all over the country, and she’s even fashioned Bible page inscriptions for President George W. Bush, football pro Peyton Manning, and country singer Luke Combs.
What would Sellars dream wedding project be? “I would absolutely love to do Timothée and Kylie or Taylor and Travis (for those not following pop culture, that’s Chalamet and Jenner and Swift and Kelce). I’m available!”
Learn more at thescriptshopcalligraphy.com or on Instagram: @thescriptshop.
