Not Your Average Calligrapher

Ink and Annie Calligraphy

Attention, brides-to-be and wedding planners (especially those of you with really bad penmanship): There is a stellar pro calligrapher in our midst! In researching an upcoming article on wedding stationery, I was fortunate enough to be put in touch with the amazing Anne Riley. Anne is a professional calligrapher who lives on the Eastern Shore. What makes Anne so interesting, in my opinion, is the extraordinary passion she has for her art.

For the past two years, Anne has been studying under Master penman (or should I say penwoman?) Pat Blair, who just so happens to be in charge of the White House calligraphy department. (I bet you didn’t even know they have their own!) In fact, when Anne met Pat, Pat was Dick Cheney’s personal calligrapher. (My newest goal is to have one of those someday.) She also wrote the Queen of England’s invitation to a white-tie dinner at the White House. Both women are members of the Washington Calligraphers Guild, a nonprofit organization with over 500 members.

When I last heard from Anne Riley, the go-getter was preparing to leave for a week-long retreat in Ohio, where she will be studying with another impressive penman in the calligraphy world, Michael Sull. Michael worked as a calligrapher for Hallmark for 8 years. Anne promises to share samples of her latest work when she returns.

Anne specializes in wedding envelopes and place cards, and has started her own business in Salisbury, called Ink and Annie. If any of you Maryland brides have calligraphy needs (meaning your chicken scratch just isn’t going to make the cut), I think Annie’s definitely worth checking out.

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