The core of this workshop is a simple but powerful idea: that creativity lives in all of us, and sometimes all it needs is the right spark to awaken it.
Using accessible techniques and one of the world's most ancient art forms as your guide, you'll be invited to reach inward and bring something personal to the surface — no rules, no right or wrong, just your own mark on the paper.
The Journey
It begins with mark-making. Drawing on the expressive spirit of Arabic calligraphy, you'll use bamboo pens to explore abstract shapes and gestural forms — and through hands on experimentation, your personal and unique mark will find you. A shape, a gesture, a stroke that feels like yours. One that carries something within it, even if you can't quite name it.
That mark becomes the seed of everything that follows — and then it echoes.
You'll move through four layered techniques, each one building on the last:
- ✍️ Contemporary Arabic calligraphy — learn the fundamental strokes of one of the world's oldest visual traditions using bamboo pens and tools.
- 🎨 Abstract ink background colouring — explore colour, texture and flow to transform paper into something unexpected and alive
- 🖨️ Linocut printing — carve your mark into a lino block and let it repeat, interact and breathe across your composition
- 🔡 3D shapes— cut, colour and shape foam letters, your mark or any shape of your choice into dimensional objects that float above your artwork on threads or attach directly to the surface, casting shadows and adding movement
- And more.
You'll discover how colour, white space, rhythm and repetition can turn a single personal gesture into something that feels whole — a composition that is layered, intentional and entirely your own.
What You'll Walk Away With
An authentic, finished artwork on hand made paper. Experiencing techniques across calligraphy, mark-making, colouring, and printmaking, and the realization that your creative voice was always there, waiting to echo.
Good to Know
✅ All tools and materials provided
✅ No previous experience needed
✅ Every skill level welcome — work at your own pace and depth
✅ A safe, open and encouraging space — there is no right or wrong, only creativity and self-expression
Beginner Friendly | Ages 14+ | $65 CAD
Booking & Cancellation
Spots are limited and fill quickly. To keep this experience fair for everyone, all bookings are final and non-refundable. However, your spot is fully transferable — if you can't make it, you're welcome to gift it to someone else.
This workshop is part of Emily Wu's Paper Pulse Community Arts Projects, supported by the City of Kingston and the Kingston Arts Council.