Welcome to my webpage, I’m Sandy Wagner, freelance multimedia artist, calligrapher, and book designer with a studio in our carriage house. Together, my husband Doug, a professional composer and musician, and I enjoy urban living in downtown Indianapolis, IN.
While I was teaching school music, I became intrigued by a local art center’s calligraphy class offering. I signed up for fun and the rest is history. Now a professional artist with over 45 years of experience, I use techniques and design philosophies gathered from studies with many internationally recognized artists. As time went on, the more I studied the history of lettering, both Western and Eastern, the more fascinated I’ve become with the beauty and design of the letters as art themselves.
For me, both art and music are lifelong endeavors and I constantly seek to expand my artistic repertoire. I love to learn new lettering styles as well as bookmaking ideas. I constantly search new techniques for drawing, pastels, watercolor, mixed media and collage. I’m always looking for ways to incorporate new ideas into my works.
In addition to designing for local clients, I have created covers for major music publishers, produced and exhibited award-winning art, and taught classes in both calligraphy and bookmaking. I’ve had works chosen for the Letter Arts Review Annual Juried Issue and written several educational articles for Bound & Lettered, both originally published by John Neal Books. My work has appeared on the cover of USBGC digest, and have exhibited at the Washington (DC) Calligraphers Guild Invitational Exhibition, the Indianapolis Art Center, the Sullivan-Munce Art Center, the Indiana State Fair and the University of Indianapolis (now U of I).
You can find many of my works including fine art, handmade books, event lettering and awards, as well as cards and gifts in my online gallery.
One way to expand learning opportunities is through memberships in guilds, both local and international. My memberships include: The Calligraphy Guild of Columbus (OH), Carolina Lettering Arts Society, The Chicago Calligraphy Collective, Cincinnati Book Arts Society (CBAS), CLAS (UK), The Friends of Calligraphy (San Francisco, CA), International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting (IAMPETH), The Washington Calligraphers Guild (DC) and the Watercolor Society of Indiana (WSI).