About the Artist

Peter Fraterdeus is a two-time NEA grant recipient (1980, 1985), founder of "Make a Mindful Mark" Seminars (makeamindfulmark.com), calligrapher, type designer, letterpress printing and eternal student of whole systems and the nature of consciousness.

Developed the seminar series Mindful Play and Tools for Resilience, which incorporates the calligraphic brush, drawing and Zen exercises to develop resilience, mindfulness and leadership with insightful decisive action.

Peter has taught book arts, letterpress, calligraphy, typography, information architecture, and web design internationally (SAIC-Chicago, CCCBA-Chicago, Colorado College–Colorado Springs, IUAV–Treviso, Berlin, Barcelona, etc) After decades of formal study of western letterform traditions, including letter carving, type-design, and medieval manuscript techniques, he is now also studying East Asian Shodo (Zen Calligraphy) and the daily practice of calligraphy at his studio in Galena, Illnois.

Studied with renowned master type designer Prof Hermann Zapf (RIT summer sessions 1985-86), Welsh master calligrapher and inscriptional designer Ieuan Rees (May-Sept 1981, etc) and Aikido Master, Zen Calligrapher Kaz Tanahashi Sensei (2013-present), among others. 

Dr. Betty Edwards (best-selling author of Drawing on the Artist Within and Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain) commented on my draft workbook "You are doing such a lovely job of bringing these important ideas to your workshop participants! I’m sure you will soon be hearing, over and over,'This workshop changed my life!' "