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Architect combines calligraphy & crystals in new business

March 14, 2022 Leave a Comment

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When Vanessa Opazo left her native Spain seven years ago to pursue an architectural role in Sydney and improve her English, it was a trip that was only supposed to last a year. Fast forward seven years and not only is Vanessa no longer working as an architect, but she has started a successful calligraphy and crystal business called Bondi Letters.

Vanessa in her architect days

โ€œI worked in commercial building design, mainly facades, but I used to teach a lot back in Spain and I found I really missed that connection with people,โ€ says Vanessa Opazo who resides in Sydneyโ€™s Bondi. And while she loved architecture in the beginning, eventually she found it more technical than creative and began to look around for another artistic avenue.

Vanessa Opazo
Vanessa Opazo

After finding an online calligraphy and brush lettering course, Vanessa fell in love with the art. โ€œAfter a tough day at work in architecture calligraphy was my โ€˜meโ€™ time. I found it to be really therapeutic and I got very good at it quickly,โ€ says Vanessa who decided to combine the skill with her love of teaching by running calligraphy and brush lettering workshops in Sydney.

โ€œIt started as a hobby to pay for my materials. I was donating the money at the beginning. I was working full-time so didnโ€™t need the money at all really. But the courses got very popular, and I started needing more and more time,โ€ says Vanessa who slowly cut her architecture days back before leaving the job entirely.

Vanessa teaching a calligraphy workshop
Vanessa teaching a calligraphy workshop

But when COVID hit, Vanessa had to diversify the business and she began running online courses too which resulted in many more students tuning in from interstate and overseas. Students receive a kit before the class that includes a calligraphy pen, nibs, ink and work book and while Vanessa started with calligraphy and brush lettering classes, she has since added a class called โ€˜Watercolour Meditationsโ€™ that is proving very popular. That course includes meditation, education on colour theory and practical advice on mixing colours as well as a painting component and breath work too.

Vanessaโ€™s online courses have been embraced by corporate Australia too where she has run them for Google and Atlassian to name a few. โ€œI have a really big workshop coming up in WA soon where Iโ€™ve doing the Watercolour Meditations course with 80 miners!โ€ says Vanessa who has found the online platform Classbento to be a great way to spread the word about her offering. โ€œClassbento helps creatives that want to teach and run workshops connect with people,โ€ says Vanessa.

Brush lettering
Brush lettering

Another facet of the business, Vanessaโ€™s foray into crystals came about after she included them as part of one of her workshops. โ€œI wanted to gift my students something meaningful that they could take home as a reminder of the time spent together. I then started receiving a lot of messages about the crystals specifically and had over 100 requests in the end,โ€ says Vanessa. 

Crystals
Bondi Letters crystals

The crystals are now sold through Vanessaโ€™s online store alongside a series of art prints and gift cards, created with another Bondi business โ€“ Wildfire Co. Design. โ€œThere are so many zodiac prints on the market but mine combine that with my crystal obsession,โ€ says Vanessa of the prints that feature zodiac signs alongside each respective birth stone.

Taurus zodiac print with crystals
Bondi Letters Taurus zodiac print with crystals

As for the current collective obsession with crystals, Vanessa feels itโ€™s part of a wider push to embrace our spiritual sides. โ€œIโ€™m really drawn to crystals, not just because theyโ€™re really beautiful but because I feel an energy connection with them.โ€ 

For more on Bondi Letters

Bondi Kitchens
Black kitchen inspired by Paris adds charm to Bondi apartment
Last week saw interior designer Nickolas Gurtler declare the all-white kitchen dead and todayโ€™s kitchen provides further proof. Located in…

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One half of popular parenting podcast @wedonthavet One half of popular parenting podcast @wedonthavetimeforthis, turns out former Neighbours actor @gemma_peanut is even more multi-talented than we thought! Will you check out the joyful and colourful reno of her holiday home (and airbnb) @yo_caba_caba?!

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Amy Collins Walker

About Amy Collins Walker

Amy is our regular feature writer, an experienced journalist and interior stylist living in Perth, Western Australia. Find out more about her styling work at http://www.amycollinswalker.com/

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