imaginejoy calligraphie

“I have always gravitated toward the arts; I grew up drawing and painting and I studied theatre in college,” says Joy Deneen, the calligrapher behind imaginejoy calligraphie. Originally from California and living in Montreal since 2013, she now creates custom calligraphy pieces for her clients.

“In my mid-20s, I ended up in a job in commercial real estate finance,” Joy says. “But I always continued my artistic pursuits. One year for Christmas, my brother gave me a book by Lisa Engelbrecht about calligraphy, thinking it might interest me. He was right: I absolutely fell in love.”

Joy learned that the author was a member of the Society for Calligraphy in Los Angeles. She immediately sought out the organization. “This is really where it all began. The members were so welcoming and open to sharing their knowledge and passion. I enrolled in classes and workshops and over time, I began to accept commissions,” Joy explains.

In 2013, Joy’s husband was offered a job in Montreal, so the couple moved to the City of Saints, where Joy decided to focus on her calligraphy business full-time. “I was ready for a fresh start and officially launched imaginejoy calligraphie after we moved to Québec.”