Gilbert woman’s writing enhances things | News | gilbertsunnews.com

Roxy Szigat personalizes Christian Dior perfume bottles with calligraphy engravings during a store event. (Courtesy of Roxy Szigat)

Roxy Szigat of Gilbert writes beautifully for a living.

But rather than hitting bestseller lists, her aim is aestheticism and to elicit admiration.

Szigat is a professional calligrapher, and her talents and skills lie in designing letters with a pen, ink brush or other writing instrument in a visually attractive way.

“I was fascinated with the shape of letters, ink, and pens,” she said, when first introduced to the art in grade school in California. “It was a perfect fit for me.”

Over 42 years later, Szigat enjoys a busy and fulfilling career running ROX INK Calligraphy & Engraving from her home studio.

What began just on paper, has now extended to glass, mirrors, leaves, plants and even rose petals for weddings, she said.

Her work often spills into other related mediums and techniques, such as hot foiling, which involves putting a heat-activated foil on faux leather or smooth fabric and writing in calligraphy to transfer the foil, and bottle painting, decorating glass bottles, such as perfume containers, also with calligraphy.

“Maybe this sounds like a long time, but practice merely makes progress; perfection remains elusive. The landscape of calligraphy is ever-changing and so I must continually evolve,” she said.

Szigat uses two rooms in her home for the business: in one, she does graphic design, engraving, hot foiling and wood burning and in the other cooler room, she does bottle painting, calligraphy, signage and mirror work.

Asked to describe a pet project, Szigat is hesitant because each has posed a challenge that she had to overcome.

Roxy Szigat decorated and personalized this bottle of perfume rendering it more valuable to the user. (Pinkerton Photo Associates.)

Over the decades, she counts many unique challenges: engraving urns, addressing wood-textured envelopes for baseball legend Tommy Lasorda’s 90th birthday invitations, writing personal love letters in calligraphy, and creating welcome mirrors for weddings that read “All because two people swiped right.”

“I am pretty proud of most every project. I will say that I’m probably prouder of the projects which have taken me out of my comfort zone – like hot foiling shoes,” she said.

In July, her projects and onsite events included addressing 130 invitation envelope sets in calligraphy, hot foil personalization on Air Jordan shoes, and on-site hand engraving for companies such as Nordstrom, Código Tequila, Prada, Valentino, Parfums de Marly, and the cosmetic company, MAC.

“My clients are brilliant and constantly come up with new ideas. I wouldn’t necessarily refer to these projects as weird, but they are certainly unique,” she added.

Szigat is mostly self-taught after her first foray in the elective class at elementary school and subsequent handwriting classes.

“It just flourished from there,” she said. “Back then there was no internet, so it was very difficult to find resources, so I had lots of books.”

Soon, the broad-edge pen turned into a dip pen and ink. It was “practice, practice, and practice.”

In the early internet age, she connected with others in the trade and learned from them, often following workshops that opened different avenues.

To obtain clients, who are often niche, Szigat runs a website.

But most of her marketing is old-school style, such as cold calling those she wishes to have as clients and reaching out. Her goal is to make a connection, understand the needs of potential clients, and offer viable solutions.

It has worked.

Szigat described ROX INK Calligraphy & Engraving as not just one full-time job but two. She is kept busy and employs two part-time assistants who play administrative and marketing roles.

“My downtime is rare and sacred,” she said. “It can be challenging to ‘shut off.’”

She loves the work. “Although my job life can be stressful at times, the physical act of producing creative work provides an opportunity to escape to an impenetrable headspace,” she said.

“Other facets of my job that I selfishly enjoy are exceeding client expectations, exceeding my expectations, sharing the joy of creativity, inspiring creativity, and meeting and supporting other like-minded creatives and small business doers,” she added.

Szigat was born and raised in San Gabriel, California, but as a beach lover, moved first to Manhattan Beach and then to Hermosa as soon as she could.

“I lived the beach life and savored every moment. Volleyball, spending time with friends, and hosting fundraisers for charitable causes. The community was and still is very tight knit,” she said.

She met her German husband, Torsten, a mechanical engineer/master wood craftsman, when he was visiting the U.S.

“We met at the birthday party of a mutual friend. Nine months later I moved to Germany. Two years later, we married on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. One year after that, we moved to Hermosa Beach together,” she recalled.

Pushing aside the beach life, they moved during the pandemic to Gilbert in 2020, because it was “less risk-averse.”

It was strange at first, but one way she has integrated to the town is by becoming a member of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce and a subsequent ambassador for it.

“We absolutely love it. Arizona has welcomed us as residents and a business. We are thriving here because we have integrated. It takes effort to integrate, but the benefits are long-term,” she said.

More on Szigat and her calligraphy services at roxink.com.

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