Penland Letterpress Posters
I spent two weeks at a Letterpress Residency at Penland School of Crafts. It was the first time I'd had such dedicated time to simply-make-things in many years. I strove to make something new each day that I was there—both creating some playful designs and others that resonated more deeply with me. Creating work using a letterpress machine (in this instance, a Vandercook), is such a tactile experience. I enjoyed this break from my computer and the immediacy and directness with which I could construct printed objects. While I did "play" some, I also thought a lot about what I wanted to say — sometimes printing my favorite quotes and other times writing what I felt. A poster is such a wonderful object (particularly when it is printed and shared) in that you can quickly convey messages to any passerby.
LOVE IS LOVE
I set wood type for "LOVE IS" and letterpress printed a yellow to blue gradient. I then rotated the paper and printed the same "LOVE IS" using a red to yellow gradient. The aim was to have a looping "LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE" forever.
Do what is right
One of my favorite quotes by Martin Luther King Jr. has always been "The time is always right to do what is right." I wish more people thought that way.
RBG
Inspired by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I set the type "Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks. That means don't do it just for yourself. You will want to leave the world a little better for having lived." I then created a typographic ornament RBG collar.
Be kind and be honest
I often think about how important it is to be kind, but it is just as important to tell the truth (but you can still treat others with care, even if honesty hurts).
Starlight
One of my husband’s favorite bands is MUSE, and so I chose to set some of the lyrics to their song “Starlight” in this piece. I made it to hang in my daughter’s room (I was pregnant during the time of my residency), and the last line in the piece is “I just wanted to hold you in my arms,” which is how I feel about her.
In the first letterpress run, I set the hand reaching toward a sky of hand-set stars. For the second run, I set the lyrics.
Light in Darkness
For this piece, I typeset the Bell Hooks quote “There is light in darkness, you just have to find it.” I mixed a black ink with a bit of metallic silver and then printed it onto black paper. So while the text might be initially difficult to see, it emerges as the light changes.
Risograph Prints
While at Penland, I also had the opportunity to play around with a risograph printer. I’m sharing a few of my explorations here.
I had an incredible experience at the Penland School of Craft, and I am so thankful to them for providing my residency experience.
