West to east: day 2

We spent the night in Phoenix last night, at an oasis called ZenYard Guest House. The proprietors -- Eddie and Dale -- are delightful and told us about the Musical Instrument Museum. Have you been? The way it works is each country has a display, and that display includes that country's instruments. There is also a TV of footage of musicians in that country playing music and when you stand in front of the TV music plays through your headset. It lands on my list of favorite museums ever. Above: footage from four exhibits (North Korea, Spain, American hip hop and then a video about making scrolls for player pianos). Also, textiles, miniature violins and a map of Africa showing all of the languages (the close up area is like 1 square inch of the continent). And yes, another post office. I had my first raspado. Are you thinking of opening a restaurant in a summery vacation spot (Rob A., I am talking to you)? Include raspados and you will have lines out the door. Basically: shaved ice, fresh fruit in syrup (mango in my case) topped with a ball of vanilla ice cream that, within minutes, melts into this awesome not too sweet shake smoothie type thing. And lastly, my favorite story of the day was at the Opera exhibit at MIM. There I came upon a man and his wife. She was blind. As they listened to the music on their headsets the man would describe to her what he saw on the TV (Him: "Now Madame Butterfy comes out in her kimono." Her: "Are they dancing?" Him: "Now there is an image of Papageno playing the flute." Her: "What does his face look like?"). What an inspiring gesture of love. 

WEST TO EAST: DAY 1

And we're on the road again. After a throughly crazy move we hopped in the car at 2 AM on Tuesday night, dropped off 20 feet of calligraphed scroll for a collaboration with wonderful, patient Kate of Flowerwild and said goodbye to LA. This journey will take us through South Carolina, Philadelphia, Boston and a month in New York (NYC collaborators: let's get together!). Day 1: Joshua Tree National Park. Guys, GUYS have you been there? It is like an alien universe with green to brown ombre cactuses; puzzle piece rock formations; and the miles of trees with outstretched, crooked arms. What visit is complete without a trip to the post office; sending a few postcards (there is an Oasis of Mara) and, of course, listening to "Where the Streets Have No Name" 'til the speakers pound. 

UNITED WE STAND

I am totally in love with this project by Lisa Anne Auerbach that I stumbled upon earlier this month while attending a poetry reading at the Hammer Museum of Wislawa Szymborska. Ok, here's how it works: 

Last spring artist Lisa Anne Auerbach trained as a Hammer security guard to gain insight on the role of guards at the museum. She subsequently worked shifts in the galleries that informed her Public Engagement project, United We Stand. For her subtle intervention, Auerbach replaced the guards’ standard blazers with a new set of blazers, tailored for each guard and bearing a slogan on the back related to standing. She honed in on standing as she found it to be a definitive element of her experience as a guard, physically taxing and particular to the guards’ job at the museum. The phrases were selected by the guards and transferred onto the garments in their own handwriting. Hammer guards will wear the blazers by Auerbach throughout the museum from February until the end of April.

I walked around the galleries going up to all of the guards and asking them to show me the back of their jackets. Each had a "stand" slogan like "Get up, Stand up." or "Under / Stand" or "Stand back." I interacted with the museum guards far more than I ever did previously (previously: not much). I adore that each guard's blazer has their handwriting stitched in sequins. Thank you, thank you, thank you Lisa! The experience brought to mind this poem (translated by my long lost friend Joanna, whom I think of every time I hear a beautiful Polish woman read Szymborska, as I did tonight)

Miracle Fair by Wislawa Szymborska
translated by Janna Trzeciak

Commonplace miracle:
that so many commonplace miracles happen.

An ordinary miracle:
in the dead of night
the barking of invisible dogs.

One miracle out of many:
a small, airy cloud
yet it can block a large and heavy moon. 

Several miracles in one:
an alder tree reflected in the water,
and that it's backwards left to right
and that it grows there, crown down
and never reaches the bottom,
even though the water is shallow.

An everyday miracle:
winds weak to moderate
turning gusty in storms.

First among equal miracles:
cows are cows.

Second to none:
just this orchard
from just that seed.

A miracle without a cape and top hat:
scattering white doves.

A miracle, for what else could you call it:
today the sun rose at three-fourteen
and will set at eight-o-one.

A miracle, less surprising than it should be:
even though the hand has fewer than six fingers,
it still has more than four.

A miracle, just take a look around:
the world is everywhere.

An additional miracle, as everything is additional:
the unthinkable
is thinkable.  

COLLABORATION WITH: JESSICA, MO + ROBERT

I'm so excited to share this tattoo with you. I think it is the most text commissioned by any client. Jessica -- a nurse at a labor and delivery ward -- tells the story best.

Ten summers ago, my now husband Derek and I took our first trip together to see the Dave Matthews Band play at the Gorge. "Heaven's ampitheatre," I like to call it, with immense views of plateaus and sky and Columbia River. It became a tradition for us, three days of music bliss every Labor Day weekend. We now have our son Lennox in tow, who's 2, and I like to say he's been making the trip even before he was born (in my belly the first time around).  He was born into this world with Dave Matthews Band ushering him in like a theme song or dramatic score to the story of our life.  And I'm pretty sure he was conceived to it ;) It's in his blood.

"One Sweet World" is a song that I came across only in the last few years, discovered at one of these shows.  The violin intro to this song is so powerful. It catches my attention and draws me in even on the darkest of days. This tattoo evolved over the course of many years and shows, and over the years I've evolved into this tattoo.

As I became a mom and motherhood became me, a line from this song began to resonate with me on many levels. "So let us sleep outside tonight, lay down in our mother's arms, for here we can rest safely." It connects so many images and ideas of who I am in just a few words. I imagine laying in my mother's arms, as a child, outside in our backyard in the Oregon countryside.  Looking up at the stars on a summer night, and being completely at peace. It's dreamlike.  I imagine me holding my newborn son, barely the length of my forearm, and cradling him so closely all those first months, each time he nursed or needed to be close to me.  I'm now working as a Nurse in Labor and Delivery, and bear witness to women becoming mothers before my eyes, and have the rare opportunity to be a part of that incredible experience every day. There is no stronger bond than a mother to her child, and no safer place to be than in that Mama Bear's arms.  I imagine also one of the more literal meanings of the song, which I think is really about this planet we live upon, holding us close, keeping us grounded, with our feet solidly planted in the soil. She keeps us safe and holds us close, and feeds our soul with sunshine and dirt and water. Each day a mother holds her child, her little piece of the earth. From dust to dust. The experience of motherhood is now imprinted on my arms, where I will continue to hold my babies and the babies of other mothers.

Thank you Mara for translating these ideas to art. It is more beautiful than I could have ever dreamed.

Thank you Monica at Mo Hines Photography for spending an evening with us and for being so creative. And thank you Robert Egbert at Slave to the Needle Tattoo for putting it on my body forever, and for not messing it up.

Thank you, Jessica, for trusting me with (both!) of your inner arms, envisioning such a thoughtful tattoo, and sharing your story with us. Thank you to Robert for inking it so precisely, and to Mo for capturing the final result so well.

{Photos by Mo Hines Photography}

NEST

So during my freshman year in college I decided to make a human sized nest-swing whereby I commissioned a blacksmith to forge a metal "basket" type structure, wove it with grapevines from a nearby vineyard, filled it with foam, lined it with waterproof cloth, and hung it from a tree on campus. In hindsight, it would have been a lot better had I enlisted the help of a physics major (at a certain point it started to sort of...bend). You can imagine how giddy I was to discover the Treebones nest which sits between two trees (and is immeasurably sturdier and more wonderful than my attempt) and overlooks the Big Sur coast. They had a last minute opening two nights ago and we decamped there with our sleeping bags. The moon was so bright reflecting on the ocean just outside our nest portal and made is almost impossible to sleep, so distracting was the beauty. What an amazing experience. If you ever have the chance, go! (PS: I am now on instagram -- @neithersnow. Are you?)

HEADED TO TYPO

I am headed to the TYPO Conference in San Francisco later this week. Will any of you be there? Tweet me or drop a line and let's get together!

OSBP + DECALS + FLORENCE

Julie at Oh So Beautiful Paper kindly posted a profile of Neither Snow over here today. Thank you! I'm honored to be included (and check out other calligrapher friends in her "Calligraphy Inspiration" series). She notes the latest project I've had up my sleeve: decals (more to come). For too long, decals have been relegated to the world of walls (or the side of minivans) but they can be used on nearly any other surface: notebooks, leather, glass, wood, fabric, mirrors, chalkboard, ceramic. And they don't register as "decal." They register is "how did you get calligraphy on to that surface?" You may ask: "Why not just use paint or ink?" After experimenting for the last year I have fallen in love with this medium and here are a few reasons why: 

1. Decals maintain the calligraphy's crispness and hairline strokes, unlike paint or chalkboard pens.
2. Vinyl comes in an unimaginable spectrum of colors, including glitter, metallic, high gloss and super matte.
3. Clients can easily apply decals on their end. For example: names on 300 "escort" votives in Miami? Done! And without the environmental and financial cost of shipping the glassware back and forth.
4. Decals are scalable and flexible. We can create gigantic banners and signs or very tiny names and wrap the calligraphy around rounded surfaces.

Here are a few more snaps from a recent project I collaborated on with designer and stylist Joy Thigpen for one of her workshops and photographed by Rylee Hitchner. Joy said, "Gold. Silver. Notebooks." and this is the final product, given to each attendee.

Finally: the cat is out of the bag. A. + I are moving to Florence, Italy in September for the year (!!!). This means I'll be scaling back client work that has to be shipped to and fro (printed envelopes; escort cards). I'll be focusing on digitized calligraphy for invitation suites, tattoos, decals, fabric and other fun projects (shipped stateside); work that can be shipped directly from Florence (unprinted envelopes; place cards and escort cards on Italian papers); and European clients. If you were hoping to work together on a project that falls into the first category, please be in touch with my stupendously talented colleagues listed to the right. The move also means we're looking for a renter for our Philadelphia home (if you know of anyone) and are in need of fantastic Florence suggestions.

{Photos by Rylee Hitchner}

LE WEEKEND

Yesterday ranks as one of my favorite days in LA. Let me recount: stunning and sorta' creepy 4 hour hike through what was described in the guide book as the "urban wilds" Elysian Park. Change clothes in car. Eat mu shu pancakes in the parking lot of Walt Disney Concert Hall. Sprint to Piatigorsky Cello Festival Concert. Marvel at beauty of Gehry building and wooden pipe organ. Sneak down to orchestra seats. And then and then and then out came the "cello chorus." What is a cello chorus you might ask? Well, it is over 100 (yes, is this number right? It must have been. It was the entire orchestra.) cellists on stage all at once. I tried to find a video on YouTube of a similar event and nothing came remotely close to the quantity of instruments on stage. In the front, some of the world's greatest musicians, including the incomparable Mischa Maisky (above). And behind them, an army of young students, bows at attention. So the conductor comes on stage, raises the baton, and signals the beginning of Bach's Air. Before last night, I thought of this piece as the "overused song at weddings as the bride walks down the aisle." But last night's performance was an overwhelming, marvelous display of musicianship, solidarity, and multigenerational communion. An army of cellists playing in unison. It is an experience I will never forget. (Above is my very blurry photo before I got busted, along with dozens of proud parents.)

UPDATE: Thank you to attendee Pasquale, for the last, clearer photo. I saw that he successfully snapped a few images from the front row and was not busted, thrust my business card into his hands and begged him to send me a photo. The kindness of strangers.)

UPDATE 2: The New York Times has confirmed it: 110 cellos on stage. Just in case you thought I was being hyperbolic.

Lisa Congdon's 365 Days of Hand Lettering

I've been loving Lisa Congdon's 365 Days of Hand Lettering Project. She has such a keen eye and sense of playfulness.

99% Invisible: Stamps!

Thank you to John R. for pointing me to this episode of 99% Invisible on desiging postal service stamps. I loved learning so many new facts about the design process (what do you think? Do you love the breast cancer stamp design? I've always found it busy..but now that I know it is supposed to be a representation of Diana, I'm coming around). One small correction: the alcoholism stamp was not "stamp out alcoholism," as the interviewee states (I may be wrong about this...correct me if I am). It was a lot worse. It was "Alcoholism: You can beat it" (above). Which really isn't message you want to send to your recipient (but it is one of my favorite stamps).

COLLABORATION WITH: JESS + SAM

Jess and Sam (the adorable couple behind Boho Baby Bump) posted their tattoo story today. They went above and beyond and even made a video about the process which you can see above. Jess writes:

"My heart is so happy when I look down at my arm. I get little flutters of romantic artsy-ness. We did this because we're crazy and in love. It's one of my favorite things that we've ever done together and will always be a sweet memory of our friendship and the heart romance I share with this guy named Samuel. ;)"

It was such a treat working with these two radiant and lovely people. Thanks so much for the opportunity (and exceptionally kind words), Jess + Sam!

PINA

Last night I had the honor of seeing Pina (in 3D), thanks to a nudge by Daven (my fondness for the director, Wim Wenders, is well-documented). There aren't words, really, to describe it. So all I can say is run, go, watch and then see it again. Lately there's been a blog trend that involves the authors unabashedly announcing that they're about to share something "authentic" and "honest." I'll hold my tongue and instead go positive and say this: in watching Pina, it becomes immediately apparent how work that is authentic and honest does not need a preamble. It is unmistakable, and it is profoundly rare. This was my experience with Pina. What is so striking is how every gesture and expression rings true. You don't need someone to tell you it is so, because it just is. The spectrum of human emotion and experience conveyed in the choreography, movements and dancers' reflections about Pina threw into sharp relief the other aesthetic encounters in my life that lack this quality. It's a gift to be reminded of the difference.

HEARTS + MINDS

I've come across many incredible images of hearts and minds recently. From top to bottom: via Don't Die Wondering; paper artist Lisa Nilsson via the Geneticist; Tjep Studio via Goldperson; Brian Dettmer's insane carving books via Karanarora via Sarah.

Collabiration with: Gus & Ruby, et al. for Maine Photo Shoot

 

Speechless about sums up my reaction to this unreal spread featured today on Style Me Pretty, shot by Corbin Gurkin Photography and styled by Maine Seasons Events. It's so funny with these things. Every once in a while I get an email from a favorite collaborator like Gus & Ruby asking me for a little of this (some digital calligraphy!) and a little of that (labels for invite boxes!) and I gladly oblige. And then one day I get to see the fruits of these labors and marvel at the abundant spectacularness of it all. Thank you for including me!

Photography: Corbin Gurkin Photography / Location: French’s Point in Stockton Springs, Maine / Design + Concept: Maine Seasons Events + Flora Fauna / Floral Design: Flora Fauna / Custom Table Ruffles: Maine Seasons Events / Cake: Nothing Bakes Like a Parrott / Stationery: Gus & Ruby Letterpress / Calligraphy: Neither Snow / Tulle Posies, Dessert Table Buds + Place Cards: Paper Posy Designs / Hair + Makeup: Lisa Nichols Salon / Dresses: Lula Kate / Rentals: One Stop Party Shoppe

YOANN LEMONIE

I'm a bit late to the Lana Del Rey party. The music really brings me back to the Mazzy Star days, when I could stomach "fears" rhyming with "tears." It feels like eating a heap of cotton candy. In digging around I found the video to Born to Die; the ending makes it too graphic to post here. But the art direction by Yoann Lemonie is an unexpected mix of high and low and camp: chateaus, making out in old cars, gilded Cathedral ceilings, tigers, blue rose crowns, tattoos, joints and red Converse and nightgowns and moody lighting. Lemonie has also directed this Yelle video (striped still above) and Taylor Swift's December. I'd love to know his process for pulling together all of these disparate images. 

{Stills by Yoann Lemonie}