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}