K is for kale! Straight from the Burien farmer’s market, after selecting it, my mom and I got to work on this rendition of eat the alphabet. Growing up my mom was a children’s art teacher so there was always something creative that we had on the go. It’s a delight to invite her along with my fun creative ventures now!
The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner! And that means our 8th annual Haute Halloween party! Save the date!
This was made on an iPad with the Apple Pencil in the Procreate app. I uploaded a photo of myself in a matador costume, then lettered overtop using a variety of brushes, each in a different layer.
It’s funny how we hold onto things so tightly, thinking that if we let them go we’ll somehow cease to be who we are. It’s magic when you release something you have held so tightly, be it a relationship, a job, a situation, a commitment, and in the vacancy it left behind you can finally breathe. Look yourself in the eye. Evolve. And make space for what is waiting to be born through you.
Barn burned down. Now I can see the moon. – Mizuta Mahaside
This was made on an iPad with the Apple Pencil in the Procreate app using the monoline brush.
I hope you blow your own damn mind sometimes.
Recently while cleaning my office, I came across old sketches of mine, many of which had never seen the light of day. They were damn good, not gonna lie. I had a proud moment looking back at the creativity that has been flowing through me and gave myself a much needed pat on the back. It’s great to pause, take stock, and recognize your excellent work! Your hungry creative heart will thank you for it.
Happy weekend!
These sketches were created using pen and watercolor on tracing, layout bond, and mixed media paper.
Get it, girl. I love how women encourage and support other women. Maria requested this little custom note on her birthday tote and the message so resonant.
Recently I picked up Wolfpack by Abby Wombach and she says:
“Championing each other can be difficult for women because for so long we’ve been pitted against each other for the token seat at the table. Maintaining the illusion of scarcity is how power keeps competing for the singular seat at the old table, instead of building a new, bigger table.
“Scarcity has been planted inside of us and among us. This is not our fault – but it is our problem to solve. … .
“The Wolfpack’s belief is that scarcity is a lie. That power and success and joy are not pies. A bigger slice for one woman doesn’t mean a smaller slice for another. … We will celebrate the success of one woman as a collective success for all women.” 👏
I highly recommend reading Wolfpack. It is expansive and illuminating.
G is for girl on the go — and gummy bears! This month my star has been rising and I am filled with gratitude for the opportunities and abundance coming my way. It feels good to be coming in contact with radiant humans, to do work that fills my bucket and beautifies the world around me.
The idea with this G was to evoke a sense of forward propulsion, hence the gummies being thrown back. Benefit: they’re pretty tasty, too. Coming soon: H!
Happy wedding day to our beautiful bride, Cammi! Cammi brought us the concept of white ink on plexiglass signage for her summer wedding and we were happy to oblige.
Seating chart arrangements like this involve more geometry than any other thing in a wedding calligrapher’s arsenal. A sign like this takes days to design, measure, chart and execute to ensure the an ideal amount of breathing room — hence the investment.
Because of the clear nature of plexiglass, I lettered the calligraphy on paper with watercolor in advance, cut it out, taped it to the back and traced over it using 4mm Molotow acrylic ink markers for the script headers. I printed out the names digitally then lettered them with 2mm markers. Scroll through to witness the process!
A few year’s back we did Cammi’s sister’s wedding signage and it was an honor to be referred and sought out for her wedding. It was an delight to be part of her big day!
PS: I wish the weather had cooperated to work outside. Alas! I brought this big girl outside to spray a final coat of varnish in a well ventilated area and changed out of my sweat pants for the final photo. 😜
Especially as a solopreneur, it’s such a treat to fall in step with other creatives. This happened in abundance at @letter_west in Salt Lake City in June, plus at the lettering meetups that we host in Seattle to bring people together. It’s a treat to celebrate each other and ourselves.
Back in 2016 I started hosting a lettering meetup to cultivate community and have met terrific local artists through this, including Jo at @theletteringcompanion who does a quarterly lettering meetup in Seattle. Jo and I were saying this week how lovely it is that we all support each other in this city and what a community we’ve cultivated. There’s room for all of us here.
Hello from my home base in Seattle, WA! It’s been a minute since I came out from behind the camera / iPad and I’d be remiss to not extend some Canadian hospitality!
I’m Sarah, the woman behind Lark, and I have a love for bold accent walls in vibrant colors (exhibit A — also a chalkboard underneath the gallery wall).
When I had a fancy corporate job as a Lead Editorial Stylist at @zulily I wore a full face of makeup. Every. Single. Day. Foundation, powder, contouring eye shadow, blush, the full 9 yards. I’ve pared back my beauty routine big time in this season of my life to tinted moisturizer, concealer, brows, blush, and a cat eye.
Speaking of cats, we have 2 black cats and my flamenco name is “La Gata”, meaning The Cat. If you find cat fur in your deliverable from me, I apologize in advance. 🙀
I’m a voracious reader and just wrapped Three Women by Lisa Taddeo, a decade long study of desire in three American women’s lives. It’s raw, heartbreaking, profound, and makes me want to start a book club all over again to talk to other women about it. Highly recommend.
On my desk right now is a ton of clear acrylic for a wedding I’m working on and I’m using a blend of Molotow markers and Daler and Rowney acrylic ink.
Say hello and share something about you in the comments below!
F is for French fries. In other news, I ate them all.
Last month at @letter_west, @erikmarinovich talked about striking while the iron is hot. I took this to heart and launched into the alphabet with great enthusiasm. By now things have cooled, particularly as I’m making multiple shopping trips to track down the right foods. I was really hoping for Fruit by the Foot! Alas, next time.