Twelve for '13

Longest name I've inscribed on a diploma, or maybe on anything!

Here is this year's edition of the Marin Waldorf diploma, for which I created and printed the outline, then taught the class parents to paint with gouache and tool the gold. Each year's is a unique design.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Just when I think I've seen it all...along comes a client who wants to present cutting boards and cheese stones to winners of a local tennis tournament! Four. Of each.

After practicing on scrap wood, I did the lettering on paper, then transferred it in chalk before taking the woodburning tool to it.

The first pass was a little funky. Although I had sanded and steel-wooled the area lightly, there was still some kind of wax or oil on the surface.

 After sanding and steel-wooling again, a second pass gave a little more definition.

The cheese stones were a little easier--and more forgiving. Slate is so soft I could just scratch off any errant blobs of paint and after wiping with a damp paper towel, it didn't show at all. Since the surface was rather uneven, I stuck with monoline and used a new-to-me Montana Acrylic marker (refillable!) with an extra-fine tip.

Certainly not perfect, but way more useful than trophies!

Age as Art

A little commission for a fiftieth birthday card: Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art. ~ Stanislaw Lec. 

I need to have this etched on my bathroom mirror!

Belated Bunnies

Easter was weeks ago but I'm just getting around to sorting out photos. My dear friend Kathleen sets a beautiful table for every holiday, and since I'm not much of a cook, my contribution is always place cards. I fell in love with these and the tutorial, with template, here.

I used carnations for the tails (so sweet smelling!) but roses would be cute too.

The stem on the back side holds the bunny upright. They were a big hit!

Signs of the Times

You just never know where a love of lettering is going to lead you! When there was a work stoppage at the San Francisco Symphony in March, they asked for some signs to replace the hastily scrawled ones they had been using on the picket line. Here are a few of them:

Truth is, these were only slightly less hastily scrawled...I had just three evenings to churn them out. The large sign--which I'm shown below climbing onto the kitchen island to make--was carted around town to identify the musicians while they performed in parks and on street corners.

One of the striking musicians found work as my studio assistant!

Who knows if it was the signs, but the strike did settle in just eighteen days...whereas last time (1996-97) it was ten weeks. Just sayin'...

A very tired sign maker.

Next frontier: tequila bottles. ¡Stay tuned!