Hi

Over the last year and a half, I’ve been compiling a digital wood-type alphabet to use in my children’s book. I had been struggling with how to add text to the page, and I knew that this aspect of the book would need to be resolved for the project to work.  

In 2019 I was teaching a Visual Language class at Wells College, prior to the pandemic hitting the United States, and it was there that I had access to the incredible type at the Wells Book Arts Center. It is probably the best collection of letterpress type in the state of New York.

This typeface pictured here Hamilton’s Post Condensed, and I choose it because it is the right balance of playful and dignified. I also love that it captures the character of wood and as well as some of the scuffs accumulated over the years. Some letters were missing from the collection, so I took creative liberty. For example, the ‘h’ was missing and had to be made from an ‘l’ and ‘n’. 

Working with text in this way has me thinking about the English language in ways I’ve never considered before. My son is simultaneously learning these letters and putting them together into words. 

In honesty, I’ve always had trouble with spelling and grammar. At times, I felt shame for not comprehending these things that seemed obvious to others. The visual language wasn’t strict with the rules, and that’s where I felt more at home. I began to think of myself as an artist nearly 20 years ago. Along the way, I forgot what it was like to write for joy. I particularly struggled with writing about my artwork in a way that felt authentic. Even this blog is a feat for me at times!

I stumbled into writing a children’s book because the visual language I was using in photography was so well-suited to this format. However, I have subsequently found it difficult to think of myself as an author. My book is less than 300 words after all. Now, I am also faced with the reality that in order for this book to enter the world, I have to own this new identity of an author, even if I’m not yet 100% comfortable with it.

But there you have, I’m an artist and an author now too. Hi.