A new project

In preparation for this whole wedding thing, we've delegated responsibilities to each other in a very Marxian system of wedding planning. Naturally, invitations fall squarely into the category of my abilities. The obvious thing for me to do would be to go to the print shop and whip something up. I just couldn't think of what. So I spent an evening drawing ideas, and came up with something that I liked.
Something that requires me to design my own typeface.
Yeah, I know.

This is a great project. I spent 12 hours working on it yesterday, taking a quick break to ride my bike to school so I could practice for an hour before the building closed. The idea is not for the letters to be perfect; I still want the project to look hand-drawn, so rather than "fix" my drawings so they're perfect in one of my computer programs, I'm keeping them basically as they are. How am I going to print this? I'm still thinking about it. There's the option to make a plate and print it from the letterpress, but of course that's not the only option; I might also get them printed onto a high-quality paper, and then letterpress some color over them. Oh, we'll see.
Here's the original drawing:

Realized yesterday I'm following in my father's footsteps - he also designed a typeface for their wedding invitations, which they silkscreened at their house in Pacifica, then hung on lines in the living room. I would say mine is more "modern" than theirs, but it was the 70s, after all.

I know, there are easier ways I could be doing this. Like printing from lead at the shop, for example. But I could also just make the drawing, hand-letter the whole thing, and then go from there. But this way, I'll have the letters... I don't know. Don't try to dissuade me. I'm having fun.

By the way - it was 28 degrees (-2˙C) here last night. COLD!!

Alright, you disgruntled blog followers! Your delinquent author rouses herself.

But incompletely. Still distracted, I shoot nervous glances around the room, out the window, at the shiny ring on my finger. (An engagement ring? It is.) I think about going to the grocery store, about buying some more socks downtown. I feel grateful that my agony at being pinned here at this laptop will be soon interrupted by an appointment at school, where I'll be accompanying a singing class, as part of a renaissance consort.

School has been largely absent from my life so far this year. I have a total of 2 hours of lessons every week, and all on the same day. And nothing else for the rest of the week. Also, my fall has been largely devoid of work projects. This is an amazing opportunity for both extreme productivity, outside of school, and truly epic laziness. Take a moment to guess in which category I more often find myself. I'll give you a hint: not the first. I've lost track of how many books I've read. Of all types. Just finished another one today. My dearth of work has afforded an opportunity to spend some time at the print shop, where I met and was befriended by an American artist named Elana Gutmann, who has been working here for the last few months. She's an interesting person, and makes really beautiful prints. (http://elanagutmann.com/) She also introduced me to some chocolate cake at a hidden cafe not so far from my house.

In the next few weeks I'll start work on a really interesting collaborative print project, organized in part by a printer friend I made last February at Codex. She and a friend have cut their own wood type, and are recruiting artists from all over to make art prints from the type, which will be included in an exhibit and a catalog. More information can be found here, including pictures of the type being cut with a router, and some prints off the first letter.

Also, the wave of work begins, in November. Thank goodness. I've been feeling a little high and dry here. First week of November has three projects, all overlapping each other. Bass on a Train! In the in-between-moments, I think of all the things I hope to fit in when Andrew and I go to California and Texas this December. Really Looking Forward. (Tacos. Ocean. Family, Friends. Clothes Shopping [I Am Shallow]. Maybe some more of these caramels that Maggie sent me for my birthday, if she'll tell me where she got them.)

Pictures, you say? OK. Here is the scene of a nice bike ride & picnic we had last time Andrew was in town (yes - we found him the same kind of bicycle as me, a Cilo! Here in Switzerland they call that "partner-look"),

some strawflowers from my late summer garden,

pumpkins (kurbis) from the farmer's market,

and the strangest little bug I've ever seen - found it on my wall. Any clue what it could be?

 

Maybe you can see, it walks like a crab. About the size of a grain of rice. Appeared to be completely covered in dust, but I think it was its natural state. Weird! Cute! Creepy! Fascinating!!

Oh yeah, also, here I am, tending to the basil plant.