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in the beginning...there was hope.
How the heck do I do this calligraphy thing?
How the heck do I do this calligraphy thing?
How the heck do I do this calligraphy thing?
An artist's website need beautiful photos of their most amazing work to entice future clients. In the beginning I focused on envelopes- often called the bread and butter of a working calligrapher. Since I'd been mailing away my letters and envelopes to friends and family for years, I had few camera-ready envelopes on hand. It was time to
An artist's website need beautiful photos of their most amazing work to entice future clients. In the beginning I focused on envelopes- often called the bread and butter of a working calligrapher. Since I'd been mailing away my letters and envelopes to friends and family for years, I had few camera-ready envelopes on hand. It was time to make some samples! I didn't want to waste paper and ink on fake letters going nowhere, so I contacted Robert at Letters Against Depression. He put together a list of 14 names and addresses of LAD recipients who identified as celebrating Pride Day, and my work began.
What is Letters Against Depression?
How the heck do I do this calligraphy thing?
How the heck do I do this calligraphy thing?
Letters Against Depression supports those battling mental illness through the power of handwritten letters. Since 2014, over 5,000 volunteers have written over 40,000 letters brimming with messages of hope and solidarity to people from over 60 countries.An easy to navigate volunteer portal designed by founder Robert Mason connects volunte
Letters Against Depression supports those battling mental illness through the power of handwritten letters. Since 2014, over 5,000 volunteers have written over 40,000 letters brimming with messages of hope and solidarity to people from over 60 countries.An easy to navigate volunteer portal designed by founder Robert Mason connects volunteers letter-writers with those who are fighting mental illness -and are brave enough to reach out to LAD and share their story. By submitting a short bio to the portal and updating it yearly, recipients get more than a generic note or two in the mail. Within a few weeks, individuals start to get 2-4 thoughtful, personalized, handwritten letters a month, as well as birthday and holiday cards.
Did you get something like this in the mail?
How the heck do I do this calligraphy thing?
Did you get something like this in the mail?
Hello, I'm Katrina. Thanks for giving me a reason to practice my craft of calligraphy. I'm glad you took some time to check out my website and see who bothered to spend all that time making you something beautiful.
I did it because you checked the rainbow colored box on your LAD profile- the one that said "I celebrate Pride Day!" and I
Hello, I'm Katrina. Thanks for giving me a reason to practice my craft of calligraphy. I'm glad you took some time to check out my website and see who bothered to spend all that time making you something beautiful.
I did it because you checked the rainbow colored box on your LAD profile- the one that said "I celebrate Pride Day!" and I wanted to show my support by making you something personalized just for you,. You deserve to be celebrated!
If you'd like to return the greeting, just click the button below or get out your pen and paper:
Manic Italic/ Katrina Malachowski/ 430 NE 16th #207, Portland OR 97232.
practice makes perfect
Coordinating this Pride Day mailing for 14 LAD recipients gave me some great insight on ways to organize a medium-sized mailing with multiple pieces for each recipient. I looked to blogs and books written by calligraphers for tips on the best ways to organize my workstation, supplies, envelopes and cards, what not to wear while working with ink, which envelopes pair best with which ink, and how to best use spreadsheets to catalog and sort names and addresses.
I made sure to give myself time to experiment with different tools and templates, and figure out when the light is best in my studio for taking indoor pictures.
Learning how to photograph my work took me a little while. I love adding props like fresh flowers, but found that sometimes they distract people from looking at what I've made.
Another important thing to remember when photographing my calligraphy is to make sure the address is at least partly obscured- unless the recipient has told me they don't mind sharing their info with art lovers across the world.
I made this fun coloring sheet to add to each envelope, and learned all about which flag means what in the process.