2011 Forgotten Saints Calendar

As I see, it has been a great while since I posted anything! Starting a world cruise does tend to monopolize time... the 2010 design was not complete until rounding the Baja coast to snatch a photo of the enormous cross, so it is officially the 2011 design. As I told my jealous friend Maia while printing the calendar super early in June--I am always 6 months behind, so it just looks like I am early!


The now 2011 calendar design was inspired by hearing that Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, was "no longer a Catholic saint". I thought that this was bizarre, a widely revered saint is no longer a saint?

Intrigued by this, I did some research, then realized that due to a lack of historical data, quite a few saints were removed from the Roman Catholic General Calendar in the 60's (many are still celebrated on local calendars). I've chosen the ones that seemed most interesting and as well known as I can determine from an outsider's view.


My desire in exploring this calendar design was to recognize, not only Catholic saints, but as a nod to all those who do good deeds and their memory fades away--here is toast to them!

To read more about the calendar, visit here.

bookworks 2008

The past few months I've been kept busy with some great projects, like the logo, signage, labels and catalog for bookworks 2008
as well as my own artists' book nothing which has developed over the past 2 1/2 years to what you can see (part of) here!


photo by kate godfrey

You can see more photos of the exhibit at greenchair press

poets pulling prints

I was asked to design two broadsides for SFCB's Poets Pulling Prints, which was an interesting challege—the poetry and quotes I choose to use in my work are design dependent and are usually from authors from earlier centuries, not modern poets and designed to the author's words.

In my approach, I used Beatrice Warde's philosophy on the Crystal Goblet, that the typography should enhance the text, not detract from it.


For Emily Raabe's Milestones, the colors green, blue and brown immediately came to mind. Her passage through time and space had a definite weaving and intertwining quality. The introduction of interlacing random threads was an immediate idea and worked well in theory and on the press. Mrs Eaves was chosen as the text face because it's excellent letterpress results and the modern feel of a rendition of Baskerville, a 18th centry typeface design.


For Brent Foster Jones' poem, the imagery was more challenging. My first thoughts went to the vivid text of pools/circles of red, harsh yellow lines, blue folders/squares, but after playing with these elements and colors, the imagery always overtook the text. Deeper thoughts into lifelines/ekg lines and stock market graphs resulted in very simple interacting visuals that sang to the text, not taking over. The line elements were paired with DIN Schrift, a crisp and clear typeface with a European flair, used in Germany for transit signage.

7º broadsides (#2 & #6 pictured)

This is a new poster series based on 7 circles ranging from 1/2-inch to 4-inches printed in 2 colors, each color has 2 runs on the letterpress, for a total of 4 press runs. There are a total of 7 broadsides.

The organic play is determined on the press and each design is a different interaction. The colors are:
#1 Grape and Kiwi
#2 Kiwi and Blueberry
#3 Blueberry and Chocolate
#4 Chocolate and Watermelon#5 Watermelon and Cherry
#6 Cherry and Orange
#7 Orange and Lemon

7 degrees is a spin on the ideology of six degrees of separation, and that in our circular lives, we not only connect within one realm, but we have many different realms, the closer the realms are together, the easier they can interact (#1 and #2 will work together, but #1 and #4 will not work so well). The proper title rendering is 7 and the degree symbol (a small circle).



Each poster is about 8x13.5 (varies slightly due to deckle/rough edge), printed on Johnnot mould made cotton paper, signed and numbered by the artist by the deckle edge at the bottom [not shown in photo].

Please note that paper is a very soft off-white and to not blow out the paper texture detail, the photographs are slightly on the dark side. Also, do look at a close up view--the delicate impression on the soft paper is much more visible in the larger image view.

new artists' calendar: poseidon 2008

Every year for the annual PCBA Calendar Show, I enter a design that reflects the thoughts I've been brewing over the last year and incorporate a calendar into the design. The 2008 Lizard Press artists' calendar is based on the lure and the lore of the sea.


Represented by a photograph of a modern day sailor, Poseidon rules over 2008. Poseidon's chariot is pulled by an old etching of a hippocampus, half horse, half sea creature and accompanied by a quote from Jacques Cousteau, "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever."


To give a sense of timelessness, a photograph of a 1695 explorer's map, I took at the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library, is used as a backdrop. The original map was completely hand illustrated, including the rendering of Poseidon and his wife Amphitrite, and an ontourage of nymphs.

The calendar is a linear one, for reference, outlines are supplied for Fridays, the day sailors avoid for beginning an ocean voyage (and also the day to look forward for the rest of us to start the weekend!) The sea gulls are included to guide the sailor home to land after a long voyage at sea.


Poseidon 2008 is printed on Kitakata, a handmade, tree free paper from Japan of 100% Philippine gampi. Kitakata has a delicate and subtle natural laid pattern and in the design, the bottom natural deckle has been maintained. It is a very strong paper, adding the perfect texture for a map.

The calendar is a limited run of 150 and can be purchased while available at lizardpress letterpress.

2007 holiday cards

I had some press time free this summer continued my idea of overprinting layers of wood type. Early for the 2007 holiday season, and late for 2006, but of course wood type never goes out of style!







I've printed runs of 125 of each card and an extra 125 of "peace" and "happy new year" which will be in the November issue of the sampler. If you are interested in a card or two of your own, click here.

Speak Out

The personal projects I take on always have a purpose, and one of recent posters I've designed was for the Mutanabbi Street Coalition, a collection of letterpress printers and poets joining together for the recognition of the Mutanabbi Street bombing.

We are constantly bombarded with news of depressing events that influence us, on worldwide, local, and personal levels. With such an influx of negativity, it can seem a daunting and impossible task to overcome the adversity.

For centuries on Mutanabbi Street, despite overbearing political forces, booksellers have housed literary works that have inspired intellectual thought and cafes have been homes for patrons to peacefully debate their passionate ideas.

But on March 5th, 2007, Mutanabbi Street was silent . . .

. . . in response the Mutanabbi Street Coalition spoke out.

The overpowering of 53 inhumane actions in Speak Out is dedicated to the booksellers of Mutanabbi Street and all who promote free speech and the peaceful transfer of ideas, whether it is through a book, a banner, or a simple broadside, even the smallest light has power over dark.

All 35+ broadsides contributed to the project will be on display at SFCB October 19th to November 21st 2007.