white picket fence

tuscan serifs (aka circus-y lettering)

My kids like to read the same stories over and over. I've realized there are a ton of truly horrid children's books out there, so I try to find ones that we all enjoy. Them for the story, me for the art and art direction, of course.

These are 2 of our current faves:An Oliver Jeffers classic, The Incredible Book Eating Boy, and Limelight Larry by Leigh Hodgkinson. Both are full of inspiring hand-drawn typography, but I kept coming back to the capital serifs on "incredible" and "Larry."

I've been noticing this type of lettering more and more; so I did a little research and learned that it's called a Tuscan Serif, or Bifurcated Serif. Most people, myself included, associate these with the circus or wild west-y type stuff. 

Anyway, the more I looked at it, the more I really just wanted to draw some. 

I know I've said this before, but it's always good to go back to your old loves. I've been doodling letters for about as long as I can remember. It feels so natural and comforting. 

Sadly though, this is about as much drawing as I've done in the past month or so. My current sketchbook is much larger than I normally use, about 9x12, and I'm starting to realize it's just not working for me. I have no desire to work in it and that's pretty unusual for me. I'm all for trying new things but this time I struck out. It just goes to show how the right materials really can make a difference. Has something like that ever happened to you? 

two thoughts from people much smarter than me

Here are some things I have been thinking about recently; two vastly different sources, but the concept is the same. Presented without further comment:

"I think the reason why people behave in an ugly manner is that it's really scary to be alive and to be human, and people are really really afraid. [...]

That the fear is the basic condition, and there are all kinds of reasons for why we’re so afraid. But the fact of the matter is that the job that we’re here to do is to learn how to live in a way that we’re not terrified all the time. And not in a position of using all kinds of different things, and using people to keep that kind of terror at bay. That is my personal opinion.

Well for me, as an American male, the face I’d put on the terror is the dawning realization that nothing’s enough, you know? That no pleasure is enough, that no achievement is enough. That there’s a kind of queer dissatisfaction or emptiness at the core of the self that is unassuageable by outside stuff. [...] And that our particular challenge is that there’s never been more and better stuff comin’ from the outside, that seems temporarily to sort of fill the hole or drown out the hole."

David Foster Wallace, as quoted in David Lipsky's Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself

"That hollowness we sometimes feel is not a sign of something gone wrong. It is the holy of holies inside of us, the uncluttered throne room of the Lord our God. Nothing on earth can fill it, but that does not stop us from trying. Whenever we start feeling too empty inside, we stick our pacifiers into our mouths and suck for all we are worth. They do not nourish us, but at least they plug the hole.

To enter the wilderness is to leave them behind, and nothing is too small to give up. Even a chocolate bar will do. For 40 days, simply pay attention to how often your mind travels in that direction. Ask yourself why it happens when it happens. What is going on when you start craving a Mars bar? Are you hungry? Well, what is wrong with being hungry? Are you lonely? What is so bad about being alone? Try sitting with the feeling instead of fixing it and see what you find out. [...] Then tell the devil to get lost."

Barbara Taylor Brown, Home by Another Way 

garfield park conservatory

Going to the conservatory in Chicago has long been on my list of things to do in wintertime. It's such a relief to enter into the hot greenhouse on a cold day. It smells like LIVING things and gives you some hope when it's freezing. Since I'd been down in the dumps last week, I decided this week would be a good time to visit. It gave me something to look forward to and was a great kid-friendly outting for the morning. 

The kids had a great time, it was almost empty so we had the run of the place, and best of all? It's free! We did make a small donation, but still... cheap thrills. 

David never stays still long enough for me to get a decent photo anymore.

I loved the shape of these ferns.

Nature is weird. I have no idea what this thing is but the colors are pretty terrific. Next time I want to go back by myself with a sketchbook and about four hours of free time.