Making Faces

I just received my copy of Making Faces: Metal Type in the 21st Century. Making Faces is a documentary by Richard Kegler of P22 Type Foundry showcasing Jim Rimmer, master typographer, who passed away in January 2010. The DVD came with a lot of extras: a specimen book of Stern—the first (and perhaps only) font released simultaneously in metal and digitally; a chapbook of Rimmer's type designs (pictured above); a cast metal lower case 'k' from the Stern family (also pictured above); and a copy of Rimmer's font Loxley, made for an edition of Robin Hood.

In the spirit of connecting this to entry to my blog—metal type is a perfect watermark. It leaves an impression beyond the letter forms and the paper fibers. It's a watermark of type designers and their lives, of craftspeople and industry; a watermark of both time and history. Kegler's drive to capture Rimmer at work on film is a valentine in the nick of time.

Journey's End

7 years. 12 trips. I have completed my journey book. 

Sharilyn Wright, a Canadian bookbinder at Lovely Design, makes these from vintage papers sourced from all over the world. Acts of serendipity resulted: a gatefold of Asian script coincided with a map I had of Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC printed in Korean. A postcard map of Newport Beach fell onto a turquoise sheet of construction paper, a perfect sea match. An electricians diagram eerily resembling Central Park coincided with a trip to New York for a conference on design. And a final act of serendipity ... my latest trip was to Los Angeles; as I adhered one final coaster, I turned the page to see the end sheet is a map of L.A., which is the city my parents lived in as newlyweds. It feels like I have come home.

Though I can no longer close the book, it's durable quality holds up. And why would I want to shut this volume overflowing with memories? A mundane, yet exotic, candy wrapper from the Lan Su Japanese Garden in Portland instantly fills my senses with tea, ginger, umbrellas, and a recuperative lunch with friends. I can still smell their café. Letterpress scraps immediately conjure Oblations Press, and the hour spent rifling through their inventory. I bought my yellow Lamy pen from there, and have never loved a pen more. A doily from the Farmhouse in Dunwoody, GA brings back high tea with my sister, surrounded by fancy ladies in hats and a tea kettle buried in a crocheted cozy. A scrap of a poster of lettuce from Earthbound Farms in Carmel Valley, CA brings back walking barefoot through their chamomile labyrinth as much as it makes me think of the Steinbeck book I was reading on that same trip. I can almost feel the sun on my neck. I think I prefer memory to photographs.

Between the Folds

Between the Folds is a charming—if it's appropriate to use that word—Independent Lens feature about how origami has contributed to design, math, engineering and science. It's absolutely mesmerizing to watch the constructions that can be done with a sheet of paper. The plane can become disorienting through experimentation; consequently opening up the mind to not only dream possibilities, but to an ultimate reality. They showcased organic folds as well as mathematical. I found the case-studies about how origami has contributed to air bags and synthetic proteins inspiring. What's more, the pleasure these scientist-artists convey is authentic. I think it's because they will never lose the sense of inquiry and surprise that life, and their vocations, have in store.

[Photos from PBS Web site.]

Sirens of the Sea

Judith Schalansky is my latest delight. I bought The Atlas of Remote Islands during the middle of winter. Exotic island escapes seemed in order. I was vulnerable to a seductive, yet sparse, cover. The subtitle: 50 Islands I have Never Set Foot On and Never Will conjured another favorite author. In The Art of Travel Alain deBotton tells us of Duc des Esseintes who, in order to escape the hassles of oversea travel, made an aquarium so that ‘the imagination could provide a more-than-adequate substitute for the vulgar reality of actual experience.’ The Atlas was an easy sell.

I was more than a month into this bedside escape when I finally read about the author and made the shocking discovery … she’s the same designer behind Fraktur Mon Amour, another valentine from an earlier post of mine.  I should have detected her signature use of spot color and adoration of unusual typography. Now I am as envious as I am grateful for Judith Schalansky.

I might not have stumbled on the about the author page were I not seeking a note on the type. There was none, but a little research led me to the quirky, yet sublime, Sirenne. You should read about it here. I have no idea how this book came to be, but I imagine Judith said to herself one day “I’d love to make maps”; and then she did just that.

Knockout of a Prize

Hoefler & Frere-Jones is the most sophisticated type foundry in America. Their bespoke families are precise and enviable. I can't think of anyone who can capture in words everything their creations convey quite the way they can. Reading about their fonts is proof that a creative brief matters, and can be achieved. The delight in reading Tobias Frere-Jones: Gerrit Noordzij Prize Exhibition is the affirmation of design as both business and art.

Finding this book was an accident, a gift. Every trip to Portland, Oregon means a mecca to Powell's Books. And they never disappoint. I made two discoveries I didn't even know were published; Frere-Jones award catalogue is one of them. The highlight of New Year's in Portlandia was celebrating with friends. The take-away, however, was this jewel of a book.

Diabetes: Focus on Women

I'm thrilled to announce I have designed my first book. Diabetes: Focus on Women is a compilation of case-based vignettes told by diabetes and women's health experts. From sexual dysfunction to oncological risks, this one-of-a-kind book explores the full spectrum of women's health. It even covers gestational concerns as well as post-partum care. This guide provides a practical approach for health care providers, diabetes educators and patients alike. Each chapter ends with practical pearls and pitfalls. The book also includes:

• Evidence-based algorithms for glucose, lipid and blood pressure management

• Complementary and alternative medicine for diabetes

• Educational resources and websites for patient education

The project originated from a conference two years ago, and funded in part by a federal grant from the Office on Women's Health. Twenty contributing doctors and scientists are involved. Co-editors Kathleen B. Digre, M.D. and Robert E. Jones, M.D., FACP, FACE were an absolute delight to work with. Presentations at national conferences, access via health science libraries, and local development efforts will help the book reach it's core audience.

Designing this book has been a dream project. I got to do the most advanced typesetting of my career, as well as 49 tables and figures. Most of all, books last. It's exciting to have done something that will stick around. The book was printed in the U.S. Proceeds will be used for charity care at the Utah Diabetes Center.

Colophon: The book is typeset in Martin Majoor's Scala and Scala Sans, with Hoeffler & Frere-Jone's Sentinel used as a display face. Supporting Greek and Roman glyphs were required. Cover art is by Nicholas Jones.

Compendium

My Christmas gift to the family. More than a decade in the making ... A Compendium of Colby Idioms is a compilation of quotes collected over the years. Most of them absurd, ridiculous, and completely out of context. Making this was a fun way to see the family personality in aggregate. Blurb made it possible. What a lucky development we have in today's technology to make manifest our creative concepts.