On the way back machine, somewhere in the early Portlandia oughts, I took a Saturday art class, learned to set some type by hand — many moons later I find myself with 10,000 pounds of equipment stuck in the middle of the country. Kids, don’t mess with lead!

In 2012 my dear friend and creative collaborator Henry Goldkamp installed typewriters all over the city of Saint Louis. It was no small feat.

Residents, tourists and passers-by were instructed to type anything they wanted — they submitted their thoughts through a small slot in a wooden box. Henry then curated thousands of submissions into a book, and organized a Kickstarter campaign to fund our self-publication endeavor.  I designed the layout, letterpressed the covers and hand-bound 200 copies, 100 of which went to our Kickstarter supporters. Five limited edition prints based on submissions were also included as rewards for supporters.

You can purchase the book online, or find the handmade edition locally in St. Louis — Union Studio and Central Print.

The Saint Louis Brewery, maker of Schlafly Beer is Missouri’s largest locally owned independent brewery. HOP in the City is one of many annual festivals for which they brew specialty beers, selecting one to feature as the headliner.

I used wood type and original blocks from my collection to design the mark for the featured brew, and worked with the original HOP in the City logotype for the poster and supplemental materials.

Ted Wilson opened Union Loafers to great anticipation in 2015. I started the design exploration for the mark on press, using type and imagery from my collection. Ted and I worked together to finalize the mark, colors and messaging.

I then printed the oversized business cards from polymer plates, 2 colors 2 sides.

The bakery is flourishing and their kale garbanzo soup will melt your face. 

Michael Max of Yong Kang Clinic wanted a unique series of illustrated cards depicting self-treatment for common ailments to hand out to his regular acupuncture patients.

I first drew the figures by hand, then digitized the line work and made plates for printing. Each card went through the press 3 times.

Michael has a deep appreciation for letterpress, and is always delighted with the reactions he encounters when handing out his cards. 

One day I’ll get around to fancy photography for the collection of wedding invitations I’ve created over the years. These are a few designs for the plates, all printed on a C&P 8x10 Old Style treadle press.

Handset Type, Design & Letterpress Printing

Lauren Busiere is one of the hardest working artists I've encountered. I first knew her as Ana Warpath, one of my roller derby teammates.

She wanted the unique look for her cards that comes with handset type. She spent time carefully curating pieces from my collection that resonated with her, then entrusted me with designing the final lock-up.

Working with someone who has such a profound appreciation and understanding for traditional arts and handmade craft is exceptionally gratifying.

Handset Type, Design & Letterpress Printing

Kelli is the most creative yoga teacher I’ve encountered, and a dear friend from old time derby days. She currently teaches at Just Practice Yoga, and is renowned for her inimitable Black Metal Yoga series.

Photo by Lynn Terry.

A collection of posters, fliers, program covers, and logos I made over 6 years of derby. Met some of the best people in my life, many of whom I still consider my closest friends.

Roller Derby has evolved to a new thing, and I love it for what it has become, but nothing will replace the scrappy, how do we get people interested in this weird new sport, tactics to which we resorted to get people in the doors!

Photos by Lynn Terry and Bob Dunnell. “A Fistful of Fishnets” Illustration by Ana Warpath (Lauren Busiere).