Last Friday at work I needed to make a sign. At first I figured I’d make something on the
computer and print it out. But our printer wouldn’t print anything that large. “Have the design center print it out for you,”
said one of the graphic artists, a young lady who had just graduated from
college. But the older designer
suggested I make it myself, using poster board and magic markers.
So I set to work. I drew guidelines with a ruler (top and
bottom and one down the middle for centering). Next I sketched where the
letters should go, keeping in mind that an M takes up much more room than an I.
It was a much more difficult process than just highlighting the text and
hitting the command for “center.”
But it was much more satisfying. I’d forgotten how much fun it was to work
with my hands. I’d made plenty of posters this way in the past, and I
remembered how enjoyable it was.
At this stage I showed it to the student intern graphic
artist. “Wow,” she commented. “I could never do that.”
I was sad, in a way.
This young person—an expert graphic artist—would never know the joy of
hand-lettering a poster on poster board.
She probably didn’t even know how to do it.
I spent the rest of the afternoon carefully coloring in the
letters with red Sharpie, then outlining them in black with an art marker. Then I erased all the pencil marks. A fulfilling way to spend a Friday afternoon
On Sunday, I went with my friend, J. Pario of Painting on the Ceiling to see the recycled art exhibit that featured some of her work. I love the idea of recycled art. I love this tree mosaic she made out of pieces she had cut from Christmas cards and other pieces. 
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