#makeityourletteringyear

[visualpractitioner]

Moving week! Check out our new studio...

We did it! Let’s Letter Together is officially in-person as well as online. This week we moved into a new studio space. And this is not your average brick and mortar.

Ray and I designed and built a mini classroom in studio #11 in The ArtRoom at the Smiley Building in Durango Colorado.

What does this mean? Small, intimate in-person classes! Check out this gorgeous work table Ray’s brother, Paul made!

What makes the location and the space so special?

It’s not just a studio/classroom. It’s part of a collective of artists working in an open-air studio that is open to the public daily.

The ArtRoom Collective is a treasure trove of creative talent. Housed at the Smiley Building, at 1309 East Third Avenue in Durango, Colorado, the remodeled space is a diverse, working studio gallery where artists create, collaborate, and share their passion with the community. There are 20 studio spaces where visual artists working in a variety of mediums create and exhibit their work.

Owners and building stewards, Charles and Lisa Shaw have a knack for creating a continuously, unfolding dynamic community space. While the pandemic rendered the theatre at the Smiley building useless, that didn’t stop the Shaw’s vision of maintaining a space for arts and education. While Charles loves architecture, it was painful for him to dismantle the theatre. He named the remodeled space The ArtRoom for its connection to the school. Becca Whitehead, longtime tenant of the Smiley, inspired the windows separating each studio—paying tribute to the historical features of the building and allowingnatural light to flow through the space. You can read more about the space here.

As the artists filed into their spaces last fall, many did not know one another and had no idea what the space or The ArtRoom Collective would look like or become. It is organized by studio members, including a newly formed Outreach committee for its involvement with the community and collaborative efforts with other organizations.

Last fall when we learned of the space, we quickly grabbed a studio and Ray set up a portrait studio or headshots and more. After a few months of helping facilitate the monthly meetups for the group, I got on the waitlist should a space come up. There hasn’t been any attrition. I’m the first newcomer to the established group. They have been warm and welcoming. And although I have only been in the space for less than a week, I already have interest in my lettering classes and friends are beginning to stop by and see what I’m up to.

Many of you know I have RA and several autoimmune issues so this was a big, scary step. But the building went vaccine-required during the pandemic and while it’s still very iffy how I will manage my chemical sensitivities, so far moving my studio out of my home has been a great decision.

In addition to the awesome artists and space, the building is a renovation dream come true. Check out this video telling the story how it became what it is today.

This is my third shared studio space at the Smiley building. I have been creating on and off at the Smiley since 1999 when Kit Frost offered a public darkroom. I’ve taken dance, yoga, printmaking, basket weaving, pottery, and Kanji calligraphy classes at the Smiley building from local and visting artists. And I’m so excited to be part of the living history of the learning community here again.

My Offerings In addition to my mini store where I will be selling one-of-a-kind handmade books and collages, I will also have my book, zines, washi tapes, cards and more.

Every participant in my class will receive Neuland markers they can use and take with them, handouts, personal instruction and access to online lettering classes at www.LetsLetterTogether.com so the learning fun can continue.

It’s a big step, into a little space, in a special place. I’m excited to be part of the community again. I hope you will stop by!

Durango is a small mountain town in Southwest Colorado on the Indigenous lands of the Ute, Pueblo and Anasazi Elders past, present and future. It’s a year-round destination for those who enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, white water rafting and kayaking, skiing, snowboarding, and much more. If you choose to visit this magical place, please let me know. I’m happy to connect you with the best places to stay, eat, and be entertained.

Lettering Excursions & VIP Days If you are planning your summer travels and want to put Durango on your list, come visit me for a 1-3 day private lettering or coaching experience.

Can’t make it in-person? No worries! Email me for details on co-designing your own VIP day. Whether in-person or virtual, we can work half-day (starting at $750) or design full-day excursions.

Why go on a lettering excursion or book a VIP day? Travel towards your goal(s) further and faster. I help you envision, design, plan, and execute a plan to meet your creative and/or professional needs.

The BigOne Art continues to make waves

Calligraphers and visual practitioners around the world are diving into the deep end with the BigOne Art and finding new possibilities in drawing and lettering with the world’s largest brush nib.

I interviewed Carrie Imai and learned how she plans to make the marker dance in her work.You can watch the interview by clicking the image below and on YouTube here.

Stay tuned, I will be interviewing, featuring and collaborating with many others using the BigOne Art in their work. Be sure to check out my YouTube channel and Instagram page for the latest creations and to catch lives from my new studio.

What does this mean for online learning? Will the digital classes go away? Yes and no.

At www.LetsLetterTogether.com, we offer dozens of online classes. In May, we are having the last Level Up Your Letter Virtual class in this format. I don’t plan on teaching it in-person again. Future workshops will likely be retreats in Europe and specialty classes held at Neuland HQ in Germany.

Make It Your Lettering Year is open for enrollment anytime. We are in year two and year three is in the planning stages. I highly recommend this class for all experience levels. The live monthly sessions bring us together and inspire.

Only a handful of online classes are being planned. And new evergreen classes are being recorded and will be available soon.

Be on the lookout for these live online opportunities to letter together: