Designing a hand drawn stamp for the
United States Post Office
Everyone knows that I’m moving; I’ve been in—and out—of the Northwest Industrial Buildings at the foot of Queen Anne Hill, crossed in the nexus of Denny and Western, for 30 years. I was actually here, as well earlier, in the 80s—this was, back then, a collaborative consortium of architects, interior designers, and me. Then I left to a series of other places including the Maritime Building adjacent to the Ferry Terminal, a studio on Bainbridge Island, Broadacres, the Alhadeff on Stewart, along with offices in NYC, LA, Paris and Tokyo, and representatives in San Francisco, NYC, London, and LA.
So I’ve moved a lot—about nine times since my first studio in 1973 on Murray Court Road, Olympia; an office at the Evergreen State College, as an associate professor. And now moving again.
Doing that move—now—means a reductive string of storage clean-outs, art file eliminations,
storage resorting.
All of this would be resolved later this summer—with lots of staff and contracted support.
Moving back to school—an early 20th century classroom.
So one finds things of historical character, like, for example, original art from another present era—made then, found now.
Love has been a theme for me—a brand theme, since, as we know, love and belief are intimately connected. When a relationship believes in a brand, there is love—since, etymologically, belief really finds its premise in “be love.” Or beloved, you might say.
Or, what you believe.
I got a message from an advisor to the government, who was asking about me designing a stamp the United States Post Office. Something uplifting, friendly, reaching out—something purchasable, desirable.
This person was suggesting a messages we walked around that idea, looking at currently relevant, useful words.
I drew these on handmade paper, to snag the edge of the steel pen for a presence of feeling. When someone looks at the quality of this calligraphy, there is an implication of texturality, a touchable trademark of handcrafted work.
We looked at varying words, formats, arrangements, experiments in color, applications,
in the creation of visible comprehensives for testing concept arts for
Postmaster General review and audience testing.
Speaking of American sentiments, we went in a
seemingly obvious pathway—towards, again, love.
Absolute legibility is obvious expectation.
For stamp collectors, it’s still out there.
During this time, in a sequence of immeasurably sad events, the death of my father last July, and my mother’s passage earlier this year, the one key adhesion in memory is love. This will be my first Father’s Day—June, in seven decades, of not celebrating my Dad—and Mom, May, Mother’s Day.
Love lost,
love lasts,
love lives.
And you go on.
In a manner, each of us goes on drawing.
And there is a metaphor there—the drawing-in, the drawing nigh, the drawing-out.
I draw everyday, in practice.
Onwards the journey, draft the journal.
Tim | GIRVIN @ Queen Anne
OSEAN @ Copalis
And always
the quest.
