U PPE RCASE for the C R E A T I V E and C U R I O U S
THE CMYK ISSUE
37
NEW !
actual size!
Little U is a small-format book (5 inches wide by 6 inches tall), but at 240 pages, it has a nice, thick spine!
Everything you love about UPPERCASE, just smaller and cuter!
The cover is by featured illustrator Suzy Ultman.
a new magazine
Little U, the offspring of UPPERCASE magazine, is an occasional magazine/book for the young at heart. (Think of it as a smaller and cuter version of UPPERCASE!) With childlike wonder—but not a juvenile attitude—Little U explores making, designing, illustrating and living. Highlighting children’s books, surface pattern design, clothing and product design for young folk, and arts and crafts inspired by and/or made for children, this publication will inspire and inform professional creatives and families alike. It’s not a magazine for children—though it does come with a companion colouring poster that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages! You don’t have to be a parent to read and enjoy Little U—it’s not a parenting magazine focused on things to purchase or child-rearing advice. Simply loving cute and curious things is the only requirement! Little U prefers natural kids and photographs—no tarted-up photo shoots of children in makeup or expensive clothing. No unrealistic expectations—no elaborate birthday party plans or unattainable perfection. We love getting into a mess and enjoy the creative process as much as the end result.
littleUmag.com
S H O P
UPPERCASE
Love IS
MADE WITH
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
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J A N I N E VA N G O O L
UPPERCASE IS AN INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE.
Dear Reader, Although every issue of UPPERCA SE could be described as a celebration of ink on paper, in this particular edition we’re diving into the substance of what makes a colourful publication like this one possible—that very special combination of tiny cyan, magenta, yellow and black dots that work together to create everything you see printed on this page. (Get a magnifying glass and get in real close! Enjoy that inky smell, too! The vegetable-based inks really smell great on this 100% recycled paper stock.) Beyond graphic design and the printing process, the colour quartet known as CMYK has made its way into our visual vernacular, influencing creatives in all sorts of mediums and methods, as you can see in our reader-submitted artwork. And black (or K for “key” in printing terminology) has always been a go-to basic for creative expression. In this issue, learn about an ancient ink called sumi, as well as an innovative new ink derived from car exhaust, turning pollutants into artistic possibilities.
J A N I N E VA N G O O L
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Contents
JANUARY / FEBRUARY / MARCH 2018
37
ART BY
AMY PEPPLER ADAMS SEAT TLE, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
One of my favourite starting points for inspiration when trying to come up with new, unconventional motif ideas for surface patterns is to look around for pieces of everyday life that are often meant to be overlooked, unnoticed and discarded . Bread clips, fruit stickers, security envelopes, registration marks… all are little pieces of art in their own right . Why not celebrate their short lives? It is the image of “one man’s trash” elevated and treasured . Over a period of about six months, I cut all of the registration and printer’s marks from the slug areas of most of the packaging that was brought into the house, with the intention of eventually assembling them into a pattern . Here they are in all their unique beauty, a few altered digitally only to remove any hint of their origin . And even though I have turned the pattern into fabric, wallpaper and gift wrap, saving the clippings became a habit—I still look for and collect any different designs I find when disassembling boxes for the recycling bin! ||| pennycandy handmade.com
W EL C O M E
A R T & D ESI G N
EDITOR’S LET TER . . . . . . . . . . . 3
GA LLERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
CONTRIBUTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Adventures in CMYK
SNIPPETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
S WATCHES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Favourite Colour Combinations in Life and in Print
SU BSCRIPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 TREND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 NOTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 FRESH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Julia Cusworth, Sophia Frances, Namrata Agarwal, Aubrie Heck and Beth Uhe B EG INNINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
by Melanie Falick illustration by Andrea D’Aquino
DISCOVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Colour Experts on CMYK: Lauren Wager, Kassia St Clair, Bob Hambly and Jim Krause LES SON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 CMYK Design Brief DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Design for Today and Joe Pearson by Jane Audas Illustration by Alice Pattullo CRE ATIVE C A REER . . . . . . . . . 66 Risa Blythe of Girlie Press Story by Lydie Raschka Portraits by Rafael Ochoa
CR A F T WE AVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Allyson Rousseau Photos by LOG Creative Bureau and Allyson Rousseau S TITCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Stitch*illo Special Bookbinding ENCYCLOPEDIA . . . . . . . . . . 107 Pre-Order the Next 4 Volumes
SK ETCHBOOK . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Felicia Spahr
FINE PRINT LIB R A RY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Colour-Filled Creativity BUSINES S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
ILLUS TR ATION . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Folly Cove Designers by Elena M . Sarni COVER A RTIS T . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Kim Bentley and Kyle Van Horn of Baltimore Print Studios
M IS C.
PROCES S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
HOB BY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Understanding Design and Print Lingo by Arianne Foulks and the Aeolidia Designers
Behind the Scenes of Making this Issue
Inferior Design Story by Brendan Harrison
SM A LL PRINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Colour Lithography by Andrea Marván
M ATERIA L S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Air-Ink from Pollution to Artist Supply Story by Correy Baldwin
SU BSCRIB ERS . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Tracey English, Heather Robinson and Isabel Serna
T Y PE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Typography in Technicolour: The World of Chromatic Type by Christopher Rouleau
TOOL S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Sumi Ink by Joy Deneen
SH A RES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
EPHEMER A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Chromatic Wood Type Specimens
AB ECEDARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Abecedary of Designing for Print by Marina Poropat Joyce
PEEPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 COVET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 The Language of Colour by Andrea Jenkins
UPPERCASE 201B –908, 17th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta Canada T2T 0A3 J A N I N E VA N G O O L publisher, editor, designer janine@uppercasemagazine .com
CONTRIBUTOR
M A R I N A P O RO PAT J OYCE Marina Poropat Joyce has been marketing, graphic designing, publishing and printing her whole life. She fell in love with design and printing early on, and she founded one of the first designto-print companies in Los Angeles. She wrote Designing for Print to explain printing in graphic designer-speak.
GLEN DRESSER customer service shop@uppercasemagazine .com CORREY BALDWIN copyeditor C O R E C O N T R I B U TO R S Jane Audas Correy Baldwin Andrea D’Aquino Melanie Falick Arianne Foulks Carolyn Fraser Joy Deneen Glen Dresser Brendan Harrison Andrea Jenkins Linzee Kull McCray Andrea Marván Kerrie More Emily Orpin Christopher Rouleau Laura Tarrish
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A D D I T I O N A L C O N T R I B U TO R S Julia Cusworth, Sophia Frances, Namrata Agarwal, Aubrie Heck, Beth Uhe, Marina Poropat Joyce, Lauren Wager, Kassia St Clair, Bob Hambly, Jim Krause, Lydie Raschka, Rafael Ochoa, Felicia Spahr, Elena M . Sarni, Kim Bentley, Kyle Van Horn, Tracey English, Heather Robinson, Isabel Serna . Thank you to everyone who submitted their artwork and stories to this issue’s open calls .
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ELENA M. SARNI
Printed in Canada by The Prolific Group.
WE WILL PL ANT A TREE FOR EVERY S U B S C R I P T I O N A N D R E N E WA L ! For every new and returning subscription we will donate funds to TreeEra who will plant a tree on our behalf. Let’s plant an UPPERCASE forest!
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U P P E R C A S E
Interior pages are printed on 100% post-consumer recycled Rolland Enviro 100. Give this magazine a long life! The content is evergreen, so we hope you’ll revisit it over and over again. Please pass it on to a friend or colleague who might enjoy our content, or cut up the pages and create some art.
Elena M . Sarni is a writer and curator living in Maine . Elena fell in love with the work of the Folly Cove Designers in 2006 while working as assistant curator and director of programs at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, Massachusetts . She has continued to research and write on the topic and is currently completing a book on the Folly Cove Designers . She also runs a business organizing and curating pop-up shops featuring fine art and craft by New England makers . ||| @pinetreepopup
We publish timeless articles about creative and curious people and topics . If you’re interested in working with us, the best place to start is by perusing the back issues to see what we’ve covered and to get a sense of the u p p e r c a s e style . If you’re an artist, designer or crafter interested in being profiled, please submit your portfolio by following the instructions: ||| uppercase magazine.com/ participate
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F R E S H
Whether you are a fresh graduate or mature artist, it is often a dream to be published for the first time!
JULIA CUSWORTH LEEDS, UNITED KINGDOM
Hi! I’m Julia, an artist and designer from the North of England . I am currently exploring my love of colour and pattern through abstract, mixed-media work . I wish for all my pieces to find happy, loving homes where they can brighten lives and bring joy! My goal for 2018 is to work on larger-scale pieces and ultimately, canvases . ||| @juliacusworth
SOPHIA FRANCES LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
After consciously deciding to step away from the computer and returning to my love of painting, I have discovered my true style that feels honest and authentic to me . I have developed an expressive, loose and playful painterly style where you can always see my hand in my work . I work on a large, oversized scale with energetic brush marks . With two children, my time is limited, but I am super efficient in the space of time that I have . I enjoy working fast and getting my designs on paper in a deliberately naive style . This allows me to not be too rigid . ||| @sophiafrances1
GET PUBLISHED
If you’ve never been published in print before, please share your work and UPPERCASE will endeavour to publish the best submissions in future issues . ||| uppercasemagazine.com/participate 12
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U P P E R C A S E
N A M R ATA AG A RWA L STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
In my work, I portray the story of various spontaneous journeys where I left my life behind for a time and had let the spirit of the landscape and the architecture inspire . Nostalgic memories, glancing through trees and pathways, craft that has been there through generations, experiences that strangers share during these trips or workshops . . . well! It’s a new learning every day . ||| @namrata0agarwal
BETH UHE QUEENSBURY, NEW YORK , UNITED STATES
AUBRIE HECK OAK GROVE, MISSOURI, UNITED STATES
Hello! My name is Aubrie Heck . I am a 16-yearold artist . I believe that there is so much joy that comes from creating things you love with your own hands . I hope to inspire others to find and create more joy in their own lives . It is my dream to illustrate children’s books . ||| @aubrieheck _art
My creative journey began when my two children were babies . I needed to find a creative outlet— something that I could do in brief snatches of time that was just for me . I started cutting pretty images from magazines and pasting them into a sketchbook . Last year, with both children in college, I began to paint . To hold myself accountable, I began sharing my work on Instagram, and the response has been overwhelming . Several people reached out to me on that platform and asked to buy my work . I am in the process of launching a website and shop, and would be honoured to have my work featured in UPPERCASE . My work has never appeared in print . Finally, in my mid-50s, I’m getting a career! ||| @BethUhe uppercasemagazine.com
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B E G I N N I N G S
Melanie Falick
AAUUTTHHO ORR AANNDD CCRREEAATTIIVVEE AADDVVEENNTTUURREERR
L
ast winter I spent two weeks at Penland School of Crafts in the mountains of western North Carolina, as part of their winter residency program. I was there to write my book, mostly among artisans working with materials like clay, metal, paint and thread rather than words. I was, logically, assigned to the “books” studio, a large, high-ceilinged open studio set up with rows of rectangular white work tables as well as equipment for artists making books by hand. It was next to the letterpress studio and downstairs from the painting and drawing studio, in a modern building overlooking a sweeping meadow, at the time covered in snow.
Magenta ILLUSTRATION BY
ANDREA D’AQUINO
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I didn’t think such an open space would suit me. I am not sure why, but I assumed that everyone would be talking or playing music while they created, and I knew I would not be able to write under those conditions. For the first couple of days, I moved around from the books studio to other places on the hilly campus that I thought might be more conducive to writing—the dining room was mostly private, fairly quiet and had beautiful light beaming through floor-to-ceiling windows. On the third floor of the textiles building—an old stone structure with wide oak floors—there was a quiet room where I could sit alone at a big cutting table. On the second floor, I could work among the weavers and alongside Alice, an amazing embroiderer with whom I felt a kinship, since I have a lot of experience with yarns and threads as a knitter and hand-sewer. I stopped in at the books studio for a short time each day, not wanting to completely disconnect myself from my official studiomates, who seemed to be bonding while I was wandering around with my laptop. I noticed that Annie was creating intricate papercuts out of white paper, including an especially compelling one with a poem by Mary Oliver cut into it in a spiral. She pinned them to the wall behind her. Jon was making abstract, multicoloured digital photographs that looked like they were overlaid with lacey organic forms, and displaying them on his wall. Although Annie sat with mostly just paper and her utility blades, Jon had an interesting mix of supplies, including pens, paints and
F A B R I C
some magenta tape that he used in a variety of ways, from adhering a piece of it to his phone charger to differentiate it from everyone else’s, to adding bits of fluorescence to some of his photo printouts. The books studio was starting to feel like a cozier place to be. Most of the time it was quiet, but there were also some convivial conversations as everyone settled in. I told Annie how much I liked her creations and asked if she could give me a short tutorial on beginner papercutting. I thought cutting out simple shapes might help me to clear my mind when I needed a break from writing. Then I took up Jon’s offer to use some of his magenta tape, and adhered a strip of it to the cover of my silver laptop. Then he offered me the high-flow, high-pigment paint that I commented on. He was using it to draw white lines on colour photos he had glued into his journal, and then he was writing on the lines with an ordinary pen. It was so cool. I was developing a system. I would work on my manuscript for as long as I could, and then when I felt tired or stuck, I would switch to either papercutting or painting, letting my mind rest and my hand follow whatever path the blade, paint or paper led me down. I started to feel more comfortable. The magenta tape on my laptop was now embellished with white painted snowflakes and the kraft cover of my notebook was eventually covered on both the inside and outside with sinuous, white curves and spirals— and a few pops of magenta. By allowing my creativity to flow freely through the paintbrush and the blade, by using that flow to create something simple and real I could hold in my hands, I was unblocking the flow of words in my mind so that I could type them into a file on my computer, and then, ultimately, send them to a printer so that they could be transferred to a piece of paper I could hold in my hands. Annie went home after one week, but left me a surprise in the studio: a sweet note, a papercut sheep, and a utility knife and pack of blades. On my last day a week later, I bought two magenta pens in the Penland supply store, one for me and one for Jon, who was staying longer, to remember me by. Then, as I finished packing up, I tore one more piece of tape from Jon’s roll and wrapped it around the handle of my utility knife—a magenta souvenir of not only my new friends but also of all that I had learned.
windhamfabrics.com ||| uppercasemagazine.com/fabric
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Fine Print
COLOUR-FILLED CREATIVIT Y 16
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U P P E R C A S E
LOOK
CLOSELY AND
DISCOVER
LI B R A R Y
CRAFT THE RAINBOW BY BRIT TANY WATSON JEPSEN
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Since we first featured Brittany Watson Jepsen way back in issue 18, this hard-working and enterprising creative has grown her blog into a crafting and styling hub (not to mention her 164 thousand followers on Instagram!) and popular YouTube channel . With the release of Craft the Rainbow, Brittany proves that her gorgeously styled crafts and impeccable sense of colour and fun are ideally suited to print on paper . Paper, in fact, is her medium of choice, and she creates 40 paper crafts sourced from a full spectrum of whimsy and wonder . (Paper cupcake liner shoe decorations anyone?) ||| abramsbooks.com
THE ILLUSTRATED DUST JACKET 1920–1970 BY MARTIN SALISBURY
The pictorial dust jacket started as a protective wrap for hardcovers, but in the 20th century, publishers harnessed its artistic, illustrative and promotional abilities . With dozens of profiled illustrators, this lavishly illustrated tome focuses in on a particularly prolific 50-year span from 1920 to 1970 . ||| thamesandhudson.com |||
THINGS ARE WHAT YOU MAKE OF THEM BY ADAM J. KURTZ
This book offers heartfelt (and hard-won?) wisdom on making art and living creatively by artist Adam J . Kurtz . His missives are to the point, jotted in his signature handwritten capital letters . Each colourful page is perforated, encouraging you to tack up the best advice to your inspiration board or give an encouraging page to a friend in need . ||| tarcherperigee.com
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Art & Design P R O J E C T M # 24 MARTIJN WIERTZ NOORD-BRABANT, NETHERL ANDS
As a long-running personal creative project, I am experimenting with all the ways I can draw the letter M . For this one, I played around with opacity settings and CMYK colours . From the outline of an M, I created four “block shadow” shapes to fill the four quadrants of the image . Where they overlap, the interplay between C, M, Y and K creates a rainbow of other colours .||| oohkijk.nl
Adventures in CMYK D U C T TA P E CM Y K CARLEE KELSON
PHOENIX, ARIZONA , UNITED STATES
SUBMITTED BY UPPERCASE READERS
As the saying goes, “If it can’t be fixed with duct tape, then you’re not using enough duct tape .” Since duct tape has been used on everything from school books to car mufflers to airplane wings, to an entire boat made out of duct tape, I thought it would be fun to use this utilitarian invention to create an art piece celebrating another utilitarian invention, CMYK . Without these basic colours and its subtractive process, we would not be able to print in colour . Just like we cannot live without duct tape, we cannot live without the glorious printed colours of cyan, magenta, yellow and black (key) .
P R ES S CH E CK
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EDUARDO M ARTINEZ HOUSTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
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U P P E R C A S E
G A L L E R Y
A DV EN T U R ES I N CM Y K MARTIN THAKE NORWICH, UNITED KINGDOM
My submission uses the classic luggage tag as inspiration for Adventures in CMYK, abbreviating the names and turning them into destinations . (And most adventures begin at the airport, right?) ||| deltanova.net
M AG EN TA A N D B L ACK LISA KNELL MOORESTOWN,
R IS O B I R D S CORINNE WELCH BRISTOL, UNITED KINGDOM
When I first discovered Risograph printing I was really excited about the possibilities for overlays of colour . I created a small edition of A6 single-sheet pamphlet books called “Riso Birds” in which I experimented with using just three colours (fluoro pink, yellow and cyan) but stretching them into additional colours with overlapping layers of artwork . To create the illustrations, I sat with a large bird book for reference and drew imaginary birds with different heads, wings and legs . I then re-drew the separate layers for each bird with a black pencil crayon onto tracing paper before scanning this to create the artwork . I love the element of chance with Risograph printing—the slightly wonky registration, and no way of knowing exactly how the fluoro inks will react with each other . Of all the books I have made, I found this one the most fun to create, and it always seems to put a smile on people’s faces when they open it up . ||| corinnewelch.co.uk
NEW JERSE Y, UNITED STATES
I designed this pink scarf as a remembrance and reminder of the historic “pussy hat” women’s marches that took place around the world on January 21, 2017 . ||| jerseymurmurs.com
Y M CA/CM Y K JUDE DERRY COVENTRY, WEST MIDL ANDS, UNITED KINGDOM
My CMYK submission pays credit to the Village People song “YMCA .” It is a light-hearted solution, with typographic moustaches . In addition, once you sing it a few times it gets into your head, which as a lecturer could prove to be a useful and fun memory aid .
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SKETCHBOOK
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U P P E R C A S E
FELICIA SPAHR Felicia Spahr is a self-taught artist. She uses vibrant colours and shapes to express hidden worlds, currents of energy and emotion, and stories that inspire us to dive into the deepest parts of our souls; to explore, to discover, to come alive. We are particularly honoured that Felicia was inspired to make these beautiful collages with print material close to our hearts: “Instead of just feeling inspired by art, I made art with art itself. Collage bits from UPPERCASE magazine, of course.” ||| feliciaspahr.myportfolio.com
AR TIS T ’ S S TATEME NT
My husband and I were a few days into our honeymoon when I realized my life was about to change . For years I had been an entrepreneur, but I felt like I wasn’t on the right path . This is difficult to come to terms with when you have put all your time and effort into climbing a proverbial mountain you didn’t want to climb in the first place . I realized with a deep and tectonic-shifting clarity that I was an artist . And there was going to be no more denying that part of myself . These collages represent what it feels like to free yourself from a prison of your own making . The world has turned into a kaleidoscope, as though you have been given permission to paint the town any colours—all the colours!—you want . It is more than freedom; it is a bursting forth of your soul, untethered, and soaring .
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MATERIALS
THE MAKING (AND PRINTING) OF THIS ISSUE FROM CONCEPT TO SILKSCREEN TO INK JET TO OFFSET CMYK , LE T ’ S G E T ME TA AND LO OK AT SOME OF THE S TE P S I N V O LV E D T O P R O D U C E T H E C O V E R O F T H I S I S S U E O F U P P E R C A S E —JANINE VANGOOL, UPPERCASE DESIGNER
IDEA GATHERING
MOCKUP
INKING UP
The content for each issue is planned some months in advance so I was actively thinking about the CMYK issue as I scrolled through Instagram . An image of an ink drawdown by Baltimore Print Studios caught my attention .
Using an image from Instagram, I made a quick mockup to see how the cover might work . Liking this direction, I sent a query to Baltimore Print Studios to see if they’d like to create a custom CMYK drawdown for the cover of this issue .
Kim Bentley of Baltimore Print Studios makes silkscreened drawdowns by applying ink to the screen and then squeegeeing it onto the paper . Baltimore Print Studios “utilize bright colours and overlapping forms to create brilliant new colours and shapes .”
ONE-OF-A-KIND PRINTS
DRYING
L AYERING
Each drawdown is unique so Kim created multiple variations for us to choose from for the front cover . The actual artwork created is twice as big as what appears on the finished cover .
After each pass of ink, the artwork must dry thoroughly to avoid smudging or transferring the wet ink back to the screen .
The transparency of the inks creates the effect of multiple colours where ink is overlapping . By rotating the paper, Kim changes the direction of the drawdown .
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DESIGN
PAT TERN DESIGN
INKJET
PHOTOGRAPHY
Using quick phone pictures emailed from Baltimore Print Studios, I mocked up the cover designs. There were a few drawdowns that worked nicely on the cover—since the cover is printed three-up, we decided to use three different designs!
Each issue of UPPERCASE has a unique spine pattern that is inspired by the content within. I looked to the offset printing process for inspiration, creating a pattern of print rollers and stacks of paper.
I printed out a few versions of the cover on my inkjet printer to get a sense of the scale and arrangement of elements in the design. (Why does it seem that inkjet printers are always running out of ink?)
Baltimore Print Studios sent the well-packed original artwork to the UPPERCASE studio in Calgary so that it could be photographed. Using two studio lights, the artwork was photographed flat.
PROOFING
Once files are uploaded to The Prolific Group, low-res inkjet printouts are made for proofing the interior pages. A high-quality proof is made of the covers.
ON PRESS
DRYING
The cover is printed on an 8-colour, 40-inch Heidelberg Speedmaster press.
Following printing, the stack of covers dries for a few days before it heads to the bindery with the interior pages of the magazine.
In order to include photos of this magazine being printed, we held off in creating plates for the signature that contains this article. Photos from Chris Young’s phone were text-messaged to me and I dropped them into the page layout, generated a new pdf and sent it back to Prolific for production.
There are three slightly different covers, so subscribers and stockists will get a random assortment! ||| prolific.ca
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THIS IS A LOW RES PREVIEW OF A HIGH QUALITY Q U A R T E R LY P R I N T M A G A Z I N E PLEASE SUBSCRIBE
THIS IS A LOW RES PREVIEW OF A HIGH QUALITY Q U A R T E R LY P R I N T M A G A Z I N E PLEASE SUBSCRIBE
EN C Y C L O P E D I A
PRE-ORDER THE NEXT 4 VOLUMES!
TO D D PAT T I S O N Thread and stitching have always been an important part of bookbinding . Stitch•illo made me want to use thread and stitching in a different way—there is so much energy, creativity and passion in the book that I wanted to show thread exploding out of it . The parchment is stitched together at the upper edge, continuing the thread design of the top edge decoration . A hole in the parchment from the manufacturing process, which historically would have been repaired by stitching, reveals the title on the flyleaf . UPPERCASE
UPPERCASE
UPPERCASE
E P V
EPHEMERA
PRINT / MAKER
VINTAGE LIFE
UPPERCASE
QUILTED
MARY UTHUPPURU Stitch•illo is a visually stunning collection of talented textile artists . Each artist uses thread to create expressive marks akin to a pen or brush . I drew inspiration for my binding design from the work of Kristin Loffer Theiss whose sketchy style brings animation to the natural forms she depicts . Her free-motion sewing machine embroidery technique helped me unlock a hidden life within the tools featured in my design . On the front cover, a pair of bird-shaped embroidery scissors is about to cut a thread that travels around the spine to the needle on the back cover, all three necessary tools for sewing .
encyclopediaofinspiration.com uppercasemagazine.com
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S U B S C R I B E R S
Meet Some
Subscribers TR ACEY ENGLISH LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
I am a freelance illustrator and surface pattern person who loves to collage with hand-coloured tissue paper . I create my images in my sunny glass studio, which is attached to the back of our terraced house in Southwest London . Our ginger cat Jelly and our labradoodle Daisy are always my workplace companions . I adore pattern and colour, and try to add that to every piece of work that I create . My studio faces onto our tiny city garden, which is always filled with plants and is a constant inspiration and relief from city life . I snip my designs first in my studio and then go upstairs to my little office to clean them up in Photoshop, so that they are ready to send off to clients . When I am not working on client work, I work on selfmotivated projects so that I am always producing and trying to develop my work further . Creativity has been a long journey for me and I am definitely happiest when I am snipping away in my lightfilled space . ||| tracey-english.co.uk
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ISABEL SERNA HOLLY WOOD, FLORIDA ,
HEATHER ROBINSON SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
I’ve been a professional artist in San Francisco for 15 years . I’ve worked in basement studios, out of my bedroom and for the last nine years at Secession Art and Design . My studio here is rather unusual in that it’s completely contained within this gallery and boutique space in the Mission-Bernal neighbourhood of San Francisco . You could call me the permanent artist-in-residence . I do all my painting in a little alcove that’s about 6 by 8 feet—I have a painting station with a table easel and a built-in counter . It’s kind of like living in a tiny house . It has forced me to be incredibly mindful of how I’m using my space and it definitely stretched my comfort zone, since I’m pretty much on display whenever the gallery is open . But I do enjoy having customers of all ages come by and ask about what I’m working on . I’ve been able to connect with so many people in the neighbourhood, which is not an opportunity I’d have if I were working in a more isolated space .
UNITED STATES
I am a firm believer that design and art are a way of making the world a happier and more colourful place . My design aesthetic is young, cute and modern with a hand-drawn look . My dream clients are Land of Nod, Anthropologie or any company with a love for colourful and fun work . I would love to have my own collection of wall art, prints and stationery as well as publish a children’s book one day . ||| blacklambstudio.com
||| heatherrobinson.com GET PUBLISHED
Are you an UPPERCASE subscriber? Share your work and studio to be featured! ||| uppercasemagazine.com/participate
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SHARES
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE LOVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
Share your pics of UPPERCASE books and magazines on Instagram @uppercasemag #uppercaselove.
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@JMTLETTERPRESS
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@CATHERINERUDDELL
@CHERYL_ARKISON
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U P P E R C A S E
PEEPS
COLOUR STUDIES Journeys through the engrossing world of colour.
“The best productivity tool I have found in years!” – B. TOMCZAK myLife Day Undated Planners Save $5 using code PEEPSROCK crystalink.ca/mylife-planners |||
Block-printed project bags. Are you looking for a sturdy, striking project bag for your craft? My bags are handmade and seriously handy! cristajaeckel.com ||| Happy spring! May your days be blessed with an abundance of flowers and a scarcity of mosquitoes. bluejaybay.net |||
Why we quilt. 52 interviews. 52 weeks. Because we have so much to learn from one another as we follow our creative paths.
“I love this blog—Bob connects all the colourful dots we’ve missed.” TERRY O’REILLY, CBC colourstudies.com |||
Acorn Bookbinding delights in creating custom bound journals, albums and editions. I also repair your treasured heirlooms and much-used daily volumes. acornbookbindingllc.com
Reboot Your Quilting Spirit:
Thanks, and happy creating.
okanarts.com/learn
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Explore my journeys and experiences inked. Connect for illustrations and print requirements.
pisstkitty.wordpress.com |||
Organizer for Spokane Sketchers in Spokane, Washington, a casual group of various sketching abilities and interest. Meets every week to rub elbows and sketch. facebook.com/ SpokaneSketchers |||
I am a mom, college student and artist. I create unique art scarves. inkaput.redbubble.com
I love making small pieces, perfect for that little nook. Take a look!
melkolstad.com
I’m Michele McCrea, a mixed-media and mosaic artist, educator, writer and creative mentor from South Australia with a passion for broken things, colour and creative process. facebook.com/ MicheleMcCreaMosaicArt Sarah B. is a graphic design studio in Marlboro, Massachusetts. I create hand-drawn surface pattern designs, and block print beautiful textiles and accessories. sarahbertochi.com
If you love great stories re: fashion, history & collecting, don’t miss: The Amazing Handkerchief, San Francisco Public Library Jan 27-May 17, 4th Floor
With a dynamic sense of colour, texture, pattern and composition, I happily take advantage of my creative license to work in contemporary and expressive styles.
handkerchiefheroes.com/ category/blog-posts
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mariacarluccio.com |||
colour+whimsy Original oil paintings created in the wee hours of the morning. Visit KimMyersSmith.com and enjoy a free download of my favourite colours! kimmyerssmith.com ||| I am a quilt pattern designer and video tutorial presenter in New Zealand. GourmetQuilter… because quilting is delicious! gourmetquilter.com
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Conference Creative Specializing in graphic design services for trade associations and nonprofits that have conferences, meetings and other events! conference-creative.com ||| A graphic design and letterpress printing company that combines modern and century-old technology to create high-quality, tactile products that make a lasting impression. typothecaryletterpress.com ||| Cafe artist, muse and teacher. You can find me on Instagram @smbc62, @findingdorset. UPPERCASE is my inspiration and identification, connecting me to the world.
jolenesunding.com
A song especially written for you & A quilt pattern especially designed for you With love from Andrea
||| My ’Bella—I’m so proud of the lovely, talented, determined, creative, wild woman you’re becoming. Love you to the moon and back. @renmeleon |||
sixthinline.wordpress.com
Looking for the perfect wall art for your home or a gift for family and friends? Visit my shop today!
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society6.com/dale_ramirez
angelesart.nl ||| I am doing a 100-day challenge with my daughter, #100drawingswithmydaughter, in my Instagram stories. So much fun creating beautiful memories together while practicing drawing. @studioninocka
Colour and Pattern are my thing! Please take a look at my folksy shop —Jo Brown folksy.com/shops/ TomatoHeaven |||
HAPPINESS IS A PATTERN!
3rdstoryworkshop.com/ oursong
rockpaperfox.com
Nautical Art and Illustrations as a tool for exploring, educating and environmental concern. Just Draw and Sail with me on the blue waters!
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Our Song
Art, Greeting Cards and More!
instagram.com/ namrata0agarwal |||
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lelandavestudios.com
February is for love. I post new artwork every day on Instagram. Follow me @carluccio7 and you could win a collection of prints inspired by love.
I may have just what you need!
Join Patricia Belyea in Washington state for workshops that spark your creativity while you play with Japanese textiles and curved piecing.
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blessedarethepollinators.com/ connect
TINY ART LOVERS!
Hello UPPERCASE world. Stop by and see what I do with my stash of paper and other materials.
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kiss5tigers.blog |||
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#TheCreativityProject2018
Blessed are the Pollinators is a collaborative project to create and hang 1,000 Prayer Flags in gratitude for our undervalued pollinators. Join in. Help us.
Irregularly published blog, check it out! Ex-punk rocker in a postpunk world. Contact me regarding zines and other mail.
It’s springtime. What about fresh home decoration with colourful, nature-inspired, hand-drawn motifs? Tapestry, fabric, pillows, tablecloths, tea towels, bed linen. spoonflower.com/profiles/ freudenwerkstatt |||
PEEPS ARE FREE! Sign up for a chance to publish yours in the next issue. uppercasemagazine.com/ free uppercasemagazine.com
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NEW!
C O V E T
actual size!
The language of colour Everything you love about UPPERCASE, just smaller and cuter!
Little U is a small-format book (5 inches wide by 6 inches tall), but at 240 pages, it has a nice, thick spine!
I
WA S 1 8 W H E N I M E T D A R R E N . Darren with the black corkscrew-curly hair and soft eyes, the sloped shoulders and looping gait. We were freshmen together at a small college in southern Ohio. We met the first week of school and spent that first month together walking and talking, all-things collegiate seemingly beside the point. After a string of awkward (albeit intoxicating) conversations, it became painstakingly clear: we would soon have to choose. Love or friendship.
aged to transform a singular colour into an extraordinary love letter. No matter how platonic my feelings, The cover is the whole thing made my head spin. So much of my reby featured ||| lationship with colour can be traced back to this, the fall illustrator PHOTO AND of 1989. So much of my love for Suzy colourUltman. is rooted in this STORY BY particular moment. I began to intentionally (and unintentionally) collect colour. I wrote about colour, celANDREA ebrated it, folded it into my personal vernacular, again JENKINS and again. And sometimes it spoke when I couldn’t. And ||| I would think about Darren. The last birthday package I ever sent my mom, just months before she died, was filled with pink things. Pink, her favourite, her signature Few relationships survive a fork in the road this precolour. I knew she would not be in the world much loncarious and ours would not be the exception: he wanted ger and the only thing I could think to do was to fill a box love, I wanted friendship. We hovered in the unknown a with a colour she had loved, had felt beautiful wearing, it was during this time that he beganistoan colLittle while, U, the and offspring of UPPERCASE magazine, occasional magazine/book for hadofchosen for herselfWith again and again. A love letter of lect red me. Iof had mentioned myand lovecuter for the the young at things heart. for (Think it as a smaller version UPPERCASE!) sorts, making, when words absolutely failed me. colour, had told him it awas my favourite, and then red childlike wonder—but not juvenile attitude—Little U explores designing, illustrating and to living. Highlighting books, pattern things began show up. And then, an children’s entire package of surface I don’t know wheredesign, Darren is now. It’s been years since clothing product for cap, young folk, and arts and crafts inspired by and/or red and things: a shinydesign red bottle an assortment of red we have seen or talked to each other. I held onto a handmadecandies, for children, publication will inspire and inform professional creatives a packthis of Big Red chewing gum, a small scarf ful of the red things he gave me. Bits of bright red paper, and families alike. the colour of maraschino cherries and, perhaps most the wrapper from the pack of Big Red chewing gum, a giant red stopit sign. I waswith stunned—never It’s not amemorably, magazine for a children—though does come a companion photograph of the stop sign—all of them pressed deep colouring can had be enjoyed readers of all ages!end of such a inposter my 18that years I beenbyon the receiving inside the crumbling, yellowing pages of an old colloving gesture. Cheap perfumes and stuffed yes. You don’t have to be a parent to read and enjoy Little U—it’sanimals, not a parenting lege scrapbook. I have never forgotten him, have never magazine focused on things to purchase or child-rearing advice. Simply loving Stiff, single-stemmed roses from the grocery store, yes. forgotten his gift. And I knew, even then, that no matcute andLove curious things is the only requirement! notes written on school notebook paper, yes. All the ter what happened between us, he would always mean Little U prerequisite, prefers natural kids and photographs—no tarted-up photo shoots adolescent, pretend-versions of romantic something to me, that the colour red would, too. Maybe, of children in makeup orNever expensive gestures, yes. theclothing. real thing. I thought, I would even write about it. But 28 years later,
a new magazine
No unrealistic expectations—no elaborate birthday party plans or The reds Darren to me unattainable perfection. We collected love gettingand into presented a mess and enjoy theseemed creative he could not. Somehow, he had manprocessto as say mucheverything as the end result.
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his gesture, his collected reds, still speak louder than my words ever could. littleUmag.com
S H O P
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IN THIS ISSUE:
cyan signature magenta moiré yellow folly key chromatic halftone girlie lingo litho COVER BY B A LT I M O R E P R I N T S T U D I O S
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