Client: WSJ - The Wall Street Journal
Art Direction: Rossa Shanks
Logo design & Branding: Jordan Metcalf
Category: Lettering, Type Design, Illustration
Quote 1:
“ I know of no genius,
but the genius of hard work ”
- J. M. W. Turner
This piece was the most ambitious and time-consuming in the series. I was fascinated by Turner’s paintings and drawings of landscapes, so romantic and atmospheric.
The scene here is completely imaginary, which made constructing this piece extremely time-consuming with many stages of conceptualization. This piece also allowed me to do more etching, something which I am exploring more and more in my work.
Quote 2:
“ The best is the enemy
of the good ”
- Voltaire
Each piece presented a different challenge in terms of the technical execution; crafting custom type & lettering as well as the overall concept and ultimately the final execution.
The quotes themselves acted as a great inspiration to me as I was creating these, as did each author's life and story. It was a great excuse to research some of the lives and periods of many famous men and women.
I wanted to push myself in my craft and do the quotes justice by matching the execution with what the quote was trying to communicate.
Quote 3:
“ let nothing discourage you
perseverance will conquer
all things ”
- Benjamin Franklin
As one of the founding fathers of the United States of America and the figurehead appearing on the $100 bill, I decided to look at money and governmental documents from the 1800s for inspiration.
It was an ambitious undertaking, but I often paused and took a moment to consider the words of the wise man and let the words inspire me to have the courage and persevere to accomplish the vision I set out for this piece.
I was truly happy with how this turned out in the end and felt I had conquered this piece, which at times left me feeling quite discouraged.
Quote 4:
“ An aim in life is the only
fortune worth finding ”
- Robert Louis Stevenson
The Scottish novelist and travel writer Robert Louis Stevenson is most noted for Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and A Child's Garden of Verses.
Book cover illustration from the 1800s was a great source of inspiration for this quotation.
Some pieces come easier than others, and others you have to fight for. My love for vintage book covers and elaborate custom lettering, combined with my fascination with the mystery and adventure genre, propelled this forward and came together seemingly quickly, leaving a smile on my face when I finally put the pencils down.
Quote 5:
“ Nothing great was ever
achieved without enthusiasm ”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, and poet.
Enthusiasm cannot be faked I'm afraid, it has to come from a real place of passion and joy. And so the quote rings true, nothing truly great could ever be achieved without that.
This quote was inspiring and encouraging to me and spoke directly to my own chosen career path and passions.
The key I feel is to pursue your passions and greatness may follow you. Persevere and believe in your abilities and spend time practicing and discovering what inspires you.
Quote 6:
“ Always bear in mind that your own
resolution to succeed is more
important than any other one thing ”
- Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln was an American statesman and lawyer who served as the 16th president of the United States of America from 1861. He preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the U.S. economy, among many other things.
I was inspired by many findings during my research for this piece, mostly black letter scripts of governmental documents and bond notes during the 1800s.
A very inspirational quote from a very influential figure for not only America but the whole world.
Quote 7:
“ The distance is nothing it is only
the first step that is difficult ”
- Marie Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise du Deffand
She was a French hostess and a patron of the arts, an intelligent and influential woman of her time.
During my research, I became completely fascinated with the French mosaics of the 17th century, very intricate and require incredible craftsmanship and patience. Most of these mosaics are still around today in many hotel lobbies in France.
I decided to use the wisdom of this quote and try something new - a digital mosaic.
The first step was the most challenging, as the quote suggests. The logistics of this were challenging and puzzling until I found my rhythm and marched on with the tedious task of placing digital tile blocks.
This was probably one of the most time-consuming pieces apart from the first piece.
Quote 8:
“ Determine never to be idle, it is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing ”
- Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809.
An inspiring quote indeed. This is a great reminder to keep on pursuing your dreams and never give up, knowing that being consistent and persevering in what you do is an important part of achieving your goals.
