home is where the potential typefaces are

I'VE HAD THIS LITTLE IDEA on the brain since the last time I was in NC...April-ish. My Mom has loads of really neat antiques...dishware, prints, books, jewelry, etc. Who knows where most of them are from; my mom was adopted and is by far the youngest person alive on that side of the family, so a lot of the stories with these objects were taken to the grave when the previous owner passed.

I had never really thought about this before, but I'm sure the visual environment you're brought up with somehow informs your style later on. Not to say you have to be surrounded by amazing objects your whole life; maybe if you grow up around wicker & shag rug you can take away an uncanny sense of irony. Same way, maybe, if you're raised in the burbs, in some cookie cutter crap. Obviously this isn't the only thing that informs creative folk, but in my case at least I think it did.

Before I ramble on anymore I'll get to my original idea: taking elements from all of this stuff and developing a typeface, or at least a set of vector images. I don't claim to be a type designer, but I loooove the idea. I mean think about it. Antiques are generational; there's always going to be a battle over them amongst the kinfolk, and every time they're passed down, the objects take on new meaning (in a new physical environment, they age, stories about them become more folklore-ish. You know what I mean.)

It just seems appropriate for me to do something like this right now, as well. I spent 9 months away in Idaho somewhat disconnected from my family, and I didn't do much designing while I was out there. For fear of using a cliché I won't up & say "I'm finding myself" through this...but it's a good, fun thing to focus on for a little bit.

Anyway here are a few snapshots from Le iPhone of a few objects I have in mind. I ESPECIALLY like the black mountain-looking thing. (Sorry, at a loss for words...) Surprisingly, because I'm already so, so over the glam rock look in all the fall fashion magazines.