Laura Smith Interviewed by Anne Telford

My wife, Illustrator Laura Smith, was recently interviewed by Anne Telford about her whimsical illustrations for the Summer 2011 edition of The Directory of Illustration’s Illustration Voice – the online illustration newsletter. Anne was the founding managing editor of Communication Arts magazine, and is now their Editor-At-Large.

The current issue of Communication Arts magazine (Illustration Annual 52) also features Laura’s cover illustration for The Graphic Artists Guild Pricing and Ethical Guidelines (see my previous post on this), and is she currently featured in the Guild’s Member Spotlight.

In addition that PEGs cover was recently honored by the Society of Illustrators: Illustrators 53, and was also a winner in the Altpick 7 Awards.

Scripts: Elegant Lettering from Design’s Golden Age

Sunday I picked up a book at Hennessey + Ingalls (my local bookseller), and I spent the day marveling at the treasure trove of typographic gems it contains. The book is “Scripts: Elegant Lettering from Design’s Golden Age” by the dynamic duo of Steven Heller and Louise Fili.

If you’re like me, and love type—especially vintage scripts—you must get this book. The culmination of over 30 years of digging through swap meets, flea markets and antiquarian bookstores, it is a priceless collection of ephemera by two passionate collectors.

The book’s 352 pages are filled with well over 300 examples from around the globe, from advertising to street signs, from type specimens to invitations and personal letters, spanning the period from the 19th to the mid-20th century. I could spend days poring over this book. It is as rich a collection of typographic material as I have seen in years—and much of it I have never seen before. I LOVE this book!

The book is readily available from Amazon.com, but (personal note) why not shop locally and check out the book in person at your nearby (non-chain) bookstore? You might pay a few dollars more, and it might not be as “convenient”, but in this day and age wouldn’t it be worth it to give them your support?

In-Depth Interview Just Posted

I recently did an in-depth interview with Sonali Vora a writer based in India for the blog VectorTuts+. This is a blog of tutorials, articles, freebies and more on all things vector. Their roster of writers is truly international, coming from such diverse countries as Ukraine, India, Australia, England and the good ol’ US of A.

Sonali introduces the interview with these words: “We recently had the opportunity to interview this award-wining designer, lettering artist, and illustrator. Michael talks about his childhood influences, his education and his brilliant start at a freelance career. He tells us about his experience working with some of the big clients and the valuable projects that challenged him to explore his creative potential”. Those of you out there who are curious to learn a little more about what makes me tick might want to take a look at it.