From Barcelona to Melbourne
JAN 2025
Happy 2025!
Another year, another list of good intentions: reading more, exercising more, spending less time on social media… you name it!
Where are we right now?
We’re on our annual leave in the Canary Islands. It’s our first time here, enjoying the warmer vibes thanks to a good friend’s invitation. This is a short stay—fifteen days of taking a break from work.
Where are we going next?
On January 15th, we’re flying back to Barcelona to reunite with our winter gear, iPad, inks, paints, nibs, and brushes. I’m very excited about this chapter as we’ll be staying in one single apartment until June 2025. I know, I know — we’re growing up and settling down for five months— for the first time since June 2022!
This letter is also to announce our plans for the second half of 2025, which involves flying to Australia! After three years away, my partner and I will be spending several months back at home. The first month will be in the Mid-North Coast of NSW, celebrating Margaret’s 80th birthday. Then, we’ll head down to Naarm (Melbourne) from mid-August onwards, and after that… we’ll see!
So, if you’d like to organise an in-person course, a conference talk, a calligraphy retreat, or any other event in Barcelona or Melbourne, please reach out — I’d love to say yes!
We’re very much looking forward to seeing many friends and revisiting our former second home, Rotson Studios. We’re already thinking about Vegemite and the best deals our city has to offer, thanks to our friends at @tightarsesofmelbourne.
New projects in the works!
There are a couple of very exciting things coming up: A new pre-recorded calligraphy course + a new educational website. More on this real soon!
See you in Barcelona in the first half, and see you in Naarm (Melbourne) in the second half of 2025! Much love, Maria xx
Below you’ll find a collection of letterings developed during 2024; an editorial design about Dune; and my latest educational series on writing quotes with a Pentel Touch Sign Brush Pen.
On the third part of this newsletter, you’ll find a great lecture by Troy Leinster; an inspiring conversation with Gail Bichler; and a very personal talk by Ren Rigby.
E X T R A $
For those seeking a more emotive narrative of my last two months, you’ll find a personal video describing our nomadic life, plus a few extra links at the end of this letter.
Lettering Collection 2024
These are a few of my lettering designs developed during 2024. You can check the entire collection in black and white since 2013 here!
The Third Adaptation of ‘Dune’ is Deft by Design | Editorial Images
I have recently collaborated with Nate Burgos from Design Feast crafting a few editorial images for his latest beautifully crafted article titled “The Third Adaptation of ‘Dune’ is Deft by Design”.
The lettering is an extension of Dune’s movie title, and the images incorporate elements of epic contrast, economy of colour and volume and compositional beauty of geometry. I love sci-fi so re-watching the second and third adaptations of Dune as well as conducting further research was a true joy!
Writer + art director: Nate Burgos
Published via Design Feast
Writing Script Brush Pen Calligraphy using a Pentel Touch Sign Brush
This is my latest series of free educational videos writing quotes for the first time with a Pentel Touch Sign brush pen, where you can appreciate the real speed of my writing and the thought process I use behind it.
R E S O U R C E S
Ideation to Publication—My Type Design Process by Troy Leinster via ATypI 2024 Brisbane
I met Troy Leinster in Melbourne back in 2011. He is the reason why I attended Type@Cooper in 2012, and since then we have kept in touch all these years. Seeing Troy grow and flourish has been a joy and a privilege and this presentation about his type design process is a solid proof of that. It is concise, specific and highly education for those of you in the business of publishing fonts, and for the ones in the business of commissioning custom fonts and understanding all the labour, tech and considerations that go along the way.
If you want to learn more about Troy Leinster and fonts, here is a second lecture as part of the AMA series by Type Electives.
Gail Bichler via Print Is Dead Podcast
Imagine this: You’re a 42-year-old designer who’s only worked at one magazine. Ever. Then one day, unexpectedly, you’re tasked to lead the design of that magazine. Now imagine that the magazine is universally lauded as a design masterpiece. Add to that, your immediate predecessors have both been enshrined into every hall of fame across the design and media universe… Listen to the full story by the talented design director Gail Bichler from The New York Times Magazine.
Ren Rigby via Creative Morning NYC
Ren Rigby (formerly known as Mike Rigby) is an internationally acclaimed multidisciplinary designer, educator, and activist based in NYC. As the co-founder and Chief Design Officer of NYC based design and innovation company, Proto, Ren is dedicated to advancing people. Much of their work and activism center around the climate crisis and promoting equal rights for the transgender community.
This is a very personal talk about their journey of identity and rediscovering themselves again.