Looking back, moving forward

As in previous years (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), here is my annual recap of how my year unfolded.

In January, I was featured in UPPERCASE Magazine's beautiful new book, The Encyclopedia of Inspiration: Ephemera.

After months of preparation, I revealed a new look for my personal brand in February. Posts here, here and here.

In March, I hand-painted some signs for The Theatre Centre, and painted the windows at Type Books. I also offered hand-letter cards at She Matters, a fundraising brunch in support of the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, which offers legal representation, professional counselling and multilingual interpretation to women who have experienced violence.

Village Juicery generously displayed some of my collection for the month of April. I also had the privilege of painting the windows at the new Wonder Pens Clinton St. location. And I checked one thing off my bucket list: I played my first-ever ukulele recital!

In May, I had fun painting a special pantry sign.

June was a busy month! I offered my first sign painting workshop, in partnership with Above Ground Art Supplies. I designed a super fun t-shirt for the Stratford Festival production of Little Shop of Horrors. I designed the poster and graphics for the Vintage Taps' production of The Laundry List. I did some fun sign painting for LeTao and Kilogram. And I got a chance to help out the 519 with some huge hand-painted pride protest signs.

In August, I had the privilege to do a sign painting treatment on the cover of Chatelaine Magazine.
I also did a fun sign painting / pop art homage.

In October, I did some custom lettering for Tafelmusik's Haus Musik series in Toronto. I was the feature artist at Italic Press. And my sign painting article was featured in Issue 43 of UPPERCASE Magazine.

November was a big month. I had new work at the Buddies in Bad Times Art Attack auction. I had fun painting the window at the new Craig's Cookies on Church Street. And I also got to paint a lovely Joni Mitchell lyric for the holiday window at Type Books. But the biggest news on the month (and year) was being part of the One of a Kind winter show. Months of preparation all led up to joining 850+ vendors for 117 hours over 11 days at Toronto’s biggest gathering of local makers. I feel privileged that was included in this world-class event, and thankful for every single person I’ve met during this experience.

This year would not have been possible without the support of everyone.
I wish you all the best in 2020.

CR

Looking back, moving forward

My mantra for 2018 was balance. After a hectic previous year, I made a goal to focus on work/life balance, which is always a struggle for freelancers. While I am very satisfied with (and grateful for) the work accomplished this year, I am most proud of my commitment to self-care throughout the process.  As in previous years (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), here is my annual recap of how my year unfolded.

January started at a slower pace, allowing time to get the studio in order. I received my Communication Arts award in the mail, which was such an honour. (Turns out, it's really heavy!) You might know that I am obsessed with daytimers and calendars, so I released a new perpetual wall calendar - it makes planning out the year fun and easy. Biggest news of the year: I started taking tap dancing lessons!

In February, I participated in City of Craft's Made for Love Valentine's Day pop-up at the Workroom. I also had lettering work featured in Today's Parent magazine (yay for daydrinking!) I also had some downtime to start researching sign painting at the Toronto Archives.

In March, I was invited to offer hand-lettered cards and prints at She Matters, a fundraising brunch in support of the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, which offers legal representation, professional counselling and multilingual interpretation to women who have experienced violence. I also shared some new custom lettering work for President's Choice + Sid Lee. New hand-lettering also got full page coverage in the West End Phoenix.

As the days started to get longer, April brought a new feature on chromatic type in UPPERCASE Magazine. Warmer temperatures also allowed me to do some window painting: Craig's Cookies (my first in One Shot enamel paint!) and The Theatre Centre. I also completed a huge custom chalkboard for Boxcar Social. And what a pleasant surprise: my article on custom signs feature in the May/June/July issue of Cottage Life magazine!

In May, I completed some hand-painted signage for Will O'Hare's photography show (part of the Contact Photography Festival), as well as a huge custom chalkboard for a real estate staging. Spring was in the air, so a new custom sign for Sweet Gale Gardens. I also completed a fun Pollock-inspired mural for Craig's Cookies. And the tapping continued!

After five months of research, I started a new project in June called #chrispaintssigns, using traditional sign painting techniques to explore letterform proportions. As we prepared for our latest instalment of Pixel & Bristle at the Drake Hotel, I launched a new series called Dishonest Signs. Also, my ABC250 monograph turned one!

In July, I shared a large scale window painting project for Michael Johnston Music School - four windows hand-painted with One Shot enamel paint. I got to do a cute birth announcement for Nicole & James at Type Books. More window painting at The Theatre Centre, and a quick sign for Gloria Cafe. Then I wrapped up my #chrispaintssigns project, and jumped on a plane...

I was away in Italy (!) for most of August, but did have time to prep something for the TypeCon silent auction, which happened in Portland.

September was quiet, but I did zip over to Calgary to offer a brush lettering workshop at UPPERCASE Magazine. My most popular Instagram post of the year was about the least popular Ontario politician in recent years...

Part of October was spent visiting family in Saskatchewan. I also prepared some graphics for my favourite wartime gal, Pearle Harbour.

In November, I partnered up with Wonder Pens to offer a special brush lettering workshop at their new Clinton Street store. Along with two special pieces for the Buddies Art Attack auction, I released some new work for the holidays, including an alphabet print, a GLOW-IN-THE-DARK Toronto signs print, and some coupon-inspired holidays cards. A couple of these prints were featured in the annual Swash & Serif typography show. And I also shared some new explosive lettering on pimple popping (!) for Chatelaine Magazine.

And then suddenly, it was December! Another round of Pixel & Bristle at the Drake Hotel, plus my first studio sale, and a pop-up at Gloria Cafe. I snuck in one more launch: a new ABC book published my the Harvest Commission. A quick custom window for Type Books. But my favourite and most meaningful project of the year: a special typographic portrait to celebrate the 80th birthday of Roberta, gifted from her four children: David, Jenny, Rebekah and Heidi. The piece is comprised of over sixty individually typeset words, names, phrases, places, artists, songs and events that have filled Roberta’s rich life.

This year would not have been possible without the support of YOU – those who purchased a print from my shop, liked one of my Instagram photos, or visited my studio. I am grateful to continue doing work that I love. THANK YOU!

I wish you all the best in this new year.

CR

The ABCs of Typography book

A is for Ascender, B is for Bowl, C is for Cap height ... Want to learn some more?

This 6" x 6" delightful volume, published by The Harvest Commission, takes us through a abecedary of typography. Kids and adults alike are sure to learn something new and grow their appreciation for the art of letterforms and the arrangement of type. Based on the popular abecedary originally published in Issue 35 of UPPERCASE Magazine (Fall 2017), and the subsequent abecedary print.

Available in my shop, as well as Amazon.

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/650936054/the-abcs-of-typography-book

Roberta

I am thrilled to share one of the most exciting, challenging and meaningful projects I’ve done this year. A special typographic portrait to celebrate the 80th birthday of Roberta, gifted from her four children: David, Jenny, Rebekah and Heidi. The piece is comprised of over sixty individually typeset words, names, phrases, places, artists, songs and events that have filled Roberta’s rich life. You can see a bit of the process, as well as the finished work.

Thanks again to Rebekah for entrusting me to work on such a personal project. Wishing Roberta a very Happy 80th birthday, and many more years to come.

Check out the process below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Christopher Rouleau (@chris_rouleau) on Nov 25, 2018 at 4:58am PST

Alphabet Print #2

This 12” x 12” pieces features 26 interlocking letters. Printed in Toronto on Mohawk Superfine Eggshell Ultrawhite 120lb matte fine art paper, using an HP Indigo 7800 Digital Press.

Pairs perfect with Numbers Print #2.

Available for purchase here.

ABC250 turns one

This week marks the one year anniversary of the release of my first monograph, ABC250. With the help of Chloe Develle, I compiled 250 alphabets into this book, published by Coach House Books, and launched at Black Cat Artspace. Looking for lettering inspiration? Pick one up in my shop or at:

https://christopherrouleau.patternbyetsy.com/listing/554153687/abc250-monograph

Typography in technicolour

Be sure to check out Issue 37 of UPPERCASE Magazine, where you will find my recent article about the history of chromatic type. Thanks Janine for this great opportunity!

Today's Parent

Here is some recent lettering for Today's Parent magazine. Thanks again to Sun for this fun opportunity. Available in newstands and online now.

Communication Arts

I am thrilled to accept this Communication Arts Award of Excellence for the 3D mural I created at Cutler & Gross in fall 2017. Check out the mural (with 3D glasses!) at 758 Queen St. W., and see the full feature in the Typography Annual, coming next month!

Looking back, moving forward

I've been struggling to find a word to sum up 2017. Marathonic? This year, I am particularly grateful to friends, family and the creative community for their unending support. As in previous years (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), here is my annual recap of how my year unfolded.

January started at a slower pace, getting things lined up for the year. I took some time to archive my Alphabet-a-Day project. I also created a meaningful and memorable sign for the Women's March.

In February, things went from a jog to a sprint. I released a new screen-printed Valentine cards. I zipped over to Regina to teach a Ligatures brush lettering workshop. Then, I was invited to speak at Creative Mornings Toronto; you can listen to the talk here. I completed my largest mural to date for Chocolats Favoris in Aurora, ON. I also had a super fun time doing a Ligatures sign painting workshop at Honest Ed's for Toronto for Everyone!

In March, I painted two charming signs for Sweet Gale Gardens, lettered a book cover for Shawn Hitchins, and created a new hand-lettered wordmark for UPPERCASE Magazine’s Make it Worthwhile project.

On April 1st, I invited my first intern to the studio. Chloe Develle joined me from Paris, France, where she is studying graphic design at l'École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués et des Métiers d'Art. Chloe used the studio to practice her lettering, and help me with a few cool projects (more in June…) I was also interviewed by TFO, a publicly funded French language educational television station and media organization, serving the province of Ontario. You can view the interview here. We had a quick set of Ligatures brush lettering workshops at C Studio. I also shared a new hand-lettered wordmark for Bay Street Bull.

In May, we took Pixel & Bristle to the Drake Devonshire in Prince Edward County.
I also did some branding for CdnStudio & Spider Web Show Performance. I was also a judge at the Adobe Creative Jam at OCADU.

June was exceptionally jam-packed. The highlight of the month (and the year!) was the launch of my first monograph, ABC250, in conjunction with a companion art show and book launch at Black Cat Artspace in Toronto. And for extra fun, I also unveiled my new 2017/2018 collection, which included dozens of new prints, postcards, greeting cards, apparel, and a special collaboration with SIGG water bottles. I also had a booth at Roncy Rocks!

In July, I co-curated and participated in Pixel & Bristle at The Drake Hotel, designed a logo for Cookie Dough Stand in Calgary, and completed my second mural of the year: an optimistic message in Toronto laneway. I also shared hand-lettering for a tasty new book, Brad Long on Butter.

August was surprisingly busy this year. I had the privilege of designing three cups for Sorry Coffee in Toronto. I shared my final mural of the year: an epic 3D mural for Cutler & Gross on Queen Street. But the biggest event of the month was attending my first TypeCon in Boston, where I had a table of offerings at the Marketplace, and a live lettering demonstration. So fun!

In September, I started a series of 12 new Toronto the Great prints, starting with Queen Street West.
I released a new print each Monday for 12 weeks; you can see them all here. Then, I headed to Montreal for ATypI (Association Typographique Internationale), where I taught a digital lettering workshop, and then presented a new talk called "From stroke to screen"; you can view the full talk here. On Sept. 23-24, I participated in the Queen West Art Crawl, one of Toronto's largest outdoor art markets. I also refreshed the store front of Telegramme Prints & Framing on Ossington.

In October, I took a couple moments to breathe. A new UPPERCASE magazine hit the stands, featuring a fun abecedary that I wrote and illustrated. I also revealed a companion print.

November began with a big announcement. My art had been selected for City of Toronto's King Street Pilot project. (#major) My work was also featured at the Buddies in Bad Times annual Art Attack auction, which raised money for Canada's most exciting LGBT theatre. I also shared my first lettering project for La Maison Simons, one of Quebec's finest department stores. The month wrapped up with the annual Pixel & Bristle holiday market at The Drake Hotel, where I unveiled my showcard-inspired sign painted holiday cards.

December was the most wonderful time of the year, with pop-ups at Gloria cafe, holiday deliveries a-plenty, and then Toronto's favourite market, City of Craft. It was a perfect way to bookend the year.

As you can see, this year was epic. It most certainly would NOT have been possible without the support of YOU – those who purchased a print from my shop, liked one of my Instagram photos, attended a talk, or visited my live lettering booth. I am grateful to continue doing work that I love. THANK YOU!

I wish you all the best in this new year.

CR

Atypi Montréal 2017 recap

A tremendous thank you to Liron, Shani, Tamye, and the entire ATypI team for allowing me to participate in this year's exceptional conference. Special thanks to Alexandre for his encouragement and support. I hope to see you all next year in Antwerp!

You can watch my presentation here:

Atypi Montréal 2017

I am so excited to share that I am headed to Montréal next week for the ATypI conference (Association Typographique Internationale), where I will have two special offerings:

Workshop:
Digital lettering
Tuesday, September 12
9:30-12:30

Talk:
From stroke to screen
Thursday, September 14
5:40pm

See you there!

TypeCon 2017 recap

A tremendous thank you to TypeCon for a fantastic conference in Boston this year. My mind is bursting with new ideas and projects I want to explore. A special thank you to Grant and Xerxes for their kind invitation, and to Mary Catherine, Neil and the entire team for creating an environment of inclusiveness, creativity, and innovation. Thanks to everyone who stopped by my table to pick up a print or say hello. Can't wait until next year!

Boston print

I'm thrilled to unveil this new Boston print, which will be available exclusively at TypeCon this week. Stop by my table at the Marketplace for lots of fun typographic swag, and don't miss my Live Lettering demonstration on Sat. Aug 26 from 10-12pm. See you soon, Boston!

Type Con 2017

I am ecstatic to announce that I will be attending TypeCon for the first time next month in Boston. And to make this even more dream-like, I will have a table at the Marketplace, where I will be offering limited edition art, live lettering demonstrations, and I will be signing copies of my new ABC250 book, which I'll be picking up from Coach House Books in the next couple weeks. Pinch me!

I look forward to seeing all of you there.

ABC250: Update

Major news: my first book, ABC250, has been fully funded! Because of amazing supporters like you, I've raised $2500+, and have officially given Coach House Books the green light to printed the first edition of 100 copies, which will be signed and shipped by yours truly. I'm humbled by your generosity - it means so much to put a project out in the world and receive this kind of support. Thanks for making this dream come true.

love > hate

Here's my submission for the Adobe #typewithpride contest, featuring the fantastic Gilbert font designed after Pride flag creator, Gilbert Baker. In these uncertain times, we must always remember that love is greater than hate. Happy Pride!

ABC250: book launch + exhibit

After the success of last year's Alphabet-a-Day project, hand-lettering one complete alphabet each weekday, I'm thrilled to announce one of the most exciting projects of my career so far. All 250 alphabets are now available - for reference or pleasure - in my first monograph, ABC250.

This 258-page, 8"x8" limited edition soft cover book is being printed in Toronto at the esteemed Coach House Books.

The projected cost of a limited edition run of 100 books is approximately $2300. In order meet this goal, I'm graciously looking for a minimum of 47 backers to pre-order the book at the retail cost of $49.

In return for your generosity, I have several ways to give back. Here are the options for donations:

1) $49
Signed and editioned copy

2) $99
Signed and editioned copy
8x8 print
Free shipping

3) $149 or more
Signed and editioned copy
8x8 print
+print of your choice from my current collection
Free shipping

Support the project here:
https://www.gofundme.com/abc-250-chris-rouleaus-first-book



The book will be available for preview at the ABC250 exhibit:

June 15-21, 2017
Reception: Thursday, June 15, 7-10pm
Black Cat Artspace
2186 Dundas St. W.

The upcoming exhibit will give an intimate look at my process, showcasing all 250 original sketches, five new limited edition alphabet prints, as well as a preview of the ABC250 monograph.


More details at:
http://abc250.christopherrouleau.com 

Facebook event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/808404525973825/

Brush lettering at UPPERCASE

On Sunday, September 18, I had the pleasure of teaching 15 folks the basics of hand lettering at the beautiful UPPERCASE studio in Calgary, Alberta. The event was generously sponsored by the fine folks at Mona Lisa Artist Materials.

Thanks again to Janine for making this all possible.