Last night I decided to experiment with some typewriter art!

I have an old Oliver typewriter that my friend gave me a few months back (I just thought I would write my weird quotes or poetry on it!) but after I visited the NCCD Typographic exhibition at the weekend it gave me inspiration to try out some art with it.

For postcard 3 I have already explained that I want it to be mixed media with paint, letterpress, stencilling, lino etc.. I want the wing design to be on this postcard so I had the idea of putting the type into the wing design.

I have never used a typewriter before; after struggling with the ribbon and wondering why it originally wouldn’t print (I had it on the wrong colour setting!) I messed around with a couple of sheets to try and get the hang of it! I was quite pleased with the outcome for a first attempt! I do however want to have a few more tries and see if I can make the text more legible and experiment with the appearance of it more so that it is not just block text.

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The text that I have used is not random. I listed out a list of things that are my morals/ beliefs/ thoughts/feelings/ affirmations.

I am made of sugar and spice and all things nice, I am pink and blonde. I used to hate pink and blonde.  I am formed from every value and belief that was taught and shown me. I am human, I have flaws, feelings and emotion. I have insecurities from every negative idea of myself that was placed in my head. I am not the opinions of others. I am a daughter, granddaughter, sister and friend. I wear the scars of every man I have ever loved and lost. I am the strength from the scars that have brought me hurt. My heart has been broken into a million pieces but it keeps beating. I am resilient. My head overthinks and my heart doesn’t listen to it. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I have the tattoo to prove it. I am 32 but feel 23. I fear getting old. My cat is my best friend, I am his too. I do not dress to fit in. I will not conform. I was not born to be basic. I wear pink lipstick because it is me, not because I hide behind it.  I know more than I speak. I sometimes act ditzy because it is cute. I live for the summer. I live for the weekend. I live for the here and now. I am not defined by the material posessions I own. I believe everyone has a path to follow. I believe I am trying to follow mine. I don’t believe in timeframes or restraints. I will not be constricted to a box. I am frayed around the edges. I have more issues than vogue. I have yet to have my time. I don’t think ignorance is bliss. The best things are not left unsaid. Communication is the breakdown of everything. Love does not happen at first sight and Feelings hurt more than jumping off a tall building. One night stands are overrated. In fact they are crap. I can’t do casuals. I catch feelings. I get hurt.  Catch sun rays, not feels. The effort someone shows you really does reflect their interest in you. I do not want to be cold even though the world makes me feel this way. I drink my feelings. I smoke them too. Sometimes I do both to piss you off. I self destruct at times and I don’t care. I am sensitive. I was taught this is a bad thing. I try to not be tainted by the badness in the world. I overthink. I daydream. I still hold onto hope. My idealisms ruin my soul. pizza is life. Pink wine in the sunshine. Alcohol leads to bad decisions, it numbs pain and anxiety, dutch courage leads to letting inhibitions go..Bad men too. I always like stupid boys. I like stupid unavailable boys. Commitment phobe? Grow up hun. It is ok to get drunk alone. It is ok to cry it out. It is not ok to drunk text. Let him go. My sister is wrong, I do like hugs. I like cuddles in bed. Wrapped up in arms. I do like attention. I am an introverted extrovert. I am imperfectly perfect. I wont be perfect for you. I want what I can never have. When I have it… it’s not all that. I am moody. I like control.I get angry. Anger is passion. Passion is care. Caring is having a conscience. A conscience is feeling the pain of others. Empathy.  I like sad songs. I like listening to lyrics. I like to analyse them. I need to let go. Let it bleed. Let it hurt. Let it heal. I need to trust my instincts. I need to not give benefit of the doubt. I need to stop making excuses for people. I need to cut myself some slack. I am doing the best I can.  

This runs quite deep, some of the feelings and opinions on this are quite raw and honest. They delve into matters of the heart mostly. I wanted it to represent elements of Design and inspiration from designers but also include who I am in with that. This explores typography and the history of old print but does it in a way where it is still conveying who I am.

It is not particularly legible or easy on the eye but this is purely creating pictures out of type. If you wanted to read close enough into the words and really study what is written then you still could.