Makers: Doris Wai of Lovelettering

 The Makers series of posts highlights the artists that make the products we sell, a peek into their workspace and process as they create beautiful things. 

In this Makers post I'm delighted to introduce you to Doris Wai, creative director of Lovelettering, who creates amazing and beautiful handlettered pieces as well as a line of adorable handlettered "pose-cards" that we sell in the shop.  I sent Doris a few questions about her creative process and creative space:

  

Jess: Tell us about your work space- do you have a dedicated studio or do you carve out space where you can when you need? What does it look like?

Doris: I never intended to start this business, and could have never imagined but I have always had a room dedicated to my creativity, but since Love Lettering took off, it seems that my home is almost my entire studio!  I have multiple work spaces for different purposes!  In the basement is my work room, where I store all my supplies, big printers, shipping materials etc, if I am going to get down and dirty, into the basement I go!  On the main floor I use a portion of my living room as a place to letter the items that are brought to me on a daily basis, you will find 2 easels that literally support me as a hand lettering artist.  And on the top floor is my airy office, where I handle my emails, invoicing and accounting, there is a loveseat in here that I frequent to write Instagram posts, its a lovely space and I enjoy it very much. 

Jess: what are your tools of the trade?

Doris: Any instrument in which I can create a letter is a tool to me, in my line of work, I letter on so many different surfaces so I like to know what pens work best on what surface, what pencils work on all surfaces?  But some of the items I cannot live without is painters tape, my Stabilo All pencil and my Sharpie paint pen.

Jess: Share a little about the process involved in your work?

Doris: For signage, my work is so vast and tailored to each client, wording is almost always different, surfaces are different so there is never a repeat of anything.  However with the Posecards, it thrives upon repetition.  I hand letter each design and then print onto card, where they are hand cut, coloured, and assembled.  I created Posecards, a line of photo prop greeting cards, as crossover product between a gift tag/greeting card and a photo prop, in the age of the selfies, we can use photo props anytime with our cell phone, why not mark the occasion?  I will continue to use my lettering to create products because I know one day I will be old and want to ensure I have created things I can continue to sell.

Jess: Where do you look for inspiration?

Doris: I am a visual sponge, I can look any anything and transform it in my head, some times lyrics from a song creates a painting in my mind, sometimes its a persons personality that drives me to draw, there are not enough hours in a day to accomplish what is going on in my mind. But my daughter inspires me to work hard, be diligent, but enjoy life too.  And Instagram, the black hole of inspiration, its like taking a trip without going anywhere, you can step into a hotel lobby, you can visit the desert, you can learn to letter! To be inspired all I really have to do is look around.  

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 Not only is Doris insanely good at what she does, but she is also a super sweet lady too, and I'm so happy to know her. You can find Doris online via her website lovelettering.ca as well as follow along with her beautiful work on instagram And, as if this lovely lady didn't have enough going on, she also has a book filled with gorgeous handlettering projects coming out in November, which you can pre-order here!!!!!