A Balance of Negative and Positive
I’m so excited the day has finally come to officially release the Black & White Letter Collection! I’ve been dreaming of these letters for years, and I’ve had the sketches in my studio forever — just waiting for me to finish them up so they could be added to the Cash Color prints when the time felt right.
I have always felt that there’s a sense of harmony when you bring black and white together. When done right, it can be equally minimalistic and sophisticated as it is dramatic and powerful. That’s how I feel when I look at these letters. They encapsulate the drama and powerful moments of 2020 as well as the sweet and simple moments spent at home.
My primary goal is always to create original artwork for people’s homes that will bring them joy, and I feel that the Black & White Letter Collection brings an elevated, abstract feel — but personalized.
I don’t want to play favorites, but the letter “I” is my favorite. It’s a huge reminder of the partnership my daughter Ivy and I had creating this collection, since I painted during my last days of pregnancy. We moved together to paint these letters, and then after she was born we spent our time sketching, painting, and editing on repeat. All in 15-minute increments, of course.
pushing boundaries to create beautiful names
I wanted to bring the simplicity of the Hand Signs to this letter collection, focusing on using stripes, continuous lines, circles, and an organic checkered pattern representative of the Cash Color studio floor. The brushstrokes are as expressionistic, imperfect, and organic as we all are. The letters are painted with a dry brush, which I think fits the collection well because it pushes the minimal mood even more. The negative space is just as much considered as the positive space, and that’s life: a balance of negative space and positive.
For the Black & White Letter Collection, I didn’t want all of the letters to match perfectly. With the Neutral and Color Letter Collections, I wanted to push the boundaries and make them less obviously letters. I found myself pushing even harder with this letter collection to make them feel like individual pieces of art that all complement each other really well. I think this collection is amazing because each time you spell a different name, you get your own unique combination of statement pieces. I took a lot of consideration to make sure that no matter what name you spell out, it will look beautiful.
Whereas my other collections are painted with gouache, for the B & W letters I chose India ink as my medium. I wanted statement pieces without the fussiness. I wanted drama and impact without being overdone. I wanted a combination with some ease. Take any room, take any letter, and nine times out of ten, it will work. It’s easy and effective — and isn’t that what all of us moms are after?
I hope to see these letters above your bar cart, surrounded by a mix of your favorite wine bottles and adding a touch of personalization to your walls. Or I’d love to see them in your entryway above a perfectly curated console with coffee table books, knickknacks, and ceramics as a compliment to your own personal style.
I dream of these letters in your nurseries above the crib or changing table to not only be personalized for your babe, but also representative of your taste in sophisticated décor. I imagine the bold patterns with high contrast captivating your child during these early stages in development and togetherness.
I envision the Black & White Letters being paired with Hand Sign Prints in big kid rooms, playrooms, or as a more mature bedroom for your guests or teens.
I can’t wait to see how you make these your own. Please keep tagging me in your posts and stories on Instagram. You each continue to inspire me and my art. I love you all!
With Love,
Click HERE to download this month's free wallpaper design for yourself or to show some love to someone special!
