Jenny Milwid is the creative force behind Leveret & Hare. We've been an admirer of her calligraphy and lettering from the moment we caught a glimpse of her Instagram feed. And lucky us, she was all on board when we approached her about collaborating on a new wedding invitation suite!
Pairing Jenny's modern style with letterpress was a dream come true. We are thrilled to introduce Jenny’s hand lettered suite—an invitation and a save the date—to our wedding line. As part of this exciting reveal, we asked Jenny to tell us a little more about herself.
Can you tell us a little about how you got started in calligraphy and lettering? What first got you interested?
I’ve always been interested in letterforms, but the first time I tried calligraphy was to create invitations for my wedding. I enjoyed it so much that I started practicing regularly. I then met Erin + Rose of Forêt and I told them that I wanted to pursue it more in a professional context. They were kind enough to give me a chance with one of their projects, and the rest is history! Without the inspiration and encouragement from these talented ladies, I would not be doing what I love today.
(photo by Ruth Eileen Photography)
How would you describe your style?
I have a few different styles that I use depending on aesthetic of the project. I generally lean towards modern calligraphy, but take cues from classical calligraphy, especially Copperplate, in my line weights and rhythm.
(photo by White Loft Studio)
What is the most memorable or challenging project you’ve taken on?
This past December I worked with the award winning online shop, Eat Boutique, to create signage for their 2015 holiday market. They wanted to integrate my lettering in a variety of ways throughout the market, and the trickiest piece was creating the window signage. There were 10 windows (and 3 doors), approximately 5’x4’ in size, each. This was the first time I’ve designed and hand-lettered on such a large scale (and on a short timeline!), as the majority of my projects are 8.5”x11” or smaller. It was a great learning experience in terms of thinking through the design and application process (such as hand painting letters on windows backwards). You can watch this video to really get a sense for the space and environment we created.
(photo by Ruth Eileen Photography)
What are some creative tools/aides you cannot work without?
A pen holder, nibs (I love the Brause 361 Steno Nib aka Blue Pumpkin and Zebra G), a light table, Rhodia blank and grid paper, and Sumi ink. On the technology side, it is my Macbook Air and recent addition iPad Pro + Pencil.
(photo by First Mate)
Which calligraphers and/or artists have inspired you the most?
There are many inspirational calligraphers out there. Here are a few that have been particularly influential: Seb Lester, master penman Jake Weidman, Written Word Calligraphy, Mon Voir, Molly Jacques, Jessica Hische, and Dana Tanamachi.
Still can’t get enough? You can find more recent work by Leveret & Hare in Style Me Pretty and Boston Weddings. Thanks, Jenny!