Laura Smith

I Have Chosen

letterpress

Letterpress is words under pressure. Single lead letters and spaces are set by hand into words, poems, paragraphs or prayers, then inked. Dampened paper is then pressed onto the lead one sheet at a time, one color at a time. This process is nearly 540 years old. Typography is the relationship among the meanings of words, the design and sizes of letterforms and the space they inhabit. I try to inform the meaning of the written word (often selected from the Book of Common Prayer or the Holy Bible) through these processes. Each work day is approached in a prayerful spirit. Each piece speaks with its own voice. I hope this one speaks to you.

LABORE ORATIO EST (work is prayer).