Ep. 29: Nariné Riley - Letterpress Printer, Calligrapher
I'm so excited to introduce you to letterpress printer and calligrapher, Nariné Riley.
Nariné tells us how the love of writing cards, and making her own cards led to a career in stationery and the art of letterpress. She works with a machine from the 1880s, and explains just what goes into making all of the beautiful cards you’ll find in her online shop, The Grits.
Nariné has experience working in stationery and paper stores, which paper lovers and letter writers will definitely recognize. She fielded submissions from artists and makers, and now she’s the artist selling her product to shops. She shares a bit of her knowledge from both sides of the fence, and gives some tips on how to turn your art into a business.
And for all of you lovers of calligraphy, Nariné shares how she got her start doing calligraphy and how she’s incorporated it into her business.
I asked Nariné to email a few fun facts about her...things we didn't mention on the show. Here's what she sent:
- moved to Los Angeles almost 4 years ago from my hometown of Atlanta
- favorite meal is shrimp & grits. Any way you make it.
- Liverpool FC fan! #GoReds
- I love tiki drinks and have been to almost every single tiki bar in California. Get at me if you want to fund my dreams of opening a tiki bar.
- I play piano, poorly. I aspire to Vanessa Carlton and Olafur Arnalds
- Dream travel destinations: Iceland, Greece, and Kauai. (Been to Kauai so far! For our honeymoon. Hope to go back more!)
The thing that stood out to me throughout my chat with Nariné is how much she has loved every step of the learning process in both of these arts, and how she continues to grow and savor the work and the time it all takes. That is real passion.
I have to tell you, I continued to talk with Nariné after we stopped recording, and she is a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm. I would love to have her back on the show to dive a bit deeper into her calligraphic art. Nariné, if you're reading this, what do you say?
Show Notes:
Iron Curtain Press Paper Source
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