THE HEARTBEAT
INK & PAPER • LUXURIOUS TEXTURES • UNIQUE MEDIA • PRACTICE & CRAFT
why "Fawn"?
FAWN |fôn| (n): a young deer
My mom is a true & talented crafter (she made me Disney princess costumes for Halloween for heaven's sake). She built a successful business in the SoCal wedding industry, and was well known & loved.
My dad is not only MacGyver-style resourceful, but has the penmanship of an architect, and was always drawing with & for me, for as long as I can remember. My dad's family name—my maiden name—is Deer.
When I set out to start Fawn Lettering, I knew that I owed so much of who I was & the talents I had embraced to my family, so I chose a moniker to honor that legacy, hence Fawn.
a business model change
…BECAUSE SOMETIMES LIFE TAKES YOU IN A NEW DIRECTION
- JAN. 2023 -
In 2021 I made a major career change, and by the grace of God I got an amazing job in tech! I have been absolutely loving putting my natural (non-artistic) strengths to use, and have been refining new skillsets.
Any business owner knows that there is a massive overhead of time and expenses that go into running a business, especially one that involves physical goods and a great deal of customization. At this point in my personal journey, it’s time to let go of those things. Making this shift has been an incredibly difficult decision (any business owner knows how their business is like their baby), but I know that it is time.
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THE TLDR: Fawn Lettering will only be services-only business going forward. Here are the types of services you can expect from Fawn Lettering starting in 2023:
personalization and customization services for activations and events (e.g., calligraphy, engraving, painting/embellishing)
virtual hand lettering lessons and team building
coaching up-and-coming artists who are looking to advance and scale their businesses, like I did years ago!
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Thank you to all the couples, planners, co-conspirators, and gosh darn amazing people I’ve gotten to work with… I love you and appreciate your support over 5 gorgeous years of incredible projects and opportunities!
we’ve moved!
FROM CALI → COLORADO
- OCT. 2020 -
2020 was a very tough year for many small businesses and entrepreneurs like myself. But through adversity comes growth, and I believe that this pandemic season put a lot into perspective for Ian & myself.
After falling in love with Boulder, CO on an epic cross-country (and back again) road trip to Florida, and re-considering our plans for the future (family, home owning… you know, the small stuff 😉), we decided this fall to take a leap—and so we moved to Boulder! We’re looking forward to eventually buying a home and starting a family in the Denver/Boulder area after we get a chance to spend some time getting to know the neighborhood.
In the meantime, we are already enjoying the fall weather, small-town-meets-urban-meets-outdoorsy vibes, front-door deliveries made on bicycles, and all the things.
Thanks to all for the support during our move, and here’s to the future!
the one holding the pen
Why, hello! Alyssa here! You may be wondering how I became a hand lettering artist. Funny story...
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A year later, we decided to send Ian back to school paying cash, and by the grace of God, Fawn Lettering has thrived and met all our needs. It has been an incredible journey of entrepreneurship, personal & professional growth.
As challenging as these past few years have been, I love where I find myself today. Standing upon the support and love of my friends, family, and colleagues, humbled by the beauty of the art others are passionately bringing to the world, yet confident because I have chosen to receive a gift which was made just for me.
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My name is Alyssa, and I am a hand lettering artist & calligrapher, lover of beauty, life & Jesus, encourager, teacher, artist. So nice to meet you, and I would love to work with you.
In 2014, my husband Ian—who had apparently caught on to my creative tendencies—gave me a calligraphy kit for my birthday.
Feeling pressured to at least give the thing a try, I made my first attempts at pointed nib calligraphy in spare moments in my Los Angeles studio apartment. With time, what I thought was just a hobby became one of my favorite creative expressions.
In early 2017, after a successful period full of exciting commissions & wedding calligraphy, I stepped out in faith, leaving the security of the corporate world that I had built my life upon.
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what it’s all about
HAND LETTERING ≠ HANDWRITING
Many people ask what makes hand lettering so special. Here's how I see it:
ART
Modern technology does an impressive job of imitating hand lettering, but the artist is able to bring expression to their work like no machine could.
It is carefully constructed, letter by letter, to create a look & feel like someone actually loved those letters to life.
CRAFT
Miles of ink must be laid down on the journey to become a hand lettering artist. With time, patience & a pioneering spirit, I have crafted several of my own signature styles.
Countless iterations have resulted in what we believe will convey a sense of fascination & beauty like only art can.