❊ limited batch of “STRONG HOPE” hand pressed prints on cotton Lettra Letterpress paper with black ink

❊ 12.5x 17.5 inches

❊20% of the proceeds will go to Word Central Kitchen, an organization whose volunteers are meeting both people in Ukraine and refugees fleeing with a warm meal

❊ All prints ship for an additional $8. I hope I can one day ship for free!

At the beginning of the Russian war on Ukraine, I, along with what seems like the rest of the word, watched with heartbreak as millions of Ukrainians fled their home.

There was one particular video that has stayed with me: a man in his car, fleeing with his family who told the reporter he had “strong hope” everything would be ok. In these days when it’s so easy for my mind to turn towards darkness, the words of this man fleeing his home, facing more darkness that I’ve known, have echoed through my mind and heart ever since they were spoken.

Last week I got to visit the letterpress studio after a 2 month hiatus because the studio owners moved the print shop. I had plans to work on some new designs but instead found myself sitting on the cold concrete looking through the old wooden type. I felt an instant spark when I came across this type. I love its shape and the signs of extensive use — nicks from being dropped, a strange but faint crosshatching across the “R", and other inconsistencies. Wooden type is usually quite old, 40 years at least but often more. I wondered how many times this clearly worn type had been used as a response to a moment in time - as an anti war message, march poster, or as a message of hope in times of uncertainty through out it’s lifetime. Running my fingers over the letters, I knew I wanted to print something with it. Without much thought I began instinctively grabbing the letters to compose the words “STRONG HOPE” — those two words that’ve buoyed me every time I want to sink towards fear or anxiety about the state of the world.