Deborah Loverd's Gallery

I have always seen letters as characters with personalities based entirely on their shapes.  A “Y,” for instance, might be a “V” on a pogo stick or unicycle; or a “T” raising its arms to the sky.  A “B” could be a “D” with a belt; or a “P” who has dipped into the cookie jar too often.

I began sketching some letter combinations I found amusing, adding captions I imagined the characters might say to each other, based on their forms.  Eventually, the “conversing letters” included characters from different scripts, medieval to modern.

When it came time to add color, I chose gouache, an opaque watercolor paint, for both its vivid hues, and remarkable blending and layering characteristics.  These attributes also seemed like a perfect opportunity to expand my artistic horizons by working more abstractly than I usually do.  The letters and expressionistic backgrounds are a serendipitous combination of color and form, creating a whimsical world I call, “Letterspeak” – a world meant to be imaginative playful, and -above all- fun!

See my Letterspeak Art and Contact Information!