Shameless Hussy

Spring is such a lovely time of year, especially where I live in the Pacific Northwest. After short days, lots of rain and sometimes snow, the spring weather is more than welcome. It means longer days, less rain, more sun and spring time wines! During the winter, I like a big, bold glass of wine like a cabernet sauvignon or a petit verdot that pairs well with stews or soups. But just about this time every year, I can’t wait to break open the whites or roses!

A couple of years ago, I worked on a hand lettering project designing the label for a Hard Row to Hoe Winery’s Shameless Hussy brand. This label is used on their rosé as well as their viognier/roussanne, pinot grigio and merlot. I got involved in this project through Laurie Millotte, an art director focused on creative branding and packaging. I first met Laurie at TypeCamp in Vancouver, BC in 2013. Her background and story inspired me. When designing my font Harlean, she said two things that really encouraged me and stuck with me. The first was, “I don’t do pretty because meaningful and original always triumph.” Meaning that not all your work will always be “pretty”, but it should be designed for the client’s needs and be original. If that means something other than pretty, so be it! The second thing she said was, “I don’t believe in compromise nor in the ordinary and neither should you!” It’s tempting for me, when designing a new font, to consider compromise based on how I think it may be received. This is a good reminder for me to stay focused on the intent of my design and to produce something that I’m proud of and have poured time, talent and energy into.

Working with Laurie on the Shameless Hussy wine label was a fun project. I attempted to letter in lipstick, but that was too wide, so I ended up lettering with a lipstick pencil. The end result is a fun, playful wine label!

Last weekend I went to Leavenworth, Washington to teach a brush lettering workshop for AIGA's Into the Woods at the Sleeping Lady Lodge. They have a restaurant at the lodge, the Kingfisher, and when I went to order a glass of wine with my dinner, I was thrilled to see that they were serving up Shameless Hussy Rosé! The wine is amazing, the best Rosé I've ever had!

Cheers to spring!

To see more of Laurie’s work, visit her at www.lauriemillotte.com.