Elmo

There are many legends in the world of calligraphy and lettering. Elmo van Slingerland is one of my heroes. Not only a magical genius of the craft but also a wonderful man. Elmo is one the International Tutors at SSiW this year and It has been an absolute pleasure to meet him and to see him work his magic with my own eyes.

A good friend and another hero of mine, Yves Leterme writes in his book, Thoughtful Gestures: "I am fortunate to have had great teachers from the very start. Enter one sunny day in our classroom, straight from the Netherlands, Elmo van Slingerland, at the time a young man in his early 20s and incredibly talented.
"He had brought along some of his stunning works and was kind enough to do a live demo of his free cursive style for which he was gathering international acclaim. The next five minutes proved to be life-changing for me - and that's an understatement. Elmo made it look effortless, so natural ... Back home that night, I solemnly declared at the kitchen table that I had found my true aim in life: to acquire that particular skill of Elmo's."

Elmo is also a well known type designer and it was such an honour for him to ask me today if I could bring in my computer and show him the two type faces I am currently working on. I am both excited and also apprehensive about showing him my work.