​My story begins before I was even a thought. My great-grandfather was a sign painter and owned a very successful sign company in Virginia in the 1950s. At a very young age he left home, and he needed to find a way to support himself. He had to get creative—simply to avoid starving. He began smashing bricks and mixing the dust with water and oil to make red paint. With this crudely constructed pigment, he began painting a legacy that would eventually trickle down to me.

 

Less dramatic than great-grandpa's origin story—my own interest in letters began when I was introduced to graffiti by my brother and my friends in elementary school. I stuck with it, always doodling throughout my classes. This interest in street art soon grew into a general love for calligraphy and typography. Only later in life would I make the connection between my great-grandfather's passion for letters, and my own.

 

I've always been relatively savvy about posting my art online (scroll all the way down on my Instagram to really go on a journey through my art), but things didn't truly blossom until I started TikTok in 2021. Thank you to everyone who has shown support to me. I can't wait to do this forever.

 

Love,

The Prolific Penman