In the mid 90’s I had the good fortune to meet the renowned lettering artist/designer John Stevens. We both had recently moved to Winston Salem and met through mutual acquaintances. Although I knew nothing about calligraphy or graphic design, anyone who has met or studied with John can testify that his skill and knowledge will make you an immediate convert. Shortly after seeing his brush Roman capitals, brush lettered a scrap of wood and I carefully v-cut the letters, not stopping until it was complete. I’m pretty sure it was this inscription, see below:

He then suggested I try carving slate (in the tradition of the Benson Family of Newport Rhode Island and a whole slew of British letter carvers). I believe carving stone is easier than caving wood because there is no grain with which to contend, but I there is a learning curve to getting the proper look. My first attempts are unpresentable, but a few attempts later yielded the result seen below (Even if John were not one of the finest working artists, most people would still flock to him because of his sense of humor mixed with encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture.)