let me introduce myself

MY STORY:

I’d like to tell you a little story. This is about my very first experience with dip pen calligraphy. My 8 year old self was an odd sort of girl. I was left handed, loved collecting praying mantises as pets, and went by the name Disco Ball. I went to an Arts based charter school set on 10 acres of beautiful wild land. One day our teacher brought out these little pots of india ink and flat nibbed pens. I was beyond thrilled. This was going to be a good day, I could feel it. I had a brand new outfit on, a metallic shirt that looked like the universe with matching pants. How could an 8 year old little girl not have a good day when she literally feels like a super star? Also, I have always been fascinated by writing. This statement is not to be confused with always being good at writing. My teacher used to have to remind me not to retrace my letters. I would write a letter A, and go over the letter a few more times to make it nice and smooth. However my teacher helped me to understand that this was not the most time effective way of writing. Back to this day in 3rd grade. So I am at my desk, and am beginning to practice my letters along with the other students. I go to re-dip my pen in this glorious black liquid and… there is a small but devastating crash of ink, and glass, and pen. My treacherous left hand had completely over turned my beautiful glass bottle and now, the contents were splattered, no, smeared and poured onto my torso. My super star self now felt like a deep, dark, black hole. Not only did I burst out in uncontrollable, hyperventilating tears, but my mother had to come pick me up from school. For lack of better words… I just couldn’t even. 

My Brand:

My name is Ciarra Rouwhorst, and I live in Petoskey, on the Little Traverse Bay of beautiful Lake Michigan with my uber supportive husband Mark, and English Shepherd pup Atlas. I founded Silver Fox Calligraphy and Design before I truly knew what it would become. There were a few reasons I went with that name. One of which was that I had been going through a time of transformation. A lot had happened in the last few years, moving locations, changing jobs, as well as taking on my own self improvement project. Part of this personal project was accepting who I was and working on what I wanted to become. As a physical reminder of this I stopped dying my hair, chopped it off and grew out my salt and pepper tresses, at age 24. This was a reminder that it’s ok to be different. Different can still be beautiful. And I think that sometimes, most times, the different, imperfect, and the vulnerable in us is what is most beautiful.  Therefore the word Silver. I chose to use a fox to represent my brand because I have always loved nature, and the wild beauty of the world around us. Foxes are elusive and treasured. They conjure up thoughts of creativity and depth. I feel like foxes are intimate creatures. Now we come to Calligraphy and Design. Both of these have come to me through some struggle, a little grit and a lot of passion. Being left handed and having no formal education in Calligraphy or Watercolor there were plenty of frustrating moments. However, I love the act of writing on paper, and I love to create through organic gestural paintings. These are some of the things that make me happiest. I also appreciate self discipline and artisanship. I was determined to not only learn how to use my medium, but to understand it’s history, and keep the craft alive. I value strong design principles, as well as the organic nature of the fine art style of calligraphy. I am a sucker for old world romance and a time when people exchanged hand written love letters and wrote poetry. Graphic design is a perfect way for me to bring these authentic elements into more practical use. It allows me to create organic and soulful brand identities and intimately romantic wedding suites. I can also work directly with my hands and finely curated materials to design heirloom love letters to treasure for a lifetime. I am so thrilled to be able to use tools of the past to create design for the future, and work one on one with my fantastic clients, bringing their dreams into design realities. 

 

I BELIEVE:

In quality and a personal connection to artisanship.

In pretty with a purpose

In the beauty of the past, and creating memories for the future.

In being in the present and taking time to be still.

In voracious learning and endless curiosity.

That natural textures and imperfections create the most authentic beauty.

In the importance of deep love and intimate relationships.

In well written words that leave marks on your heart.

In a good book in one hand and a good glass of wine in the other.