Studio Notes #51

Hey, Friends. Here's issue #51 of Studio Notes™—quick bits delivered to you each Friday. Next week will be the 1-year anniversary of these weekly dispatches and we're celebrating early with a big sale on goods and fonts. More on that further down.

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Sarah (my best friend in Vermont when I was 5 or 6) wrote in to recommend The Last Wright, a new show on HBO Max that follows the building of RiverRock House in Ohio. The house was the last design by Frank Lloyd Wright that was never built. The designs, spec book, and location were all finalized just before his death in 1959. The series follows Sarah and Deborah Dykstra, a mother/daughter team that inherited the plans from the Louis Penfield House—a Wright-designed home they already owned on the same property. Their dedication in building RiverRock to the exact specifications from Frank's original plans of 66 years ago is a fascinating process to watch. And Sarah and Deborah's humorous dynamic makes it all the more enjoyable. The show is currently airing, with 3 episodes released so far.

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Speaking of Frank Lloyd Wright, did you know his son, John Lloyd, invented Lincoln Logs in 1916? It's an ingeniously simple toy that's still being sold today, and apparently was inspired by FLW's notched timber design for Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel, which was designed to sway with the earthquakes in Japan.

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And speaking of Japan, I've half-watched the documentary, One of One, which follows the Tokyo mechanic company, Naito Auto Engineering, a secretive but world-renowned shop that restores super-expensive, classic cars. If you're into cars, great. But it's not really about cars. It's about a family business that started after WWII, artisanal restoration, attention to every detail, generational lineage, artistry in the everyday, etc. I need to finish it, but can already recommend.

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Photographer Joseph Ford's Invisible Jumpers project sparked some joy for me. He worked with camouflage knitting artist Nina Dodd to create optical illusions with models partially blending into the backgrounds. It was even a book, but unfortunately it's sold out. It's one of those projects that, when you discover it, you're just simply glad it exists.

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Thanks for reading, as always! Next week, it'll be a full year of doing these little weekly newsletters and the structure and accountability has done wonders for my sanity. It seems the occasion is a good enough reason to have a little sale at the shop. All goods and fonts are 30% OFF for the next week. Use code NOTES at checkout.

I hope your first weekend of Fall is a crisp one and see you back here next week!

Cheers,