We’re shining the Designer Spotlight on…

Kendra Drew, Illustrator and Calligrapher

Business Name and Location:

Vanderhorst Calligraphy. Farmers Branch, Texas, @vanderhorstcalligraphy

Years in Business:

8 years as a calligrapher

How did you become a stationery designer?

My first love was the pencil at the age of three. I drew constantly in my childhood and as a young adult. After I graduated college with my BFA, I kind of fumbled around not knowing how to serve others with the talent I was given. I was stuck for a few years in an awful artist’s block! It wasn’t until after I’d married my husband and gotten pregnant with our first child that the wheels starting turning. I illustrated a children’s book and did a few odd commissions here and there for extended family. My work then started flowing by word of mouth in my neighborhood and church. Though it was a slow process, I naturally gravitated to calligraphy. Ever since I hand-wrote my dear friend’s wedding invitation in 2015, I have been combining my love for illustration and drawing letters to bring others joy. It is an incredible satisfaction to serve others in this way!

Custom-designed wedding invitation suite and enclosures featuring letterpress printing, accented with a digitally printed envelope liner. Photograph by Laning Photography.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration everywhere I look; it’s a long list of amazing things that bring me joy!

God’s creation in flora and fauna
other artists
children’s book illustrators
the brides themselves
hundred-year-old printing presses and calligraphy print blocks
calligraphy masters
illuminated letters
hundred-year-old books
children’s classics in their original illustrations
Byzantine artwork
Catholic artworks

And anything that showcases how the old masters worked with their letters. Suzanne Cunningham and Kestrel’s classes on learncalligraphy.com are also great inspirations of mine!

Wedding invitation suite with invitation featuring letterpress printing and enclosures featuring both letterpress and digital printing. The suite is accentuated by a digital envelope liner.

What are your favorite blogs or podcasts?

Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World and Small-Town Dicks

What’s your favorite dessert?

My grandmother’s strawberry cobbler and my mother’s chocolate sheet cake. I can’t choose just one!

How do you use TOG.ink?

I use them mainly for wedding commissions and my family’s Christmas cards. Even if work is slow, I’m still taking care of 4 kids and I love showing off during the holidays! I hope to start using TOG.ink for my own stationery line in the future that isn’t solely based on commission work.

Golden birthday invitation suite with an invitation featuring digital print and gold glitter foil stamping. A digitally printed envelope liner accentuates the pink envelope. Photograph by Aubrey Jimenez of The 3 Photography.

A whimsical birthday invitation featuring digital print and gold glitter foil stamping (and SUPER cute nails to complement!). Photograph by Aubrey Jimenez of The 3 Photography.

What do you like most about working with TOG.ink?

They are very responsive, and while it is sometimes bumpy navigating the (new to me) printing/digital world, they make it smooth and easy!

Pink roses are digitally printed above letterpress printed wording. Coordinating pieces complete the elegant look.

Any advice for someone just starting out with TOG.ink?

Read their guidelines on uploading artwork according to each print process. Also, as professional artists, sometimes we can be afraid to ask questions. My philosophy is that we are forever students learning in this fascinating world. So don’t be afraid of asking questions or looking inexperienced, ask them all! It’s how you will learn. Even if you’ve been out of college for 10+ years and have only done traditional mediums and were afraid to ever touch art programs and have no clue how the printing world works…like me 😉

Images are courtesy of Laning Photography and Aubrey Jiminez of The 3 Photography. Check them out on Instagram!

Designer Spotlight: Vanderhorst Calligraphy