ZellWill

About the Artist

The Illuminated Promise:

Are you looking to mark a special occasion with a celebratory document? Is someone you know getting married or experiencing a life passage important to them? Consider recognizing these events with an original,hand-lettered and illuminated artistic document.

As a young developing artist from my birthplace in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on through my B.F.A. years at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, I had the opportunity to witness first hand and participate in the time honored and almost forgotten art of manuscript illustration. Being an artist in this particular community often meant being asked to produce Fraktur. A Fraktur is a term of German origin referring to the lettering used in European documents from the 13th century through the time of American colonization ? it eventually came to mean the document as well ? often death and marriage ceremonies.
As my artistic career developed out of school, I pursued my interest in botanical illustration and landscape painting. When I moved to Maine 20 years ago, this interest was easily transferred to the Maine environment. I continue this life as a painter in my town of Bowdoinham. In the past seven years I have been re-integrating my experiences relating to document illustration with my love of botanical illustration. The result is a blend of traditional and contemporary elements to create a truely original piece of Art.

Most recently, this past summer, I illustrated a document for a wedding that took place in Surry, on a beach overlooking Acadia and its majestic mountains. The couple had values that could best be represented by the lotus flower in a dawning, watery seascape setting. Their commitment to each other was as strong as the oak. These self-descriptors of their love to one another gave me the necessary insight toward designing a document that would remind them of their sacred promise to each other.

Contact me with your ideas. We can collaborate to make a work of art that will inspire our loved ones for generations to come.


Will Zell