The moment is finally here. After months and months of planning, Andres and I are setting off to Mammoth Cave NP on our epic quest through all 59 natural National Parks of America. Since our very first post, we’ve been sharing the plans, thoughts and ideas behind this quest, and now we’re excited to unveil the biggest surprise of all.
Discover the details below
The Story of the Centennial Poster Series
We are excited to unveil the Centennial Poster Series, a new collection of work we are making throughout our journey in each park. As a symbolic way to celebrate, the first poster features Yellowstone National Park and the iconic American bison. Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872 when President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act.
The first poster is also symbolic for us because Andres dreamed of seeing bison when he saw one on a National Geographic program as a child. This first encounter with a national park inspired him and he knew he had to see such a surreal place one day.
About the Art
This print collection features handcrafted typography, vibrant color and rich illustration in a historic style that captures the essence of the days when our first parks were established.
It’s the perfect way to say Happy 100th Anniversary! and marvel at the natural wonder of these shared public places.
From Design to Printing and Beyond
Andres and I design the posters together, setting the artistic direction and creating different parts of the composition. We begin with research about the park and hand sketching. The final piece is digitally painted with great attention to detail. It’s a fun and collaborative effort, utilizing our love for illustration, typography, and all things vintage. How does it print if we’re on the road? We work online with a California based partner who individually hand prints each poster when an order is submitted via our shop. Because we don’t carry inventory on the road, this process can take 2 – 7 days, but we’ve found it’s worth the wait! The final is an archival matte paper print that really brings the colors to life in a painterly appearance. Then it’s carefully packaged in paper and a kraft tube made of recycled material and sent on its way.
The Goal
Our goal with each piece is to commemorate something special about the park. We focus on wildlife and habitats, showcasing stories of our natural heritage, like the great bison who was once hunted to near extinction. It’s our way of expressing a deep appreciation for all things wild and a need to be more connected to those things.
Our Pledge
In support of the park’s mission, we are donating 10% of proceeds from this poster series back to the park system. The parks are much more than places to have fun – they protect our lands and species and provide ways for us to connect to something meaningful. Each park leads different conservation and education initiatives and anyone can become a part of those efforts. That’s one thing we love about the parks: they belong to all of us. Check out Find Your Park for more on how you can get involved.
Get Out and Explore
As National Park Week kicks off tomorrow, April 16th – 24th, consider a spontaneous trip to a park near you. Find one and plan something wild for this summer.
We look forward to sharing the posters and hope to meet up with you on a trail. If you’re interested in learning more, you can see the Centennial Poster Series on our studio website here.
Thanks for joining us and stay tuned for our first story from Mammoth Cave National Park!
6 comments
Thank you for handing me your card today. This is lovely! I look forward to keeping up with you all on your journey. Safe Travels! – Jeanna
Thanks Jeanna! We really appreciate your help today, our experience in Mammoth Cave has been wonderful so far. Maybe we’ll cross paths again over the next few days! The story I mentioned will be up later this week :-).
We enjoyed visiting with you underground in Carlsbad Caverns.
We wish you the very best in meeting the challenge of your quest.
The Sheards from Cincinnati
We really enjoyed meeting you too! How funny that we met deep in a cave only to find out we’re from the same part of Cincinnati – it really is a small world sometimes. If you have any more great tips from the parks, please email us :-). Thank you for your support.
Just curious. My family collects National Park Junior Ranger items, and I was wondering, if in your travels you have collected any Jr. Ranger badges and patches? And if you have, do you have any extras for sale or trade? It is a hobby we do as a family; travel to National Parks and do the Junior Ranger program collecting Junior Ranger items.
Pat
Hi Pat,
Thanks for your comment, we just illustrate the parks and collect the stamps on our passport from every visitor center and not any Park Junior Ranger Items.
Andres