Tom Perkins creates logo for the Heritage Crafts Association

Tom Perkins is an Honoured Fellow of the Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society who is a world-renowned letter cutter and designer, and whose work has graced a number of public buildings. He was the first choice of designer as someone who would be able to create a forward-looking logo for the Heritage Crafts Association, and who also encompasses all the elements of a skilled craftsman at the very top of his profession.

Tom's letters are always hand drawn. For the Heritage Crafts Association logo, Tom started by just doodling and playing around with the letter-forms. These particular letters didn't create too much of a problem, as the ascender on the letter 'h' and the last letter 'a' could both be flourished (sometimes the letter configurations are very challenging).

These were then worked up into thumbnail sketches, and Tom created quite a few for the committee to choose. In the end, they chose the one which had an extension to the letter 'a' that encased the three letters HCA to look a little like an @ symbol. Tom then worked this up to a full design, which will be used on all Heritage Craft Association literature.

Tom's other work:

• The letter 'd' is a piece now in the Fitzwilliam Museum Collection of Contemporary Calligraphy in Cambridge, and is reproduced by kind permission of the Syndics.
• The shining letters are stainless steel, cast from letters designed by Tom for St Martin-in-the-Fields.
• The roundel with gold letters is a v-incised and gilded Welsh slate.