There are some artists who sit down and deliberately create art based on a theme.
I do that sometimes, but more often it's only when I look back that I see I've been creating around a certain theme all along.
Apparently I've been obsessed with ampersands for awhile, as I found items in my Etsy shop dating to 2015.
A Brief Ampersand History
Once considered the 27th letter of the alphabet, the ampersand stands for the word "and." It has a long history dating to ancient Pompeii where it first appeared as a bit a graffiti. When the letters "et" (Latin for "and") were written close together on a wall, it appeared to be a symbol rather than a word.
Some people credit a slave, Marcus Tullius Tiro, for coming up with the idea of a shorthand for "and" when he worked as a secretary to a Roman lawyer and orator named Cicero. His symbol eventually fell out of favor and was replaced by the ampersand.
The word "ampersand" stems from "and per se and." The "per se" was a phrase that schoolchildren would recite when saying the alphabet to note letters like "I" and "A" which could be considered words as well as letters. "A Nerdy History of The Ampersand" includes a popular rhyme that shows how the ampersand was included in learning the alphabet. The word ampersand appeared in the dictionary in 1837.
According to the article "Why Designers Love the Ampersand," the ampersand is the one symbol where designers can really cut loose even if the rest of the font is more conservative. The ampersand is used in a lot of advertising and business names (think M&M or Barnes & Noble), so it makes sense that it would be more stylized. Learning this gave me an a-ha! moment, as I've downloaded many fonts and I've always wondered why the ampersand sometimes looks nothing like the rest of the font!
"Ampersand: a symbol that refuses to die" notes that the more familiar ampersand symbol (&) is based on a design from the ninth century, while the more flowing e-shaped one comes from calligraphy. With the e-shaped one, it's easier to see its roots as the Latin "et." I've always preferred the more traditional symbol, but now that I see the Latin connection, the other type is more appealing.
Ampersand Home Decor
In my design shop at Society 6, I've played with two different ampersand styles. In teal, I've used the more familiar and traditional style, while in black and gold I've used the calligraphy-inspired e-shaped ampersand. Both designs were digitally cut from my abstract acrylic paintings.
Throw Pillow
Editing and writing can be stressful, so I created this ampersand pillow using a calm teal abstract painting with a lot of gentle bubbles and waves. Why a pillow? It's always good to have something that isn't too large or heavy that you can throw across the room when you're working on a frustrating project. Bonus points for something that can also be hugged or absorb a lot of tears.
Sticker
These vinyl stickers are great for water bottles, phones, and laptops, which makes them a fun conversation starter at the coffee shop or at the dog park. You have the choice of 4 sizes and a clear or white background.
Notebook
Writers get a lot of notebooks as gifts, but we also sometimes buy them for ourselves. I like that this notebook has size and lined/unlined options. I ordered one for a gift and really liked the soft feel of the cover. (The manufacturer describes the cover as "anti-scuff laminate.")
Tote Bag
This tote bag (available in 3 sizes) is perfect for those in-person writing conferences (remember those?) or meetings with your writing group or editor. You might also like the pouch for carrying your pencils and pens or a backpack for teaching or attending writing classes.
Ampersand Jewelry
Glittery Earrings
Put these sparkling ampersands on for your book launch party! Plain colors are available, too, if you need something a little less dramatic for the office. (It's quite possible that there's already too much drama there already!)
Wood Post Earrings
These wood ampersands are subtle and sophisticated, a nice everyday earring. Plus, they come in a matching engraved gift tin.
Keychain
The extra thick acrylic on this ampersand keychain makes it a little harder to break or chip. Choose your favorite color in a transparent or solid shade.
And... that's it! For now, anyway. I predict more ampersands in my future ... & maybe yours, too!
P.S. October 2021 Update
As I predicted, I ended up making a couple more ampersand items after writing this blog post:
- an engraved ornament that can be customized with your own words
- a classy ampersand in a red/brown abstract pattern that can be printed on lots of items like this small pouch and laptop sleeve