Name Art
THIS PAGE IS BEING RENOVATED FOR BETTER VIEWING ON MOBILE DEVICES. PLEASE BE PATIENT WHILE THE COMPONENTS GET REARRANGED INTO A MORE LOGICAL ORDER FOR SUCH VIEWING.
When I started making ambigrams of people's names, I would work with both the first and last name together. When I finally came upon a first and last name combination that seemed impossible to invert, I decided to try inverting only the first name or only the last name. The results were appealing enough that I started making them on my computer using my drawing-tablet-with-stylus and printing them as gifts for my friends and family. Eventually I had enough of a collection of name art that I felt my skill could be marketable. Now I am offering my art to the public.
List of Name Art Ready for Printing:
Almost all of the names below are rotational ambigrams (can be turned upsidedown, marked with an "r"). Some simply worked better bilaterally (mirror image, marked with a "b"). Though I primarily work with first names, I have also included some last names in the list below. All prints are 5" x 7" black and white by default, and include a caption of the name in "normal" lettering below the art image and my own "ambi-fied" signature. There is no extra decoration in the artwork, as the name itself is the main focus of each piece. To add customization before printing, or to request a name not yet listed or a matching pair of names, see the other sections on this page.
More and more names and pairs of names get added to my sketchbook with each live event. As of the writing of this paragraph, I have been vending at craft events for just over ten years. While I'd like to keep up with adding names as they are completed, this isn't feasible. Now that I am converting this website to the new mobile-friendly format, the table style lists will take extra work to maintain. I may need to determine a more efficient way to include this information, or eliminate these lists altogether.
Personal Names
List includes both finished computerized versions and prepared sketches that can quickly become computerized. Many more names have been added since first compiling this list. I hope to update this list again someday.
Special Request Names:
Don't see your name/s in the list/s on this page? Would you like to request an ambigram of your whole name or for your business? Do you know someone else who would 'flip' for such a design of their name? Couples' names as a pair of matching ambigrams of each other make a lovely gift... Submit a request and I'll do my best. I will sketch up a rough draft to see if it is "do-able" before I agree to the project or set a price. I will notify you by email when the rough draft of your requested name is ready for the computer-drawing phase. Please be aware that some names will not "ambi-fy" no matter how hard you try. You may have a preference toward a certain style of lettering. However, the style of the finished name art is most heavily influenced by the amount of manipulation that is needed in order to invert the letters in your name. Some of the finished designs are more block-like, whereas most will work well in a cursive-script style. Many designs will include a mix of lower and upper case letters.
Custom Engraved Titanium Rings
2010-August-08: Due to winning the grand prize in an art contest at Ambigram.com, I have a new option to offer my customers. I can design the ambigram and provide the required file format for the order, and Cascadia Design Studios can create the finished product. Here is a photo of my prize-winning design. My cousin's name, Wilfred, can be seen when you view the ring turned the other way over. Here you see his wife's name, Cynthia.
For the full story on the custom-engraved titanium ring, please visit my News Post of 2010-August-08. Minimum ring width for an ambigram is 6.5mm, maximum is 9.0mm. Most women choose 7.0 - 7.5mm. Most men choose 8.0mm. Rings are available in quarter-sizes. They can be enlarged up to half a size, but they cannot be made smaller. If in doubt, order a quarter-size smaller. These are one-of-a-kind rings, manufactured to customer specifications, so before placing your order, be sure to get yourself (or your recipient) properly fitted. You can find more information about sizing, color choices, and return policies at Cascadia's website, linked above.
"Fam-bi-grams"
"What-a-grams?" 90-degree rotational acrostic ambigrams using the names of your family. How many people in your family? How many letters are in your family name? Same number? Different number? Maybe the same number of letters as any of the following words?
3-letter words: Kin, Set
4-letter words: Band, Casa (Spanish), Clan, Club, Crew, Farm, Folk, Four, Gang, Herd, Home, Pack, Team
5-letter words: Abode, Brood, Bunch, Class, Crowd, Flock, Folks, Group, Horde, House, Posse, Swarm, Tribe, Troop
6-letter words: Colony, Corral, Family, Maison (French), Parade, Throng, Troupe
7-letter words: Brigade, Caravan, Company, Familia (Spanish), Famille (French), Mansion
8-letter words: Domicile, Ensemble, Entourage, Famiglia (Italian)
9-letter words: Homestead, Household, Multitude
10-letter word: Plantation
Partial Sample Fambigram:
(Finished art would also include the Family Name)
Customization:
Color or background art can be added to your ambigram. Here are some suggestions: A pair of names in an overlapping flip-heart design. A pet's name in a paw-print-heart design, a cartoon fish shape, or a dogbone. A hobby or activity.
Small additional charge applies for incorporating color into name art designs -- see "Ordering" section below.
"Rover" -- a classic dog name framed by a dogbone outline drawing.
(Image coming soon)
Paw-print heart
(four or five toes)
OK, so what child hasn't had a fish named Dorothy?
Sampler of colored "Flip Heart" background for paired names
"Fleur-de-Ribbons" border, reminiscent of fleur-de-lis.
(Partial image shown.)
Sampler of "Butterfly" background for paired names
To include family crests in your order, please send images for me to work from. The following image (blurred for the family's anonymity) includes my renditions of two family crests that the buyer showed me from images found on the internet -- one of Mr's family name and one of Mrs's maiden name -- and two drawings of butterflies, based on some photographs, with a Fambigram in the center:
As my collection of paired names has suddenly begun to sprout, I decided to add the following section to this page:
List of Paired Personal Names Ready for Printing:
Popular connections between matching ambigrams are first-and-last, his-and-hers, parent-and-child, and twin siblings. Paired names marked with "rs" are rotational symbiotograms -- when turned 180 degrees, one name becomes the other. Pairs of names marked with "ls" are bilateral symbiotograms -- one name is a reflection of the other, as though viewed upon the surface of a lake. Pairs marked "qs" are 90-degree rotational symbiotograms -- one name becomes the other when you rotate the image one-quarter turn.
City and Town Names
Due to the popularity of town name art at 'local events,' I am adding the following list of ambi-fied town names that are near the areas where I will participate in craft fairs, so far, mostly eastern Connecticut:
* - Find description of "3 Villages" grouping on News and Announcements > Word Art Update 20090920. Partial thumbnail shown at right.
As I expand my radius of travel for setting up at craft events, and draw more town names, I will add more to my collection. As of the writing of this paragraph, I have over two dozen prepared place names ready for printing. As mentioned further above, maintaining these lists regularly is not feasible, especially since converting to a mobile-friendly format.
Ordering
My e-store is up and running, and has listings for in-stock items. To place an order for Personalized Name Art, please contact me by email or visit my craft booth at an event on my Calendar. Each of the single-name-art pieces listed above, with or without decoration in black ink only, will be shipped by first class U.S. Mail for $6 (U.S. Dollars) plus $2 postage and handling for 9" x 6" envelope. Pairs of names, black ink only, are $9. Add $1 for colorized names or $2 to add a colored background image. Family crest renditions and fambigram pricing not yet determined. Frames not included. Requests for overnight shipping will incur an additional fee to cover the cost.
I accept PayPal (send to PayPal ID ambigramgreetings@gmail.com) and Money Orders (please send me an email to ask for mailing address). Of course, you can see a preview before finalizing your purchase.
- Rebecca May