I’ve been into lettering for almost five years now, and while I’m not currently enrolled in a calligraphy class, I wish I was every single time I pick up a pen.

And yeah, I have to admit, I’m a terrible calligraphy student. Half the time I’m in class, I’m wishing I was somewhere else, and when we’re supposed to practice, I’m generally off in my own little world, cutting letters out of construction paper or doodling monsters out of ink splatters in my notebook.

I still love lettering though. More and more in the last year I’ve gotten interested in numbers. In most of my calligraphy classes, numbers tend to get skipped over in favour of the more numerous (and admittedly, much easier to use in communications) and prettier alphabet. 26 letters x 2 (lowercase and capitals) + flourishes (another 10 variations on various letters) + connections (drawing letters like “ft” together) + cool things like ampersands means you don’t get much time to devote to good old 0123456789 !

I keep finding myself drawing numbers, though, and I find most of my inspiration from clock faces.
Whenever I go antiquing now, it’s with the goal of finding a cool clock to photograph and maybe purchase. I haven’t bought any yet, but I fully intend to own many, besides my photographs.

This clock face is one of my favourites, look at the numbers and their delicate curlicues! I love it so, I took a picture with my cell phone and made it my background! I would buy it, if only for the face (the rest of the clock is… to be honest, kind of ugly) but it’s sadly out of my budget.

How about this one? I love the dramatic widths of the numbers, as well as how the upper swoop on the 2’s loop back almost like a balloon! This clock has a slightly better shape, but still! Out of budget. Sigh.

I love that this one has the wood panel straight in the middle, and the almost cursive numbers! To me this one would need to be on top of one of those big old-fashioned radios you see in History Channel shows.

And lastly, I’m completely heartbroken that this photo turned out blurry, because this is probably my favourite clock! I love the shape, the fact that the background is black and the numbers bright, and how bold the numbers are! This clock clocks-in (haha) at about $25, and I really need to buy it, even though I have no place to put it. Hear me, clock? You will be mine.

I honestly don’t know why I’m so into clocks. I think it’s how they’re symmetrical without absolutely being symmetrical, and how much of a day-to-day often-ignored item they are.

I can’t honestly be the only person on this earth who finds random things like this to admire and obsess about. What are your obsessions? Things you find aesthetically pleasing that you could look at all day?