Mary Do is a quiet presence in Bellingham, WA, who bestows beautiful and hand-made messages across the town. When wandering through town you might see a simple sandwhich board or tap list that makes you feel good inside as you read its information. However, sprinkled throughout the town are cursive bulletins that remind you to be kind, respect others, and to generally not be an asshole. The underlying cynical humor—or tastefully placed expletive—in them all, is what makes these graceful pieces of calligraphic art relatable. It’s what we’re all usually thinking while we are in a public place, or generally striving to be better people.

Mary is an active member of the outdoor community. Throughout the seasons you’ll find evidence of her adventures in the form of little Easter eggs of her calligraphy, whether it’s a banana that reads, “Friends on a Pow Day,” at Mt. Baker Ski Area, a doodle on a a mountainous ride on her Kona Process 153, or a commute to work through downtown with a large sign that reads, “Black Lives Matter,” on the back of her Kona Libre.

Mary’s partner, Robby Andersen, works in shipping at Kona’s USA headquarters. With each visit Mary made to her partner’s workplace, a supportive message would appear. After that, it was easy to recognize her work across town and on social media. Eventually, a few of her talented brush strokes created a rendition of Kona’s name that we thought was too good not to turn into something more.

Offered in two colorways, this Mary Do(es) Calligraphy graphic lives on a 6 oz 100% preshrunk cotton long sleeve t-shirt with a classic fit that is great for casual riding or everyday wear. It features ribbed cuffs that stay where you put them and a double-needle bottom hem that holds.

Robby and Mary often head to their neighborhood beach for a sunset scribble and an evening beverage.

“Since the intent of using lettering as an artform is conveying a message (literally), I like to balance using words as something powerful and keeping things playful. I’ve always loved that juxtaposition of strength with whimsical grace. Something that started out as fancy written swears can be used for more—whether that be drafting wedding invitations for a friend, hand drawing 50 posters to support the Black Lives Matter movement, or proudly being an Asian American artist present in my local community. I’ve enjoyed learning more about myself through this process and hopefully it brings a smile, smirk, or chuckle in others.” – Mary Do

“Since studying graphic design several years ago, I’ve always been interested in typography. Most notably how lettering can transform/unify graphics and illustration; the mixing & matching of different typefaces to curate your own aesthetic. I started gravitating toward pen and paper, away from digital methods, a few years ago. I became more interested in using traditional dip pen with modern lettering style and with that, more exploration with brush lettering as well. I remember being mesmerized by calligraphers and seeking out video tutorials, but at the time there wasn’t too much useful content for me. I just sought out supplies from our local art store, specialty shops online, and decided since no one locally could help me, I could teach myself the basics.”

“My style with graphic design was already pretty direct/minimalist and I could tell already that my calligraphic style would continue that path. Overall it’s been a pretty rewarding learning experience. I’ve really used it to battle my own ideas of perceived imperfection. As someone who is very self critical, every day that I’m writing/drawing I learn to accept that my imperfect letter forms are sometimes only seen by myself and I need to let them be.”

While the Celedon color option is perfect for matching with a some of the new 2022 bikes, the classic black tee is always there for you. Click the link below to check both out.