Untitled (Mississippi) – a Flowood leather collection

From the Practice Log – an ongoing series of original leather stamping studies.

A September study – Volume I-A.

Untitled (Mississippi) is a small leather collection rooted in Flowood and the water country around it. Every design began as an original die, stamped onto luggage tags, journals and other small leather goods.

First, the state flower. We drew one open magnolia bloom inside its own glossy leaves and set THE MAGNOLIA STATE beneath it.

Black and white magnolia flower and The Magnolia State lettering die artwork for the Untitled (Mississippi) leather collection of Flowood, Mississippi.

On the toiletry bags it sits low in the corner – one bag in honeyed russet, after the rusty underside of a magnolia leaf, and one in dark espresso, after the deep gloss of its top.

A indian summer leather dopp kits stamped with magnolia flower and The Magnolia State lettering, from the Untitled (Mississippi) collection of Flowood, Mississippi.

A dark espresso leather dopp kits stamped with magnolia flower and The Magnolia State lettering, from the Untitled (Mississippi) collection of Flowood, Mississippi.

Next, the cypress swamp at milepost 122 of the Natchez Trace, which stands in an abandoned channel of the Pearl River. We ran the flared trunks and their knees down the length of the tag and set WHERE THE RIVER USED TO RUN along the waterline.

Black and white cypress trunks and Where the River Used to Run lettering die artwork for the Untitled (Mississippi) leather collection of Flowood, Mississippi.

It looks genuinely beautiful. The tags follow the swamp – deep green for the canopy, warm tan for the trunks. The third runs warm mid-gray, for the still water.

A forest green leather luggage tags stamped with cypress trunks and Where the River Used to Run lettering, from the Untitled (Mississippi) collection of Flowood, Mississippi.

A caramel leather luggage tags stamped with cypress trunks and Where the River Used to Run lettering, from the Untitled (Mississippi) collection of Flowood, Mississippi.

A country gray leather luggage tags stamped with cypress trunks and Where the River Used to Run lettering, from the Untitled (Mississippi) collection of Flowood, Mississippi.

Then, the swamp's most patient resident. A young alligator keeps its log, with MILEPOST 122 beneath – the mile of the Trace where they sun.

Black and white alligator on a log and Milepost 122 lettering die artwork for the Untitled (Mississippi) leather collection of Flowood, Mississippi.

The black fob carries the gold. The golden tan one takes a blind stamp.

A black leather keychains stamped with alligator on a log and Milepost 122 lettering, from the Untitled (Mississippi) collection of Flowood, Mississippi.

A arizona leather keychains stamped with alligator on a log and Milepost 122 lettering, from the Untitled (Mississippi) collection of Flowood, Mississippi.

And finally, the one that named the collection. We carved an empty frame with a small museum placard reading UNTITLED – whatever the journal holds is the work.

Black and white empty ornate frame and Untitled placard die artwork for the Untitled (Mississippi) leather collection of Flowood, Mississippi.

Looks great when stamped onto the leather – on the black journal the frame stands in shadow relief, and on pale warm greige it hangs on a gallery wall.

A black leather leather journals stamped with empty ornate frame and Untitled placard, from the Untitled (Mississippi) collection of Flowood, Mississippi.

A gray sand leather leather journals stamped with empty ornate frame and Untitled placard, from the Untitled (Mississippi) collection of Flowood, Mississippi.

On the golden tan catchall tray, whatever you drop inside the frame goes on display.

A arizona leather catchall trays stamped with empty ornate frame and Untitled placard, from the Untitled (Mississippi) collection of Flowood, Mississippi.

We made this out of love. Leatherius Woodman is on a mission to create and share artifacts of beauty, craft and love – this study is one of them, and we hope the feeling is mutual. Every image is a render – how we prototype before cutting a die.

If you'd like anything here made real, or anything changed – say hello through our contact page.

P.S.

A country gray leather luggage tags stamped with cypress trunks and Where the River Used to Run lettering, from the Untitled (Mississippi) collection of Flowood, Mississippi.