One morning, while driving to work, I heard a woman on NPR telling her life story. Her husband had passed away suddenly, and she felt compelled to do something to dull the pain. What did she do? She moved into the American Gothic house and started making pies.
She found comfort in baking and joy in giving her pies away. She opened her kitchen to others, teaching them how to bake and, in the process, how to heal.
Needless to say, I was moved by her story. So I set to work designing a logo for her.
This is the final design.
The painting American Gothic is famous for the juxtaposition of the quintessential American farmer and that distinctive Gothic window. I decided to play with that concept. A pie cooling on the windowsill. That was it. Simple, yes, but the best logos usually are. I pulled the colors directly from the painting to tie it all together.
Unfortunately, this logo never saw the light of day. The woman eventually moved out of the house and began traveling the world, making pies along the way.
But I still had a lot of fun creating it. And I like to think there's something fitting about a story that began with heartbreak, found comfort in pie, and ended with a whole new adventure.
Beyond a logo, I had another idea for Pitchfork Pies. Little recipes for life that could be tucked into each pie box.
This woman was offering more than just pies. People came to her for comfort, connection, and a little wisdom along the way.
I wanted to capture that spirit with a series of old-fashioned recipe cards featuring simple words of encouragement. Some thoughtful, some playful. Little slices of life meant to make someone smile, reflect, or feel a little less alone.
A little something extra to go home with every pie.
