About Macon

 

 

Hi, I'm Macon!

I’m an artist, illustrator, letterpress printer, and the founder of Macon York Press.

I grew up on the marsh in South Georgia and studied fine art at Sewanee before moving to New York City, where I began my career as a magazine art director. I fell in love with letterpress printing in a Brooklyn print shop in 2010 and started building what would eventually become Macon York Press.

In 2012, I left New York to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, a six-month journey that completely changed the course of my life. Ten days into the trail, I met my future husband, Luke. The AT became the beginning of an entirely new chapter of my life.

That journey eventually brought me back south, to the mountains of Western North Carolina, where I now draw, print, and run Macon York Press from my homestead studio.

Luke and I live with our daughters, Dorothy and Mildred, and our old Basset Hound Levon, on four acres that we’re slowly cultivating into a permaculture homestead. These days, life happens as much in the kitchen as it does in the garden. We cook from scratch, walk and hike whenever we can, and eat plenty of homemade snack plates in the grass in our front yard.

The natural world, the rhythms of the seasons, and the ordinary rituals of home and family are woven into nearly everything I make.

Why I do what I do

I believe connection and consideration for one another matter.

There is something particularly meaningful about slowing down, choosing a card, putting pen to paper, and sending something tangible to someone you love.

 

It’s a bold, beautiful, and big-hearted act to take time out of a busy schedule to let someone know you’ve been thinking of them.

That’s why I make cheerful greeting cards, personal stationery, and art meant to help people celebrate, connect, and show up for one another in small but meaningful ways.

My original drawings are inspired by the natural world, the changing seasons, and the small details of everyday life. Our letterpress goods are printed by hand, one at a time, in my homestead studio in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

I try to run Macon York Press with the same care that goes into the work itself. We source eco-friendly materials from other small businesses whenever possible, minimize waste, reuse what we can, and make things meant to be used, shared, and kept.

My backstory

 

2007: I graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a BA in Fine Art and moved to New York City, where I began my career in magazine design and art direction. I worked for Domino Magazine (Condé Nast), New York Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, and InStyle.

2010: I was craving the chance to work with my hands and create something of my own, so I took a letterpress workshop at The Arm Letterpress Studio in Brooklyn one Sunday afternoon in March. I fell in love with the process. I began spending evenings and weekends at The Arm, creating greeting cards to sell while friends and colleagues started commissioning me for custom work.

JANUARY 2010 PRINTING AT THE ARM IN BROOKLYN

2011: I flew to Asheville, North Carolina, for the inaugural Ladies of Letterpress conference and got my first glimpse of Asheville's vibrant letterpress community and larger art scene. Later that year, I spent time WWOOFing on organic farms in the South of France, learning about farming, simple living, and a different relationship with the natural world.

2012: I left New York City and thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, walking more than 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine over six months. Ten days into the trail, I met my future husband, Luke. The experience profoundly shaped my relationship with the natural world and marked the beginning of an entirely new chapter of my life.

SEPTEMBER 2012 COMPLETING THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL

2013: Luke and I moved to Asheville, North Carolina, where I officially established my letterpress business. I continued developing my line of greeting cards and art prints while also taking on custom projects. I began participating in The Big Crafty, a regional celebration of handmade art, and became part of Asheville's creative community.

JULY 2014 AT THE BIG CRAFTY IN ASHEVILLE, NC

2015: I bought two Vandercook #4T letterpress machines and established my own studio in the basement of our carriage house apartment.

2016: Luke and I got married in the springtime in Appalachia.

SPRING 2016 THE SAVE THE DATES I CREATED FOR OUR WEDDING

2018: We bought our home on four acres in the mountains of Western North Carolina and began slowly cultivating the land into a permaculture homestead, with vegetable gardens, chickens, shiitake mushroom logs, compost piles, herbal medicine, and plenty of gatherings with friends.

2021: We welcomed our first daughter, Dorothy, and I began learning a new kind of balancing act as a mother, artist, and small business owner.

 

MARCH 2023 WORKING AND PLAYING IN THE GARDEN

2025: We welcomed our second daughter, Mildred, making our home, studio, and lives a little fuller.

MARCH 2026 FAMILY TRIP TO ZION NATIONAL PARK 

2026: Macon York Press has continued to grow. Today, a small team helps behind the scenes, and my work is carried by independent retailers around the country. I still create every design and print our letterpress goods by hand here in my Western North Carolina studio.

 

Bring thoughtful paper goods to your shop