Nebiolo /// Flea Market Find

This summer has been dedicated to setting up my home print studio and working on fun print projects for the fall. Sunday morning's bike ride took me smack into the monthly "mercatino delle pulci”. And as the story goes, from across the square, WAM! I came across this much needed (and restored) beauty of a type cabinet, but what makes it such a designer’s find is that it's from the now defunct type foundry Nebiolo ( mid 1800’s -1970’s), once located in the industrial north of Italy, Turin. Amazing type designers such as Aldo Noverese and Alessandro Butti were known to collaborate together and contribute for Nebiolo.

Vespa Woodblock Print

If you hear a summer buzz, it’s probably not the crickets around here, but the sound of motorbikes abound. It’s a favorite subject around here, as I’ve been experimenting with Vespa woodcut blocks for printing.  This one was printed with patriotic blue and red on Fabriano Rosa Spina.

Here’s another wonderful personalization of Vespa--a one day getaway to Ortovero Liguria, we captured this baby. Who would have ever thought of a real papier maché Vespa! Yes, it exists and I want one!

Italian Style (Stile Italiano) Letterpress Studio

Alessandro Zanella’s very cool studio.

This post is long overdue by the way. In early spring I was invited for an informal gathering in a little village called Santa Lucia ai Monti in the province of Verona, Italy. Alessandro Zanella lives and works here from his studio, and is an interesting figure known for his 1854 Stanhope handpress which he prints limited ed. books from.

So, before the relatively small group of 30 interested headed off to lunch in a nearby risto, we had the chance to check out his studio and have an apèritif (my one clearly demonstrated in the photo above). Having started my own printing lab at home, I love looking at other people’s workspace and what makes them tick. I also marvel at the massive organization a printer should have which, I think, reflects on the work they produce.

Weekend Rambling | Summer: Take 1

Summer is here and I’ve managed to get lost for hours in my home print studio. Here’s to the first week of summer! Biking, parking and enjoying a nice breeze in a patio garden somewhere.

Slow Food Celebrating 25 Years

Today I spent with Slow Food (promoting local and seasonal food traditions) volunteering and partaking in the events organized for the community where I live. In actual fact, this event took place in varying degrees in 300 squares all over Italy.

Everything kicked off before lunch in a little gallery where some of Slow Food’s magazines and covers were blown up and exhibited (I quite like their food photography and layout for their publication). One of the founding members of Slow Food was there to share how his hobby as a photographer developed into something more serious even if Slow Food is a non-profit organization.

Later in the afternoon presidia (to help promote local artisan food production), a sensory education (adult and children blindfolded to guess what they smelt or tasted) and general information booths were set up. My role today was to pass out flyers to people who were at best very keen or in the least interested in (slow) food. During my stint as volunteer I encountered a 9 year old girl, daughter of one of the salami producers, who was more than happy to help pass out flyers, and before I knew it my huge stack had dwindled.

Paper Cut

Played with i-movie this morning and put together a super mini (35 sec. footage x 3) with my darling 3.5 megapix camera.

Paper cut: French handmade 100% rag ///Arches paper

Paper Cut from roxy columbus on Vimeo.