Letterpress First Communion :: Prima Comunione

CUSTOM DESIGN LETTERPRESS PRINTED IN TWO COLORS FOX GREY AND BLOOD ORANGE

Letterpress invitations for Juliette’s first communion (prima comunione). This was a project for a rather spunky girl, and with her mother I worked on this custom design to set the tone. The prints were printed on a combination of fine Italian and French cotton papers in two colors.

June Wedding :: Michèle Totah & Gabriele Marcelli

Wedding invitation made for a couple in Rome, Italy. Good luck to you!

 

The Letterpress Workers Project/Event :: Work

This month I was at a closing of a letterpress poster event themed “Work”. It was hosted by 9punti, a group of nine designers come together to explore the art of letterpress. The event was staged at Archivio Giovanni Sachhi, a living museum where fantastic wooden models are archived made by Giovanni Sachhi for famed Italian designers as Aldo Rossi and Ettore Sottsass.

Giovanni Sacchi workshop & wooden model for Campari

I had the opportunity to contribute a poster to "The Letterpress Workers" event along with other Italian  printers. I approached the concept of work like play. Both work and play entail rules to follow and objectives to obtain. My inspiration was Flemish Renaissance painter, Pieter Bruegel’s "Young Folk at Play”. The imagination of young people at play borders the seriousness of work, but the key is the sense of passion and joy revealed in the act of play. My paper choice was packing paper to connote the functional and durable.
IT: Concetto: Lettering per interpretare il Lavoro come Gioco. Ci sono delle regole ed obiettivi. Il lavoro visto in termine di gioco, lavora sodo attraverso l’immaginazione per creare soluzioni creative per raggiungere l’obiettivo.

Scelta di Carte: Carta di imballaggio per connotare il funzionale e durevole

More photos on my Flickr page

My contribution along with Italian printers "Hard Work at Play, Play Hard at Work, Work Hard at Play”

Pirouette Press Laboratorio :: Creative Event

To celebrate my first year at letterpress printing, I opened up the laboratory to friends. I thought it would be nice to involve other creatives too. It turned out to be pretty international affair. Italian dressmaker Francesca Ferrero of Kòrai displayed some of her romantic and somewhat retro inspired designs, French photographer Jèrome Poulaier showed his street photography, Charlotte Le Noxaic spoke about her travel photos to exotic lands like Peru and Vietnam (nice to interact with the person that experienced firsthand and hear their explanations and impressions was, I think, an added bonus). Illaria Panero inspired us with her talk on Symbology, and a married duo from Texas happened to be in town to add to the fun. As it turned out  Jessica had studied art and design not so far from where my parents live, and contributed some paintings on wood with salvaged cornices. Corey whipped up great finger foods with just enough spice to remind me of Texas! Guests had the chance to get their hands inky and work up their own lettering designs to print up on my proof press and take home.

Pirouette Press stationary presented at studio event

Printed works by guests

Kòrai  dress designs by Francesca Ferrero

This is not a Taco Truck :: Kyle Durrie

It could happenstance you see this letterpress show on wheels in your town. I had heard about Kyle Durrie’s mint cross-country Kickstarter project (which twice met it’s goal of raising at least $8,000), and was intrigued. While visiting Flatbed Press and a series of prints Austin’s very own musician/artist, Bob Schneider had done, Kyle’s used delivery truck was conveniently sitting outside in the parking lot.

Inside Kyle Durrie’s studio on wheels

Lino’s print with Kyle

From top left: inside Flatbed Press, outside Flatbed Press and Kyle’s truck,

sample prints she’s done on the road

New Trends in the Art of Letterpess

This was a letterpress print submitted to the Danish Museum of Media, Denmark. It was a humbling experience as printers from all over Italy, America and Europe participated--I saw plenty of great work to aspire to. The project turned out to be a challenge given my set of wooden letters are Italian, both my hand lever press and proof press are German. Italian type height follows its own rules, lets just say, and so I found pressure from press to type to paper sensitive issues. I was dead set on using ultra thick cotton paper (now I’m interested in using thinner grades for my next submission coming up to the Salon Internazionale del Mobile in Milano), and so no easy task. This obstacle however, leant to a great blind emboss effect, but I still wanted for the wooden letter imperfections to show.

Evol Love 2011 letterpress print 15X16 cm