What a fantastic day I had on Wednesday.
A few months ago I decided I'd like to try letterpressing and googled it to see if there were any courses. Fortuitously there happened to be one right on my doorstep (well only a 20 min drive away) and I managed to convince my mum she'd like it too so off we both went.
Typoreteum offer one day and two day courses and I would strongly recommend them.
We arrived at the workshop in Coggeshall to be met by Justin, his wife Cecilia, the joint teacher John (JMG Studio) and other attendee Pat. Then we got started, well I say started we had a lot of information to take in before we got going and it was all a lot more technical than I imagined .... really a lot more technical. After deciding what we would like to do we then started to set out our projects. It was about now that I discovered I can't add up to 66. Then it was lunch time and we sat down to a simply delicious lunch made by Cecilia {worth attending just for the lunch}.
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Mum's Block
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Then it was back to the workshop to crack on with our projects. A lot more toing and froing to get funny shaped bits of wood, sorry furniture. A lot of strange terms in letterpressing! Then finally we were ready to do the best bit - yes - the printing. Now I can't show you my finished project because I plan to frame it and give it as a Christmas present but here are the other masterpieces ....
It was a wonderful day and fascinating to see a proper letterpress workshop and to chat to Justin and John who were so knowledgeable and willing to share their expertise. It has certainly made me love letterpress even more and coming back to work looking at letters printed out on the computer everything seems far too perfect, far too neat, with no texture. It is a skill that I'm so glad is really getting a resurgence of appreciation.
Oh and how could I forget the gorgeous little visitor to the workshop, baby Jemima and hope that Freya is feeling much better. It was a wonderful day - thank you - just get that course sorted out where I just do the final setting out and printing and I'll be back like a shot ;-)
I had a go at a printing press at a local museum once and it was a lot of fun - but I didn't realise until now how much work had gone into setting it all up for us! Looks like a fun way to spend a day.
ReplyDeleteLucky you to just arrive and do the printing! LOL It is a time consuming passion but so worth the end results.
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