ABCs of Letterpress Postponed

The ABCs of Letterpress workshop starting in March has been postponed to start on Thursday April 7th. There are still spots left for those who would like to join us!

Other Stuff!
Albert and I have been busy at the studio moving things around, getting rid of stuff and generally trying to make the space flow a bit more. Not sure if we've got it right yet but  we can always tweak it.
Below are some pics of what we've been busy with at the studio in the past few months.

Big new work table that Albert made for the studio! Thanks Albert!! 

My Ladies of Letterpress Swap came in the male a couple of weeks ago!
Nice folio made for all of our broadsides!

Some of the letterpresses goodies inside the folio.
I always love seeing how everyone interprets the project! 

One of my new interns, Pauline, helping me print
this year's Wayzgoose Anthology submission. 

Claro, another intern helped print the
outside of the Wayzgoose Anthology submission.

All Canadian cuts and engravings.

Close up of some of the cuts and engravings in their form.

Small and Fine Press Fair

The Fisher Rare Book Library in Toronto is a having a Wayzgoose type event Sat. Sept. 12th  from 10 am - 5 pm!

37th Annual Wayzgoose

It's finally spring and Wayzgoose time again!! The weather forecast says it will be nice out so go for a nice drive and come visit the Grimsby 'Goose! This year it is the 37th Wayzgoose. I've been doing them for over 25 years now...WHAT?!?! How old am I? 

My first Wayzgoose was when I was in 2nd year printmaking at OCA. My relief instructor, the wonderful Bill Poole, was the man behind the Grimsby 'Goose and the one who encouraged me to go. I remember cramming myself into George Walkers little Bug with Michelle, Frederica Tomas of Utility Grade and David Keyes for the drive to Grimsby. Was it really that long ago?

Photos from Don Black Linecasting

These are pictures of the Don Black Linecasting  "class trip" I organized in the beginning of October. I forgot to bring my camera so these are taken by our friend, photographer Michael Robinson, who came on the trip because he likes all things old!
Thanks Mike!

Like the type says.

 On the way into the Warehouse

When you walk into the warehouse this is what you see on your right. In the foreground is the Intertype machine and in the background against the wall is a flatbed press they use for proofing. Craig was kind enough to show everyone how the Intertype machine worked and he also cast some type for some of the group!

Ooo! Hot foil stamping!! Craig is demo-ing the hot foil stamper for Nerissa.

Shiny!

One of the most popular styles of presses these days! This is a floor model.

Two part qoins. I used these at school!

The name is in the photo! I still have a fear of these! Joe from Pomegranate Press told me a "poke your eye out" story about one!

A beautiful old paper cutter.

Lots of wood furniture!

Large Foundry type

some of the mechanical parts of the Intertype machine.

Printing some cuts

Rolling!

Beth takes a look at some images "hot off the press"! She even bought a small press just like my Showc

The cuts and the print on the bed of the press.

They have walls of drawers of letterpress stuff!!

Craig's work area.

A pile of lead "pigs" for casting type. We used them for weights for pressing handmade paper when I was at O.C.A.!

More drawers of stuff AND a bunch of presses that Craig is working on.

 

 MORE!!!

Packaged type and ornaments for sale.

Tanya from Snap + Tumble checking out the Ludlow mats and composing them in a casting stick. Craig let my husband, Ken, demo type casting on the Ludlow for us.

Drawers of type!

I believe these drawers contain mats for the Ludlow. The drawers are beautiful!

Wood type in a drawer.

Tanya, Christine and I looked at drawer upon drawer of cuts!

Craig setting up the hot foil stamper.

I was looking for ornaments and a cute little font to use for my Wayzgoose Anthology submission.

Craig talking with Nerissa.

Don Black Linecasting

We had a great time on Saturday morning at Don Black Linecasting! I was a bit groggy as I am a night person, but I managed to get to the studio before 9 am to meet everyone. Luckily we had three vehicles and so everyone got to go to Scarborough by car. Unfortunately we had several people who had to drop out last minute due to illness. Yup. It's that time of year again where colds are making their rounds of infecting unsuspecting humans!

When we got there Tanya and Christine had already arrived. I talked to Craig a bit and then we decided to start. Well, I had to start. After introducing Craig (Don's son who has taken over the business), the space and my husband (who was demo-ing type/linecasting on the Ludlow) everyone basically went wherever they wanted and started poking around and asking questions. 

We were lucky! Craig had a variety of presses that were restored and ready for sale. I fell in love with a Showcard flatbed press that has a bed size 4x my Mini Showcard! It was beautiful, but if I get another press I really want a flatbed press with a bigger bed than my Vandercook. I wish I had enough cash to buy one of every style of press... that's the collector in me... but one must at least try to be practical! I answered quite a few questions about presses. I know one person bought a small press and I believe another has their name on a press for when it comes in. 

Craig was a wonderful host! He patiently and kindly answered SO many questions, he let us rummage around freely and just before we left he even reminded us that the Intertype was heated up and if we had time we should see it in motion. I felt everyone should see that! It's an amazing machine. I used one when I was in art college and loved it. Craig showed us how it basically worked and cast people's names for them. A great souvenir from a great day at Don Black Linecasting (the letterpress candy shop!).

I was so busy I forgot to take pictures. Luckily our friend Mike Robinson, who is a professional photographer, took plenty of photos. He's putting them on a disk for me. I hope to have those up by the end of the week!!

For now all I have are pics of the cast type I bought for a short piece about my son for Wayzgoose 2011 and some ornaments that I found to add to the few I already had.

Wayzgoose 2010

Fuzzy Heart Album with satin ties and sun milagro.

Journal covered in brass with raised letters on cover.

Wayzgoose in Grimsby has come and gone for another year. I had a wonderful time seeing people I haven't seen for a couple of years, meeting new people and checking out all the really amazing books, broadsides, and assorted book arts and print related ephemera that they have been creating.

The weather was beautiful and, as always, dinner was a perfect end to our day.

Almost Wayzgoose!!!

Wow! What a response to the workshops!!
The May 1st Intro. to Letterpress is full!
Also, for clarificatio, the Leterpress 1 workshops are both on Sundays.

It's the last weekend before Wayzgoose and I'm busy setting and printing!
During the week I hope to get around to binding some Cereal books!
Hopefully I'll remember to take photos to put up here as I go.

WAYZGOOSE Time!

It's that time of year again! Wayzgoose is happening in Grimsby, Ontario on Saturday April 24th from 10 am - 5 pm. There is no admission fee and you'll get to look at some amazing book arts works! Most of the exhibitors have things for sale, also! I always spend too much!

I was absent last year because of the death of our son, but I'll definitely be there this year. Hope some of you can make it out!!

WAYZGOOSE '08

This year we celebrated the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Grimsby Wayzgoose! Bill Poole, my instuctor from O.C.A., founded this Wayzgoose in his hometown of Grimsby thirty years ago to try and make people aware of the art and craft of fine printing. Originally, in 1978, it was only supposed to be a one time event! Oh well! I'm glad it asn't!

When I was an art school student 20-ish years ago, Bill Poole encouraged his class to participate in the Wayzgoose Anthology and attend the event. I have been attending almost every year since then (I missed three years when I was apprenticing in Japan!). A lot of faces have changed in the last 20 years, but happily, many of the faces have also stayed the same. A small handfull of people even date back to that first Wayzgoose Bill Poole organized!

I think we all travel the distance to Grimsby because it is the one event of the year where we are really understood and appreciated by the public that attend. They don't ask us why we print using lead type or why we still bind books the old fashioned way with a needle, thread and fine materials or why we MAKE paper. They "get it" and they love it! It is also great to be gathered with everyone in one place. We sell, we admire, we spend, we chat and then, once the publlic is gone, we relax, have a nice dinner and celebrate!

Bill Poole has been gone several years now. I know he'd be thrilled to know that the Grimsby Wayzgoose is still going strong thanks to all the work of the staff at the Grimsby Public Art Gallery.

My Daughter and I chatting to a guest.

N. Kennedy (standing) and T. Dannenburg (seated) talking shop.

K. Wrigglesworth and a table full of stuff from Don Black Linecasting. Now the rest of it is back at KOZO Studio.

My friend, printmaker F. Tomas of Utility Grade.

Wood engraver, author, teacher G. Walker talking to Don Black of Don Black Linecasting fame.