For the love of letterpress

A great article came out on Step Inside Design magazine, with the title For the love of Letterpress. A friend of mine Leslie Evans of Sea Dog Press is feature in the article, along with Katie Harper and Karen Battles of B Design. Leslie will present her work at Surtex, for the first time this year. As we are both getting ready for the shows in May, I enjoyed reading: Letterpress is like that. It involves multiple senses and thus connects us more closely with both process and results. We touch the type, the paper, the plate; we smell the ink; we feel the impression; we see the three-dimensionality. And we strive for that just-right “kiss” impression that affirms our love of this timeless craft.

Some beautiful prints, illustration and wood engraving by Leslie Evans are in display here below.

Limited edition, Workshop part 2

Another wonderful workshop in collaboration with Albertine Press during the past weekend. Thank you to all the students for coming and for adding their creativity to our work.

Terrain

Today, 2500 meters of cotton ribbons are landing to the new Urban Outfitters home and garden concept store called Terrain, to be sold in their wrapping department! They are launching the new store, opening tomorrow, by: "transforming the local garden center into an experience that celebrates the beauty and abundance of nature while offering an eclectic mix of garden-inspired products tailored for the contemporary customer". What attracts me is also the idea of "a comfortable atmosphere that includes a leather sofa and a coffee bar serving upscale La Colombe coffee". I think the new store will be great. As usual, I would have liked to deliver the order myself!
For the full article about Terrain here is the link, also Oh Joy have posted about the new store opening near Philadelphia.

Spring Trunk Show

Lovely time at Essex, Connecticut during the Trunk Show at Weekend Kitchen! The shop has a unique collection of home and kitchen goods and I have spent special attention in trying to see everything the store carries. There is so much to see! The owner Nancy is a pleasure to talk to and I was lucky to meet other artists and designers that came to visit the show from different area of CT. Also, what a pleasure all the little towns along the Connecticut River Valley, full of Antique shops and flowers along the roads. Below, a collage of pictures of Essex, including the old, steam train. Thank you very much everyone for coming!

Roma city guide

Today the Roma city guide came out on Design Sponge. It was beautiful to organize and write about information I have collected over the years. Writing a guide about the city I'm from and where I feel I still belong, was also very emotional. Many places are the ones I go every time I'm back home, and there is a certain walking route in the guide, which is exactly the one I do every time. I like to recognize places, they are so familiar and so part of me. I like to find and feel the same light, the same colors and taste of places I love. It has been a real pleasure to share them. After over ten years living in the US, I'm certainly still feel from Rome!
I also would like to thank my dear friend Krishna for editing the text and other friends for pointing out some great gelato places I'm sure I will try on my next trip.

I would like to add many thanks to all the people that left a comment on Design Sponge. There are so many new information about Rome that needs to be read and some comments were so incredibly kind! Thank you!

Detail of a courtyard in Via Giulia.

xoxox Francobolli cards

New on my shop, a series or Francobolli cards, designed in collaboration with Bari Zaki. Vintage stamps on Medioevalis Fabriano paper, with black ink calligraphy. For full series of designs available in the Francobolli line cards, please visit Bari's shop at her lovely B-zaar.

Gardenia

A very nice article by Pia Pera appeared on pg. 194 of Gardenia, a monthly Italian magazine dedicated to flowers, plants and gardening. The article, very beautifully written, is about our last limited edition book, The Fruits, Herbs and Vegetable of Italy and the author Giacomo Castelvetro. The article is in Italian, copied here below, between quote. Thank you to Pia Pera for dedicating her monthly page to this book!


GHIOTTE ERBE SPONTANEE
"Ogni anno attendo golosamente il mese di aprile.
È ancora presto per coltivare in piena terra gli ortaggi estivi
selezionati da generazioni di contadini; è tempo semmai di accettare
quanto, irrefrenabile e generosa, Madre Natura manda in prima
linea: le squisite ancorché spontanee erbe di campo, col loro sapore
anarchico e libertario. Che le ha rese care, suppongo per affinità
elettiva, a un modenese in sospetto di libero pensiero:
Giacomo Castelvetro nipote di quel Ludovico cui l’Inquisizione
non perdonava gli studi su Aristotele. Dopo la condanna dello zio,
la fuga, nascosti in ceste a dorso di mulo, di Giacomo col fratello.
Questi, meno fortunato, fu bruciato a Mantova, Giacomo invece
peregrinò per vari paesi fino all’approdo in Inghilterra.
Ormai settantenne, preso da ghiotta nostalgia per i sapori del
Mediterraneo, scrisse, nel 1614, un Brieve racconto di tutte le radici,
di tutte l’erbe, di tutti i frutti che crudi o cotti in Italia si mangiano.
Lo ripropongono, in poche copie, Silvana Amato e Angela Liguori
(Almenodue), editrici artigiane e manuali decisamente
controcorrente rispetto alle tirature industriali.
E così tutto torna: la serena pazienza di perlustrare il campo
alla ricerca di getti di luppolo, rosette di tarassaco, cime di malva,
foglie di cicoria, cuori di lappola maggiore, asparagi selvatici
da strinare alla griglia, raperonzoli; insieme, il divertimento
di imprimere, piegare e rilegare a mano buona carta piacevole
al tatto non menbo di una foglia di bardana.
Castelvetro raccomanda le erbe di primavera per purificare il sangue
appesantito dai bagordi invernali. Scrive di mischianza
e di “olla podrida”. Spiega agli inesperti inglesi come lavare l’insalata
– non scolando acqua e foglie tutto insieme, ma levando le foglie
dopo avere lasciato depositare la sabbia in fondo al catino – e come
condire – con abbondanza di sale prima e di olio poi.
Si consola di concludere una vita avventurosa in un paese aperto
ai rifugiati così come agli usi alimentari d’oltremanica.
E certo, in cuor suo, deve avere trovato molto in comune tra
i tribunali da cui era fuggito, e lo sguardo accigliato di chi
dal giardino vorrebbe bandire anche l’ultima delle erbe spontanee,
accatastarla in rogo di eretiche erbacce".

Press page

After months and months of postponing this project, I finally have the press page ready on my site. I didn't imagine it will take such a long time to organize, I'm now glad is done!