visualchemist

One thing I’ve learned throughout my adventures with letterpress is that I am in great company. It seems everyone that I cross paths with is helping to shape my foundation in this awesome craft, right before my very eyes. It’s amazing how tight this community is and how helpful everyone is at giving advice or pointing you in the right direction. Without getting all mushy, in honor of those that have helped me along the way, I decided it was time I give back to the letterpress community as my way of saying Thank You. On the first Saturday of this month (and hopefully many more), I joined the International Print Museum’s Leather Apron Guild.

Rachelle Chuang, the museum’s Book Arts Institute Director, (that’s her in red) put out a call for volunteers to be part of the Letterpress Printing Team, to print keepsakes to send out to donors, schools, etc. For the Thank You card project, I got to poke through and explore the museum’s collection of wood type. Once my design was all set up and I got the thumbs up from museum director, Mark Barbour, I was off to work with Rich Tautenhahn, the local windmill expert.

Rich worked with myself and Marjorie, (a docent and letterpress printer), helping us print each of our cards. Rich gave me a quick lesson on how to operate a Heidelberg Windmill, similar to the press seen in the movie Seven Pounds (with Will Smith). In fact, he was the expert on the movie set and he also taught Rosario Dawson how to confidently grab, push and twist the clutch arm of “the Beast.” I admit that my attempt at running a windmill was a bit uncoordinated, so I may have to try it a few more times to get it right. It was a pretty darn cool day.