As a printmaking major in college, and a lover of paper, ink and the printing craft, the art of Printmaking will always remain an interest. Over the past year, I’ve been taking a workshop with master printmaker Julia Talcott in her studio in Newton. (See her print “Touch” in the featured image) Carving into wood or linoleum plates can be a challenge as is the process which requires designing backwards, but the result is always surprising and rewarding. Carving, mixing paint, rolling, printing, more carving and printing. With ten pieces of Rives paper and four or five color combinations, you build over each color to produce the image, and each print is different.
A project designing and producing a book for a prominent family in Boston sent me to Acme Bookbinding in Charlestown, where the old process and new meet together in the same building. Acme is the oldest continuously operated book bindery in the world. In one room, you have the craftpersons restoring valuable old books and adding gold leaf to book covers. On the other floor are the offset printing presses or the digital presses. Covers are produced by hand and color foil can be added to the cover titles. Wandering through the press room you discover books in process that have been created for book art collectors. The books are of photographs, drawings and musings.
Michelle Brennen, manager at Acme, is the chair of the New England Book Show which was recently held at the Mary Baker Eddy Library this past May. It’s an elegant evening for lovers of books and I for one do not plan to miss it next year! Also check out the Boston Bookbuilders club if you are in the business of publishing books.
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