Hello! I'm back on home soil after an adventurous week in Paris & Amsterdam! Still feeling a little jet-lagged, but getting back into the swing of regular life once more. My mind keeps wondering back to all the beautiful sights and creative visual overload that I experienced while travelling. One major highlight (amoung many) was visiting Typique in Amsterdam – a beautiful letterpress shop run by pressman; René Treumann. Have you ever been to the Netherlands? I'm sure the friendliest people on the planet live there. René showed me around his entire shop, (even the parts that weren't part of his store). We chatted about his lovely prints, his immense collection of woodblocks and type, and his hand craved pieces. Letterpress seems to be more of an artform in Amsterdam than it is here in Toronto. I didn't see a computer or any traces of polymer plates anywhere in his shop, which is really heart-warming actually. It's still possible to do things completely the old fashioned way... by hand. It was so lovely meeting René and getting a glimpse into letterpress in Amsterdam. Before I left the store he told me that if I was interested in seeing more that there just happened to be a letterpress show/gathering happening the next day! What are the odds, right? I'll write more about that incredible experience next time. Ciao for now!
