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November 1, 2007

Talking Letters with Maria of Port2Port Press

The Modern Letter Project talks to Maria (aka mav) of Port2port press about learning to print, living in Portland, Maine, her inspirations and just a few of her great projects: the card society and 3191.

MLP: Hello! Tell us about yourself.
p2p: Hi. I’m Maria {also known online as mav which are my initials}. I am an artist and I have a small letterpress printing business + two online blogs. I also love to spend my time taking photographs, styling, designing, baking, taking walks, talking to other artists … I’ll leave it at that. I live in Portland, Maine and am originally from the Midwest.

MLP: What is your training? Where did you learn to print?
p2p: I went to Indiana University and graduated in Fine Arts with the focus on Graphic Design. I first printed on Vandercook presses while at IU. I could tell from the very first time I printed that I preferred that type of visual expression over working on the computer but I had no idea how I would be able to do anything about it. When I was living in Chicago I found a wonderful man {a letterpress expert to say the least} who I did some volunteer work for and he let me use his presses. That was just another taste of printing which I adored. He taught me so much … and in the end sold me my first press.

MLP: What kind of equipment do you use? Press? Inks? Favorite papers?
p2p: I have two tabletop Pilot presses. I also use my Mac and several different cameras. I prefer to shoot film. I use paper of all kinds and ink of all kinds. I can’t say that I have favorite papers but I love printing on heavy kraft board. I also love printing on white paper…colors are great but I get my biggest kick out of printing on bright, textured {and heavy} white paper.

MLP: Tell us about the inspirations for your stationery and cards.
p2p: It’s hard for me to say it as one thing. My work is heavily inspired by life; just everyday living. I keep notes while I’m in walks or while I travel and I just like to make simple designs that give the viewer room to breathe. I love nature and parts of life that are mundane but so beautiful like doing dishes or some such. I love small shifts in color and finding little treasured moments and visuals in places that one might overlook.

MLP: Port2port press is based out of Portland, Maine. Why Portland? And how does Portland inspire your art?
p2p: I really like it here in Portland. Before Portland I was in Chicago for 6 years; another tremendous city! I just need somewhere where I can walk everywhere if need be … somewhere where the food is good, the seasons are dynamic and I can be close to water and trees. This place inspires me by allowing me the opportunity to be outside and to be a part of a city that has just enough going on {I can get overwhelmed in a big city and it’s hard for me to relax}. And certainly the ocean is completely seductive in my eyes. I have dreams about it.

MLP: Why do you call yourself “port2port?”
p2p: This was the name that my blogging partner {who is a dear friend; she is not on the blog as much anymore} and her husband came up with. She lives in a small port town on the west coast and I live in my port town on the east coast so they came up with the name from there. When the press started in 2006 it just seemed to make sense that it would have that name as well…it was, after all, the blogging world that inspired me to have a business at all.

MLP:When a potential client approaches you requesting custom stationery, what can they expect?
p2p: Right now I just offer one type of custom work...my antique wood type stationery. You can either come in and know just what you want {with my recommendations given of course} OR, I can certainly give you ideas. I don’t need to have a strict level of artistic control…part of what I do is just print. Sometimes if someone comes and says, “I want this word in green and I want the word centered”, I think, "whew; an order where I can just let my brain rest."

MLP: You’ve chosen to keep your stationery out of larger stores and focus on unique designs and limited edition card sets. Why is this important to you?
p2p: It’s just important to me not to get bored. I know that may sound sort of simple or even immature but when it comes to making art, but it’s really important to me to keep ideas coming freely and not feel frustrated because I can’t see them to fruition. Port2port press built around my personality and realizing my strengths and weaknesses. There are enough stationery companies who will reprint designs for shops {many of whom are amazing!} so I will let them do that. I am the kind of person who loves to be engaged in what she is doing…I could only see that working if I always keep the work fresh and new. I have to do the printing so I don’t want to reprint designs for shops; it would make the work seem more like work. I get antsy if I can’t have some level of newness in my weekly work life.

MLP: Who else have you collaborated with?
p2p: : Natalie Tweedie of Scotland / Camilla Engman of Sweden / Lisa Congdon of the US / Stephanie Waddell of the US / Christopher Ryan of the US. I am sure I’m forgetting someone. Next year I plan to do even more collaborations. They make me so happy!

MLP: Who are some of your favorite card/stationery makers?
p2p: : I think I’ll just stick to letterpress to keep things simple--so in no order at all--

Sesame Letterpress
Peculiar Pair Press
Egg Press
Black Pearl Press
Palindrome Press
Pancake and Franks
Moontree Press

MLP: Do you have a favorite edition of all your designs?
p2p: I still really dig the set I did for the design*sponge shop called Regal Nº1-5. You can see it HERE.

I also really enjoy the sets I have done with Camilla Engman. She is such an extraordinary talent! You can see those in this set.

MLP: In June 2006 you started "the card society,” a card-of-the-month club where participants receive 2 one of-a-kind cards at every mailing. What inspired this club?
p2p: This club is so much fun. I keep notes and design each month based on what is seasonal and what the members might enjoy. Sometimes I like to include something fun like stickers or an extra card. I consider this one of my very favorite projects to work on because I get to take a bundle of mail to the post and I have the most fun daydreaming about where the cards end up…and I just like the idea so much. I hope the club goes on forever!

MLP: Tell us about 3191: A Year of Mornings and the Photographs & Prints project: what inspired them?
p2p: 3191 was inspired by a random happening – I posted a similar photograph to Stephanie Congdon Barnes early on in December of 2006 and it caused me pause. So I asked her if she wanted to do a year of diptychs and she said yes. That is how it all started. We have loved the project so much! My Photographs & Prints project is a way for me to use the different mediums which I partake in to create one project. I really enjoy mixing up mediums. It’s nice to see one idea or one set of thoughts played out in different ways … so it just hit me to have one idea and build the rest of the visual project around that. This project is very special to me; it means a lot. It will change a bit in 2008 but it will continue.

MLP: Are you a letter-writer?
p2p: I used to be a major letter-writer but not as much anymore. Now I do more package sending. I do have plans though, once I can get my studio out of my apartment, to turn my smallest room into a writing room. I want to get an old farm table as a desk and have that sit in the room alone with a chair, no computer. A place where I can write letters and do things with pen & paper. I think that writing letters requires a nice space … I will create this, hopefully, in 2008.

MLP: Anything else?
p2p: I love your project so much! Thank you for asking me to be a part of it. When I get my letter-writing room set up in 2008 I’ll let you know! :)