{ Little Red Corvette } : 3 x 5 x 1” : Spine View
{{ Little Red Corvette } : 3 x 5 x 1” : Front View
{ Little Red Corvette } : 3 x 5 x 1” : Back View
{ Little Red Corvette } : 3 x 5 x 1” : Binding View
{ Designing Artist Books : Workshop in Review } : Floyd, VA //
This past weekend, seven women gathered at the Floyd Center for the Arts for the Designing Artist Books workshop.
Group photo! All the amazing ladies that designed Artist Books with me this weekend!
Plus Grace, who had to leave early for the opera!
We explored many background paper techniques using wet-on-wet and dry processes. The end product was less important than the process. We learned to not judge what was made since the paper would be used as a piece and not as a whole. This can be a challenging concept for many people!
Using watercolors and rubbing alcohol to create unexpected results on paper
We made as many papers in 4 hours as we could. The participants could use any technique that they learned that day to make their cover paper.
MaryJo exploring art and science while creating her background papers
Spray inks are always a huge success! Being highly pigmented make them very attractive to students of all ages.
Anne LOVES her ghost prints!
Penny and Suzanne exploring spray inks…the possibilities are endless!
Using everyday items found easily, on the cheap or around the home make pattern easy to create.
MaryJo using handmade stamps on black and Kraft cardstock paper
Our books are 6 x 6” while our papers are much larger. Participants cut down their papers to he desired size. This leaves them with loads of handprinted scrap paper to use as collage within their books.
Pat using scraps of her handprinted papers to collage her pages
We had an AMAZING time creating in community. The great thing about these books are that you can add, takeaway, make pages in any size, put int ages, envelopes, pockets and fold out pages. This is a book that is never done…making it organic and endless.
{ Designing Artist Books : September 21-22, 2019 } // Floyd, VA
I will be hosting ‘Designing Artist Books’ at the Floyd Center for the Arts. If you want to learn how to make super funky papers…(or what to do with all those papers taking up space that are too beautiful to throw away), this weekend workshop is for you! In addition to making a TON of vibrant, handprinted papers, we will learn how to use everyday household items as stamps, using our handwriting as pattern, easy collage techniques that make a big impact and more!
{ Mixed Media Printmaking : Gelli Plate Prints } : May 2019 //
While teaching my ‘Rust Printing + Mark Making’ workshop back in April, one of my student introduced me to Gelli Plate printing. I had been looking into the process for awhile and after checking out her Instagram feed, I was HOOKED. I came home that weekend and ordered myself several plates and did what most artists do when learning a new technique—I obsessively scoured Pinterest for visual inspiration and watched YouTube videos until my excitement led me to my studio.
I tried multiple techniques and was not happy with the results. I tried cheaper, more fluid acrylics. I tried heavier bodied acrylics. I tried spray inks. I made a MESS. I threw many prints into the recycling bin.
Then I got SICK. Every few years, seasonal allergies will kick my butt. This was one of those years. My throat was raw, I had a persistent and painful cough. I eventually lost my voice (which is fun when you teach art to young children). And the best part—I got several tick bites that became swollen and a rash spread over my entire torso.
During the recovery process, I spent a weekend resting and took this time to play around with my plate. I made dozens of prints. Below are some of my faves…
It took a few days of rest but I did recover from both the allergies and the bites. I am looking forward to using these prints in a new body of collage work and covers for new mini booklets for my upcoming show in December.
{ Handmade Book Challenge } // January 2019
I have been making handmade books for over 10 years. I tend to stick books I am familiar with making so that I can work on my craftsmanship while creating enough product to sell at various stores, galleries and shows. While teaching a class on bookmaking at the local university here in Blacksburg, VA, a friend of mine handed me a book on how to make books. As we combed through the book together, I realized that there were so many books that I had yet to discover! I decided to challenge myself to work from one end of the ‘How To’ to the other. This month, I created the 5 Hole Pamphlet (with inside folder), 5 Hole Pamphlet Do-Si-Do and the Basic Codex.
5 Hole Pamphlet : Front View
5 Hole Pamphlet : Spine View
5 Hole Pamphlet : Inside View with Folder
5 Hole Pamphlet Do-Si-Do : Front View
5 Hole Pamphlet Do-Si-Do : Back View
5 Hole Pamphlet : Front Top View
5 Hole Pamphlet : Back Top View
Basic Codex : Front View
Basic Codex : Spine View
Basic Codex : Back View
Basic Codex : Endcover View