Fantastic to be teaching again after a very long time – I ran a workshop on making a single sheet folded book with a cover containing floral monoprints. We ctreated backdrawn monoprints and then coloured them with foam stamps - some brilliant results from all the participants, and the inky mess was surprisingly minimal!
Pages from a garden residency
Had fun giving a short talk at BABE 2022 last weekend on the books I made as part of my Garden Residency last year (which was ironically meant to be a break from making books!) Interesting to see them all together as a group, and it’s given me a few ideas for new future editions.
Pattern play
Another workshop – this time for the local cub pack… stamping patterned papers to make into book covers for single sheet books. A lot of fun, but most definitely the noisiest workshop I’ve ever run. Who knew bookbinding could be so loud?
Woven, slotted and folded books workshop
Really fun afternoon last Friday teaching folded book structures in Shropshire. As well as using some beautiful Cambridge Imprint patterned papers, we made inky patterns on sugar paper before making them into a triangle book (from Hedi Kyle’s ‘Art of the Fold’), a slot tab book and a woven spine book (thanks to Eva Hejdström for teaching those to me earlier this year). Really good to see everyone complete three books - they looked great! Big thanks to Kate Johnson for organising the workshop...
Tree rubbings
Really fun afternoon at the beginning of the month making tree collage rubbings in workshops with Year 4 at Westbury-on-Trym CofE Academy. Many thanks to the teachers and pupils for making me feel so welcome, and for all their hard work.
Workshop coming up!
Printing patterned papers and making folded books as examples to show at a one day workshop I’m running at ACEarts in Somerton in Somerset on Saturday 27 April (10 -4). We’ll be stamping our own patterned papers, then using them to make a collection of small folded books. Should be fun! Just a few places left, so get in touch with ACEarts if you’re interested in joining me... . . .
Crown binding workshop
I ran a really fun crown binding workshop at the Artists’ Book Club at UWE last week. It’s a Hedi Kyle structure – based on her famous blizzard book folds – although this workshop was based on a simplified version developed by Alisa Golden which is just the spine structure. Thanks to everyone who came along... lots of lovely books made in super-fast time!
Spreading the book-ish word
Some lovely photos from artist Carmen Garaghon’s residency trip to Rajasthan in India. She came along to the folded book workshop Cathey Webb and I ran at the MakeSpace at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery back in August, and now has been teaching the trouser book (with folded cover) format to people she’s met out in India. She’s planning on leaving behind her stamps and rollers in the hope that they can set up their own book making collective. Very exciting! You can find out more about Carmen’s travels on Instagram (@carmengaraghon)
Patterned paper and folded books
Really fun afternoon in mid-October running a workshop in Church Stretton in Shropshire. Creating patterned papers with foam blocks on sugar paper, then making two single sheet books with patterned covers. We made a snake book, and then a pocket accordion (thanks to Hedi Kyle and Ulla Warchol for their amazing book ‘The Art of the Fold’ for the instructions for a separate cover - worked a treat!) A very creative bunch, and it was really interesting to see all the different patterns that were created. Many thanks to Kate Johnson for arranging the workshop.
The most bookish of days
Many thanks to everyone who came along to the Make Space at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery yesterday. Cathey Webb and I had a busy and brilliant time teaching, exhibiting, selling and enthusiastically chatting about books all day. A real pleasure! Thanks also to @bristolmuseums for organising the Make Space programme alongside the Woman’s Hour Craft Prize exhibition - it’s been an inspiring showcase of local creative talent... it’s running until 2 Sept, so catch it while you can...
Make Space
A box of book samples all ready to take along to the Make Space at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery tomorrow (23 August). If you’re in Bristol, come along and join @catheywebb and I for lots of bookish inspiration. We'll be teaching how to make five different single-sheet books, and you can also see (and buy) books we've made. Should be fun... The Make Space programme is running alongside the Woman’s Hour Craft Prize exhibition until 2 September, and is open daily 10.40 - 4.30. Find out more at www.bristolmuseums.org.uk
Polyprinting workshop
A brilliant afternoon yesterday spent making polyprints of houses with year 4 pupils at Westbury CofE Academy. Using my new book 'home' as a starting point, we made prints of houses, dream homes (including castles!) and shops. So much fun, and really impressive results from classes 4BC and 4HN. Many thanks to the school for inviting me along. The prints will be on display at the school as part of the BS9 Arts Trail this coming weekend. . . .
The roll call of rockets and robots
Stamps from the Rockets and Robots concertina book
Rockets, robots and rubber stamps
A brilliant day yesterday teaching a rubber stamp workshop for MA Printmaking students at UWE. The theme was rockets and robots… chosen as an excuse to use the lovely stash of metallic stamp pads acquired by the university earlier in the year. It was also a good subject for looking at building up an illustration out of component parts. Really impressed with the quality and variety of the finished stamps, and thanks to some hard graft and teamwork, we ended up with an edition of seven stamped concertina books. Many thanks to Liz, Sophie, Linda, Rozzie and Vicky for a mighty fine end result.