Beginner – Focus on Book Arts

Rosemary Rae: Collage Boot Camp

In this Collage Boot Camp we will dive into the hands-on creation of mixed-media collages, integrating text using a variety of ephemera, papers, acrylic paint, and other markmaking tools. Discover your artistic voice and learn about color theory and how to create strong compositions.

Anne Sobbota: Curious Visions—Illuminating Hidden Inspirations

Activities in this workshop include a range of techniques designed to engage the imagination through color and discovery of hidden imagery. Mediums used range from watercolor to alcohol, and acrylic inks on different paper surfaces, including unique eco-prints and Yupo papers.

Pietro Accardi: Intro to Paper Marbling

In this introductory class, students will gain a basic understanding of the history, techniques, tools, and styles of Western marbling. We will talk about the color wheel and color theory to guide students’ creativity. Pietro will demonstrate how to execute the most classic patterns and how to create simple harmonic color combinations.

Celeste Chalasani: Embroidery on Paper

Students will learn the basics of embroidering on paper as they work 10 embroidery stitches. Celeste will walk students through the stitches and share examples of how she has used them in her book art practice. At the end of class, students will assemble their embroidered pages to make their own “Little Book of Embroidery Stitches,” which can serve as a reference tool for years to come. Left-handed instructions available upon request.

Robin Feinman: Principles of Art and Design—a Reference Album

Over the course of two days, we will construct an accordion fold album and create examples of seven Principles of Art and Design to be housed in the album. We will make a mini-composition to illustrate each of seven design principles using variety of media: watercolor, colored pencil, pen and ink, and collage. These compositions will become the inserts in the pages. Translucent vellum overlays will be provided to accompany each example, with definitions and vocabulary.

Selene Fisher: Playful Patterns in a Leporello Portfolio

This class is all about creating colorful patterned paper (with a gel-printing plate) that can be used in other mixed-media projects. We’ll start off making a Leporello case to store smaller papers. This folder combines origami and bookbinding techniques to create a simple and effective structure. Then we will swing into color and pattern, using acrylic paint, gel plates, Play-Doh (seriously), foam stamps, stencils, different papers, and lots of textures! This is a chance to play with different methods of creating colorful papers for use in other projects. Students will leave with a collection of papers housed in their case, Play-Doh for future fun, and any stencils or stamps they create in class.

Selene Fisher: Whimsical Little Houses All in a Row

Are you charmed by the repeating shapes you see in lines of hillside houses? Are you intrigued by urban sketching? We’ll explore new neighborhoods by constructing our own little wonky row houses bound into a quirky accordion book.

Selene Fisher: Ekphrastic Postcards in a Blizzard (Book)

This class combines mixed-media collage, creative writing, an origami-inspired case, and a collaborative interchange with classmates.

Brenda Gallagher: Mini Pencil Sketchbook

Bind your very own miniature sketchbook with leather covers. This little gem holds your mini colored pencils and fits in your pocket!

Helen Hiebert: Fundamentals of Paper Weaving

Learn the basics of paper weaving while creating a woven-paper notecard and a cylindrical lantern with a woven hinge. Learn what papers are best for weaving, how to use a paper loom, how to weave with or without a weaving tool, and how to cut windows in your weavings to reveal and illuminate between the layers. Students will incorporate unique papers and imagery as they weave paper strips and shapes in a variety of ways.

Genevieve Kaplan: Altered Pages and Blackout Poems—Working with Text

In this hands-on creative workshop, we will find our inspiration by excavating texts already written. Using pages torn from discarded books as our starting point, we will explore various physical and intellectual approaches to altering pages. From strike-through to pattern-making, black-out to collage, we’ll cover up, obscure, and reveal existing language to forge new ways of creating, experiencing, and reading. In this class, we will view and consider exciting examples of altered books and erasure poetry, getting inspiration from published works while we try our own hands at the techniques shown.

Genevieve Kaplan: Altered Texts—Obscuring to Reveal

In this one-day workshop, perfect for all levels, students will follow a step-by-step process to create their own small book of engaging visual-literary erasure.

Roberta Lavadour: Handmade Books in the Classroom

Teaching artists draw on a skill set that is distinctly different from day-to-day studio work. In this fast-paced session, we will look at tips and tricks for choosing grade-appropriate projects, preparing materials, and working with large groups of students who bring different learning styles to the classroom.

Abigail Merickel: Solar Plate Etching and Monotype

Solar plate etching is a form of intaglio in which a photosensitive polymer plate is used. A drawing on trace film is placed on the plate, which is exposed to light and developed in water. Ink is rubbed into the etched lines and printed onto paper.

Casey Newman: Indigo Dyeing Fabric

In this workshop we will create and use an indigo dye vat, unlocking the mysteries of this blue pigment that has been used throughout the world for centuries. Students will learn the basics of Shibori dyeing, a Japanese technique of folding and binding fabric to create beautiful patterns with indigo dye. There are infinite ways to manipulate fabric to create unique designs.

Casey Newman: Indigo Dyeing Paper

In this workshop students will create and use an indigo dye vat to dye paper beautiful shades of blue. Students will learn how to create an indigo dye vat and see what depth of shade can be created through dip-dyeing paper. This technique can create both solid and layered/ombre designs. Students will learn ways to fold and bend paper to create different designs and will be able to try numerous techniques.

Casey Newman: Botanical Inks

Making one’s own natural ink not only yields beautiful and interesting colors with which to create, but provides a deep connection to the natural world. It’s also just really fun! In this workshop, students will learn to extract color from a variety of natural materials, many that are easy to find in the garden or even the kitchen. Students will learn which materials can be added to modify colors so they can create several colors from each dye source.

Rosemary Rae: Zhen Xian Bao Hardcover Sampler

Explore folding trays, collapsible boxes, a masu box, and small booklet assembly with this Zhen Xian Bao hardcover sampler project. This is a great way to mix and match papers and play with an adaptive and fun book structure.

Shawn Sheehy: Paper Engineering Boot Camp

In Paper Engineering Boot Camp, students will build a handful of foundational paper-engineering structures—some pop-ups, some movables—that will serve as physical warm-ups and creative building blocks. Following that, students will receive a series of problem-solving prompts that will help them apply their specific idea to the foundational structures. If a student doesn’t have a specific idea but would simply like to play with pop-ups, they will find the experience to be useful and engaging.

Shawn Sheehy: A Trio of No-Glue Structures

A bonefolder, a microspatula, and tweezers. Those three tools—and a little time—are all students will need to assemble this deceptively simple trio of no-glue, no-thread books. But despite their simplicity, these structures are elegant, flexible, and altogether ready for further play and experimentation.

Kris Stewart: Creating Longstitch Leather Journals

Students will learn to craft their own longstitch leather journals by hand. They will choose from a variety of precut leather from the instructor’s collection to create two beautiful longstitch journals, each highlighting different skills and techniques.

Jenn Woodward: Explorations in Hand Papermaking

Students will explore how to make pigmented paper pulp to create a full palette of colors, and how to use those wet fibers as a kind of paint. Students will learn the process for making both smooth and textured paper pulp, plus techniques for markmaking, creating shapes of color, building layered images, and retaining negative space within a composition. Students will create several wet pulp painting pieces that they will take away from the workshop to dry at home.

Roberta Lavadour: Winging it—Post-Consumer Freeform Journal

Sometimes a person just needs a book to toss into their bag to have available for notes. Sometimes they want to give someone a cool gift that isn’t too precious to actually use. This simple, sturdy structure fits the occasion and has a wide range of options for personalizing and stitching outside the lines. It’s a perfect vehicle for bringing together those fun bits of saved ephemera and for loosening up a bit between addressing more formal structures.