Robin Feinman: The Art 101 Teaching Album

Workshop Description

This workshop will focus on constructing a concertina-bound book with pairs of pages meant to illustrate or demonstrate a basic art technique or concept. The workshop is designed for participants who want to teach a book arts project to their basic art class, who would like a teaching product to show basic art concepts, or to anybody new to or familiar with the concertina binding and the basics of visual arts.

The content of the book will consist of pairs of pages (a stand-alone artwork, and a transparent overlay with description) that are meant to teach Visual Art basics such as Color Theory, Composition, Watercolor and Drawing Techniques, and the Elements and Principles of Art.

One day will consist of creation of the content pages and accompanying transparent overlay pages. Participants will come away with a set of teaching pages for their own practice or classrooms. Participants will also come away with a lesson plan to implement in a secondary classroom, with modifications for elementary grades.

The next two days will consist of construction of the book, with windows cut in each page, then content inserted and affixed, and attached to the concertina binding. A hard cover will wrap all the way around. Participants will have time to embellish the cover and possibly create some alternate content. Participants will come away with a lesson plan to implement in a secondary classroom, with modifications for elementary grades.

Note: The example images show Robin’s window-book design, but do not show the transparent overlay pages that will be part of the project for this workshop.

Materials/Equipment to be Provided by Students

• Cutting mat
• Knife with extra blades
• Bonefolder
• Paintbrush
• PVA
• Weights (brick, etc.), if possible
• Any content desired (must fit within the structure size)

See Materials Glossary for definitions and images

Materials/Equipment to be Provided by Instructor

• Cardstock for interior pages and concertina
• Double-sided tape
• Cover paper and endpapers
• Book board for front and back cover
• Materials to create content
• Mylar overlays
• Handouts

Instructor Biography

Robin Feinman is an artist and teacher in Fairbanks, Alaska. She has taught art at all levels from kindergarten to college for decades, and works in a wide variety of media. Her interest in book arts has grown from humble experimentation at home, to workshops with the Northwoods Book Arts Guild in Fairbanks, the Newport Book and Paper Arts Festival, and FOBA. She is an active member of the Northwoods Book Arts Guild, where she both participates and teaches in workshops and shows, and serves on the Advisory Council. This will be her first time teaching at FOBA.

Instagram: @robinfeiny