Papers and Books From Your Most Authentic Self

Albie Smith

Let’s traipse along the edge of what we know. I’ll open my bag of tricks to start the journey, but that’s just the beginning. With three days to delve into your creativity you’ll explore many sides of your artistic wealth. We’ll collaborate each morning on different exercises and techniques involving papers, paints, and tools. This will get the energy building, blending, and spiraling. You’ll then head back to your work area, taking that energy and bringing it into your personal expression.

Bring an open mind, an open heart and your curiosity. Reach that place that you sometimes find yourself in on your own, where you "click", and you’re in the groove. Play in the world of design and color with paints, dyes and gesso on paper. Gesso is an often unexplored medium and colored gesso even more so. The results don’t look like paint; it has an earthy yummy feel, and is quite different than anything else out there.

Paste paper is my passion. We’ll start with one color, one tool and move along into complex layering, with a focus on retaining and building on what you have developed. Working with a variety of papers, we’ll explore techniques of painting, glazing and dyeing.

Do you always work super fast and produce, produce, produce? Maybe this time you’ll create one drop-dead gorgeous journal. Do you work super slowly? This is the chance to let go, and whip yourself into a frenzy of creation. What do you want to do? A stack of fabulous mouth-watering papers? Okay. Journals? Yes! In what size? Whatever size you really wanted but have never found in a class…twice as tall and half as thick? This binding but that cover? A portfolio that is worthy of the art it holds?

Whatever you decide to make…you’ll make it totally yours using butterfly stitch, long stitch, French stitch, or accordion style. The papers that you’ve stenciled, stamped, paste papered, printed, and dyed will be the content of the books you’ll make. Along the way you’ll learn many technical aspects that will provide a firm foundation for your future bookmaking.

You’ll have the time and space to fully explore the various techniques and combine, expand, and morph them to create completed works of art. Your pieces will contain a level of integrity that can’t always be achieved in one day classes.

For inspiration we’ll share our works in progress with the group. The energy spiral we started on day one will be in full bloom. Let the alchemy of the group assist you in opening to a new creative adventure.

Supply List

Click here for a printable supply list.

Scissors
Ruler
Bone folder
Tapestry needles, size 22; you can find these at fabric or craft stores in packages of 6
X-acto knife
Utility knife (sturdier than an X-acto and necessary for cutting book board)
Vinyl gloves—bring several pairs for using with dyes
Pen or pencil
3 water containers—16 oz. is handy
Small palette
Cutting mat
Awl or Japanese screw punch with at least one small bit (1.5 or 2mm). I’ll have extras to share but if you do want to buy a screw punch, the best price I have seen for this wonderful book-making tool (they call it a spiral punch set) can be found here: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspxp=51577&cat=1,43456
Book board, one package (4 sheets of 0.82 Davey board 15x20.5). You can find this in some art supply stores or online. You likely won’t need the whole package in the workshop, but you’ll have it to use in the future. Online sources are: Daniel Smith http://www.danielsmith.com/Item--i-137-080-003 OR at Dick Blick http://www.dickblick.com/products/lineco-acid-free-binders-board/
One small bottle PVA glue
4 or more 2" wide utility brushes (less than $1 ea. at the hardware store)
Sponge for cleaning up work space
4 or more cosmetic sponges
One package (100 sheets) Utrecht drawing paper (70#), 12x18”, available at: http://www.utrechtart.com/dsp_view_product.cfm?item=70694

Optional items:

A few assorted sizes of paint brushes
A few favorite stamps or stencils
papers to experiment with
ribbons or fancy threads
beads to use in bindings
heat gun
a few of your favorite acrylic paint colors (see below for what I’m providing)
stamp carving tools if you have them, but don’t buy any as I have plenty to share

Note: One of the main papers we’ll be using is Stonehenge white 22x30”, which we’ll tear down to the sizes needed. Since this is difficult to carry in a suitcase and there’s no way to know how much you’ll want to use, I’ll have it for purchase at cost, approx. $1.60 per sheet. I’ll also have black Stonehenge, at approx. $2.50 per sheet.

Materials fee of $30 (paid directly to instructor on day of class) includes: White and colored gessos; dyes; glazing liquids; waxed linen thread; beads; ribbons, book cloth; rubber for stamp carving (plus carving tools to share); a variety of papers; paste; acrylic paints (at a minimum, I’ll bring white, black, purple, red, yellow orange, turquoise, gold, blue, green and bronze); my collection of stamps and stencils for your use; anything else we might need for a colorful time together!