Workshops Part 3 PBI Laura Wait

My third & final class at PBI was with the talented, fun, & saucy Laura Wait.

I have been an admirer for some time & jumped at the chance to take a class with her. So glad I did!

 

Our first exercise was to tape a brush to a LONG stick, go outside with a large sheet of paper

 and Sumi Ink, proceed to make BIG marks on the paper, flip paper over & rub it around on the grass (if you want, which I did). Phase one of mark making.

 

After that we introduced color, shape, hand writing (not necessarily legible) translucent color, dirty sumi water, unusual tools to make marks with...play & experimentation was the name of the game.

 The results were as varied as the personalities in the room.

 

 This grouping is all from my pages. 

It was great to have a soft wall to pin everything up for viewing. 

We were encouraged to bring some sort of symbolic marks along as a jumping off point for marks.

I discovered a Hobo Language. Developed during the depression as a form of communication among the Hobo community.  It's simplicity was perfect for my purposes. 

The all red pages are direct riffs on the Hobo symbols.

One of my pages, a personal favorite.

 These types of exercises get you loose & allow you to play which provides some amazing results.

 

Being attentive to the details of drum leaf book construction. 

That would be another entire post. Lots of accuracy is needed. A departure from the mark making.

From there we created several books each from the cut up pages. Size & orientation is up to the individual. Lots accomplished in a 4 day workshop. That's how PBI rolls.

 Happily displaying our completed books.

Next workshop review, my 3 days in Petoskey with Christine Mauersberger.

Summer Workshop Part 2 PBI

Outside the facility grounds at Ox-Bow there is a set of stairs. 302 of them to be exact.
Many days several PBI participants would migrate there and make the trip up.
Great exercise & the view is worth it.

Being on the channel that comes off Lake Michigan into Douglas & Saugatuck

the sunsets are gorgeous most evenings.

My afternoons the first round of class time was spent with Shawn Sheehy,  paper engineer extraordinaire, to create "cabinets of curiosities". I suggest you watch the video in the link of his latest book to get an idea of the intricacy of his work. 

I don't have many pictures of the process as we moved at a brisk pace
to accomplish all the construction of the boxes & mechanicals held inside in the time allotted.
So many teeny pieces of heavy paper to cut & fold & glue.

One box held a scroll.

One class member sent the group a video of her completed
scroll box after she got home.

My choice for one of the pop ups was a whale.
Pull the yellow tab & he rises up from the box

Another was a curtain you pull open.

Out comes a little butterfly.

One of the favorites of the entire group was the turtle. Shawn had many of the pieces pre cut for us, 

thank goodness or we would still be there cutting paper. maybe that's why we liked it so much!

Pull the tab & his legs & tail pop out. 

 

The entire piece is small. 5 .5 " wide, 3.5 " deep & 3" tall.
Four afternoons of my summer, Poof!
Plus some time in the early am or late pm.
 That's what happens at PBI.


Shawn brought several reference books he uses when creating new
 mechanicals for his elaborate creations.

The first day was spent making sample elaborate moving mechanisms
for reference that went in box 1. Pictures of white card stock with not being
able to see what they do don't do it justice so I am sparing you.

Next up in the how I spent my time at PBI installments will be the class with Laura Wait.

In the meantime, happy Fourth of July!