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!

Summer Workshops in Four Parts

It's difficult to describe the quirkiness, camaraderie, inspiration 

& beauty of  Paper & Book Intensive. 

This May was my fourth time at PBI. A repeat offender as one director labeled it. 

Attendees take 3 classes during the 12 days at Ox-Bow. I will do a separate post for each as well as a fourth post for the class I had last week end in Petoskey with the marvelous Christine Mauersberger.

First up was Joseph Lappie. Wood block printer extrodinare and all around great human being. 

 

Gotta love a well used paint fan as reference material 

to choose a color, for anything!

 

In his world you use a scroll saw to cut out your wood block 

which then can be used at the art to be hung after you make prints.

The blocks are colored with gouache after you have made the prints you desire. 

Images above are student pieces. The possum! One of my favorites.

Professional pic of the model Joseph brought, being used by him below.

The smaller dremel model. The saw can be removed from the base to be used as a hand tool.

Good tools are so important in wood block. As well as sharpening skills.

My tired gal after carving & coloring. There were lots of books with ideas for those of us who don't have as much confidence in our drawing skills.

We made group prints from our blocks. Fun to make up a story from the result.

Below are Joseph's pieces he brought from his collection. His work is detailed & stunning.

 Next  up Shawn Sheehy, paper engineer and our "Cabinets of Curiosities" class.

Rubber Boots #AtoZChallenge

When one is a paper maker one needs some stylish rubber boots. These are mine.

When I saw these on a neighbor I had rubber boot envy!

 

Notice the rubber boots & aprons. It's a messy business. 

Miniature Book Insanity A to Z Challenge

In May of last year I had a blast at PBI.  My expectations were high and I was not disappointed. The setting is so...Michigan water way. On a lagoon just off the shore of Lake Michigan near Saugatuck. Ox-Bow, the facility where PBI is held each year, is owned by the Art Institute of Chicago.

 M is for Miniature Books

I had three wonderful work shops. First up is the Miniature Book Binding class with  

James Reid-Cunningham  

Miniatures are defined as smaller than 3" in any dimension.

 Amazing, crazy, & fun. The first book was the largest, relative designation here. 8 signatures, we were supposed to make front & back covers with book board but I liked my eco-dyed paper so much I went without.

 I had never done a leather bound book before, but learned all the techniques in teeny weeny scale. The Scharffix leather shaver was an introduction to a new tool for me. I spent a few hours one evening getting the hang of it. I didn't even cut myself on the razor which in itself is an accomplishment for me.

        You can get the leather so thin you can see the pores in the leather.

 

We made our own end bands and created a rounded shoulder. Not to mention the tiny tapes for sewing the signatures. 

 

 

Last but not least the tiniest of all. An accordion with text in 3 point type. Jim provided the strips with the text we cut down and folded. His instructions were perfect. 

 My little treasure. Just don't sneeze when you are making it or it's lost.

 

 

Show and tell at the end of each class is always a big deal. Loads of photographs taken of everyone's work.

I did an extra accordion book that was an invitation to stay in our home I put in the auction that is held at the end. It is to raise funds for the scholarship students that attend. They add so much to PBI every year. 

This is a repost from last year. Miniature Books seemed a perfect topic. 

See you Monday!