I have had the best time at the Forum.
The class was Artists Books with Surface treated Flax Papers, with Amanda Degener. She is a wonderful woman and teacher who owns Cave Paper in America where all their paper is made sheet by sheet.
The paper is so hardy that it can be worked hard with dyes and water, we principally worked with Walnut and Indigo and then played making books.
If anyone ever has a chance to work with her, do ! I don't think I have both "learned and laughed" as much in any class, she is the person you want to "take home".
Here is a picture of her dying some paper in the indigo with some of the class looking on..
Here are some papers dyed with the walnut and indigo
The first exercise was looking at "concrete" poetry and its possible place in our work, it was a freeing exercise and I used the paper with the exercise as the back of this popup accordian book. it made a lovely design blacking out all but the significant words.
We then made a tunnel book, it was a fantastic experience but the accuracy demanded provided a great challenge to a person who is considerably spacially "challenged".
I ended up making 2 and mean to make more as I am really excited about the idea of pop-ups within the tunnel.
The second photo has one of mine, the one with the walnut paper and has little trees standing up as it opens
I will put more on the next post but I need to finish with a picture of Amanda in the hat made for the party on the last night. She wore it all day on Friday even while lifting bins of dye...and generally demanding physical work....and she is not fond of "Pink"!!!!
It looked like a Davey Safety Lamp.
Such fun and generosity pervaded the whole class with such a leader.
6 comments:
I don't know if you want more blogs to read, Jan, but if you click on the link at my blog to "Ampersand Duck" you might find some interesting things. She's very interested in books/bookmaking/printing, and often blogs about it, as well as writing about life in general.
What an amazing lot of books you made. They all look great!!!
Love the idea of "indigo" dyed papers...
Very interesting post, thanks for share it, would love to know more about all you learnt ....
:)
Ale
What a fabulous looking workshop, sounds like you had a ball, there are some faces I recognize in the photo, look forward to seeing what you made in the flesh.
welcome home - looks as if you had a fabulous time - these little books look very interesting....can't wait to see you put your spin on these designs...
Thanks all,
Will try Clare to follow another,
I think the main thing that these Forums do is awake you to possibilities and Jeane, I am quite unsure where I am going with them
As you say...we will see
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