This class focuses on one book structure at a time, condensing these lectures and demonstrations to cover material quickly. Each day begins with a structured 3 hour class. Each afternoon, participants will have studio time to complete their book and to build another in response.  The first day we will bind a sewn hardcover book (a Bradel binding) and then move on to books with and without sewing, books that do not look ‘handmade’ and books that do, fitted archival boxes for books and books that problem-solve the use of heavy papers, digital coated papers, unusual materials, and larger editions. Beginners are welcome and will find expert introductory instruction.  Those with more experience can practice, refine, and expand their book repertoires.

Artists who integrate books with encaustic have found that wax imbues their work with translucency – layering – obscuring – strengthening – luminosity, and adding a potential of content as skin, fog, time, mystery and more. In this workshop, we will experiment with the integration of varied bindings, sculptural book forms, and the potential of altered books with both clear wax and molten pigmented waxes. Participants will learn varied ways to incorporate text, mixed media layering, image transfer and the use of stencils for repeated imagery. Encaustic based monoprinting, collage, assemblage and molten painting are all fair game for the expression of content within dynamic book forms.

This workshop will begin at WSW with an investigation of varied papers and their capabilities, the designing and preparation of two or three book projects and an inspirational PowerPoint of international book artists who incorporate encaustic into their works. On Wednesday afternoon we’ll take our work to R&F Handmade Paints to finish the week off with a thorough hands-on exploration of pertinent encaustic techniques and to develop and resolve our integrated artists’ books.

Once upon a time, the fastest way to print a bit of text was to form little pieces of metal, one for each letter, all lined up in a row. Today letterpress printing and hand binding enjoy a revival as the aesthetics and intimacies of these archaic processes appeal to more and more people.  In this course we will consider both the historical and contemporary contexts of the printing medium while exploring the sequential, narrative, and temporal aspects of the book. Students will learn traditional hand typesetting and letterpress printing using WSW’s collection of lead and wood types, as well as basic bookbinding skills. Each student will work independently to develop his or her own limited edition of books. No prior knowledge of printing or binding is required.

Caution: Collage making inevitably leads to addiction. The first sign: a penchant for collecting photos, memorabilia, ephemera, clippings - first in an envelope, then a box, then a trash bag. You may resort to picking bits of potential collage material off the street and even form trash cans. No expertise is required, although if you have some it won’t hurt.  Materials are minimal: scissors, glue, tape, and the aforementioned "stuff", which we will cut, tear, and affix, surprising ourselves with improbable juxtapositions and tangentialities. We will explore attachment techniques as well as a variety of compositional approaches particular to this flexible medium.