VT Book Arts Guild “MailB.A.G.” March 2019
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 13, 2019, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement. Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Picture the Possibilities: Imagery for Books
Join us in our multi-month exploration of various methods and materials for adding imagery to your books. Whether you have an illustrator’s hand or stand proudly in the stick-figure league, you can create books rich in imagery through techniques as diverse as collage, mark-making, and even stitchery.
Join us for an adventure in learning that’s bound to add richness and dimension to your work!
Program: Imagery for Books Part 2 – Hand-Drawn Mark Making with Marilyn Gillis
Marilyn Gillis will lead this month’s meeting with a series of activities for making hand-drawn marks. Marilyn has used hand-drawn mark-making extensively in her mixed media art for the past ten years.
She will bring examples to illustrate a variety of techniques, but this will be a “hands-on” meeting where you will have fun exploring on your own.
Please bring the following:
- Pencils
- Black ink pens
- Calligraphy pens (if you have them)
- Graphite pens such as Lyra (if you have them)
- Black markers
- Small sharp scissors or X-Acto knife
February Meeting Reflections
It’s been a long tough winter, but we finally managed to hold a meeting on a day without snow, or at least just a dusting. To introduce the B.A.G. theme for the next few months, Imagery for Books, Marilyn Gillis and Marcia Vogler (me) presented an evening filled with collage: examples of our own work, tips and techniques, and equipment and materials.
Although Marilyn and I have completely different points of view, we managed to paste together a great evening. Everyone had a chance to view the pieces we brought and share in the generous giveaways brought by members. To round out the meeting, we participated in a round robin collage-a-thon, passing papers, glue sticks, and scissors to each other during a timed session. Fun was had by all.
Thanks for coming, everyone, and special thanks to Marilyn for a great presentation.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Support the Book Arts Guild of Vermont by becoming a member!
The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is supported by its members and you have kept us going for more than ten years. Our organization is solely run by volunteers and we do what we do because we love the book arts and we love B.A.G. We continue to be inspired by our community, and the enthusiasm and talents that you bring to our meetings.
The Board of Directors recently met to plan the year ahead and decided to give members a picture of B.A.G.’s annual expenses.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Rent: $50.00 per month
- Presenter honorarium: $35.00 per meeting
- Website and email newsletter: $100.00 per year
- Presenter reimbursement for supplies: Varies
If you’ve done the math, you’ll see that we need a minimum of $910.00 (not including supply reimbursement) to cover our annual expenses.
Membership dues are our main source of income and we hope that you will show that you value what we have to offer – quality programming, field trips, exhibits, and more – by becoming a member. You get so much value out of your $35.00 and attending just one meeting can give you your full money’s worth.
We hope that you will renew your membership or join us as a new member at the February meeting. If you will not be at the meeting, you can download our membership form and send it in with your payment.
Thank you so much for your continued support of the guild. We wouldn’t be here without you.
*** Announcing the Book Arts Guild of Vermont’s annual exhibition!
The S.P.A.C.E. Gallery in Burlington has kindly offered to host our annual show this year. We are excited to be in a wonderful space in Burlington from June 7 – 29! The title for the show will be Bound to Happen, and is open to any interpretation from the artists.
Here are some important dates:
- Entry due date: May 31, 2019
- Exhibit dates: June 7 – 29, 2019
- Opening reception: June 7, 2019, 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
More details will be offered at a later date, but let’s get working!
Have questions? Please ask Marcia.
*** Art on Main in Bristol, VT has two book arts classes coming up that are being taught by B.A.G. members. Here’s the scoop:
Watercolor Exploration Flag Book with teacher and bookmaker Dorsey Hogg will take place on Saturday, March 30th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. with a lunch break.
In this workshop you will explore a variety of watercolor techniques to create beautiful papers. Then you will use those papers to build a flag book with interlocking accordion spines. If you are new to watercolor painting and book arts, then this is a great place to start – if you are an experienced water colorist and paper artist then come and share your expertise with us. We’ll see what new ideas we can discover together!
Suminagashi – Paper Marbling and Japanese Bookbinding with bookmaker Jane Ploughman of Ploughgirl Press will take place on Saturday, April 6th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Japanese marbling or Suminagashi is the practice of gently floating pigments on the surface of water using a brush or brushes to create beautiful delicate designs on paper. Students will be introduced to this Japanese marbling using traditional techniques with a variety of inks. Each student will be able to experiment with different types and sizes of paper. These papers can be used for all types of paper crafts including bookbinding, calligraphy, cards, etc.
Students will also sew a small notebook using a traditional Japanese stab binding pattern. Each student will learn at least one pattern and be shown others for inspiration. Simple bookbinding techniques and resources will be provided. All materials are provided. No experience needed.
Both workshops are being held at ARTSight Studios at 6 South Street in Bristol, VT. Please contact Art on Main to register at (802) 453-4032.
Book Arts News
*** Now through May 3rd, the Bromer Gallery is hosting A Visual Feast: The Art of Laura Davidson and David Esslemont. The exhibit brings together prints, watercolors, woodcuts, calligraphy, drawing, and bookbinding to create a tableau of book artistry.
Based out of Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood, Laura Davidson centers her work on past-made-present, using found objects and soft textures to imbue her work with nostalgia. She expresses her talents through a range of media, including books, drawings, prints, paper mosaics, and paper sculptures.
David Esslemont, born in England and currently a resident of northeast Iowa, focuses much of his artistic attention on the interaction between nature, art, and humanity. He often directly engages with nature in order to best present its nuanced beauty, and participates in his own visual narratives in his series of “food” books.
The Bromer Gallery is located at 607 Boylston Street in Boston, MA.
*** The North Bennet Street School will host an exhibition, Bound Together: Bookbinding by the North Bennet Street School Community, from March 28 – April 30. This unique gathering of exquisite hand-bound books showcases the talents of their students and alumni, and offers insight into their renowned bookbinding program.
On March 28th from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., there will be an information session and open house in the NBSS bindery, which will be followed by an opening reception for the exhibit.
The NBSS is located at 150 North Street in Boston, MA.
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is looking for volunteers to teach simple bookbinding techniques and creative content at two upcoming Girl Scout events. Through these events, NEGBW volunteers will be helping Cadettes earn their Book Artist badge and potentially inspiring future bookbinders.
The first event will be held on Sunday, March 24, 2019 at Camp Rice Moody in Reading, MA. The second event will be held on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham, MA. Each event generally lasts from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and carpooling can be arranged.
If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions, please contact Lauren Telepak at negbwprograms@gmail.com.
Book Arts Classes
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is hosting a one-day paste paper workshop with Madeleine Durham on either March 23rd or 24th. The workshop will take place at the Washington Street Art Center in Somerville, MA.
In this workshop you will learn the brush technique that Madeleine has developed over the last many years. You will learn what kind of brushes work best and how to hold them so that you create a variety of lines, shapes, and patterns. You will also learn tricks for blending colors.
You will leave the class with a basic knowledge and ability to create straight lines, wavy lines, subtle blending techniques and geometric patterns. Madeleine’s paste paper technique is delightfully spontaneous. Come to class ready to have fun!
Registration is available online. Due to the limitations of the NEGBW’s registration system, you will not be able to choose between the two available days. After you register, please contact them with your preferred date.
*** From March 16 – April 13, the North Bennet Street School is offering Fundamentals of Bookbinding I with Erin Fletcher.
Students will learn the foundations of bookbinding by combining hands-on exercises and discussion. The class starts by exploring non-adhesive structures: soft cover pamphlet, Coptic, historical longstitch and link stitch. The class ends with a look at case bindings, with the creation of two hardcover flatback bindings. Students also learn different structural elements, sewing variations, covering and cutting techniques using various materials, tools and equipment.
Throughout the course discussions will cover terminology, paper grain and folding, selecting proper materials and tools, and adhesives and their properties. Please bring a notebook with you to class. All tools and supplies are provided for this class.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** Erin Fletcher is also teaching Focus on Case Bindings at the North Bennet Street School from April 8 – 12, 2019.
Explore case binding structures through repetition while experimenting with minor changes in technique with each book. The course covers structural elements, sewing variations, covering, and cutting techniques using various tools and equipment. Discussions cover terminology, paper grain and folding, selecting proper materials and tools, and adhesives and their properties.
Students have ample time to repeat each technique in order to achieve precision and accuracy. Time will be dedicated to working on personal projects during the latter half of the workshop. While some materials can be supplied, students should bring the bulk of the materials required for their work.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** On Sunday, March 17th, The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Altered Books with Cristina Hajosy.
Transform books, old or new, into art objects. The book becomes a canvas, a sculpture or a reliquary of personally meaningful content. Draw inspiration from the book’s author or contents or purely use the book as a structure. Incorporate paper cutting, collage, bookmaking and other processes. The instructor will have books on hand or bring your own, along with small objects and images to include.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
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