Spring Refresh

I thought it was about time for a visual refresh on the blog with a new banner. The previous banner had been on my blog since day one and was an image of a book underwater that I thought fit my studio name nicely. 

I took the picture many, many moons ago when I submerged a damaged library book, that had been in a flood, in a glass bowl filled with water in my backyard and walked around it snapping pics. Some very interesting images resulted from that little pre-iphone photo shoot and the images represented my studio for many years.

But, a change was long overdue. I replaced the banner with an image of a piece from my Bibliomuse Series: Genetics, Paleontology and Evolution, No. 1., that I felt reflected the artwork I was currently working on, as well as my related teachings.

Bibliomuse: Genetics, Paleontology and Evolution, No. 1

The Bibliomuse series is a sub-series of KEEP: Modern Library that I am currently working on. I will be having an exhibit entitled Bibliomuse at Seager Gray Gallery in November 2017.

Bibliomuse: Genetics, Paleontology and Evolution, No. 1 (detail)

The Bibliomuse series pieces are all machine stitched and they look to specific discarded library books as their muses. Imagery is extracted and abstracted from the literary muses and combined with various textiles and bookcloth that has been "skinned" from discarded library books.

 

Bibliomuse: Genetics, Paleontology and Evolution, No. 1 (detail)

I'll be sharing more about the Bibliomuse exhibit as that date approaches and I've been sharing snippets of works in progress on Instagram if you want to follow along.

Another addition to the blog is a sidebar image and link to my new book! Thank you to everyone who has purchased my book: The Boro Aesthetic: Books, Bags, Zakka and Zokin. I am so glad that people are enjoying and learning from it! It will continue to be available on Blurb and Amazon, and I will have copies with me at my in-person workshops.

Studio Move!

Wishi Washi Studio has moved out of Wishi Washi Studio! But, I'm keeping the name going and continuing with this blog as a place to share my adventures in teaching and exhibiting my artwork. 

To back up a bit, the name Wishi Washi Studio began when I moved into my studio at the Tannery Arts Center at the beginning of 2012. That studio was a place where I taught workshops and private lessons, invited guest instructors to teach, hosted occasional events, and created my artwork. Due to a number of reasons I have decided to move out of that space and into a much smaller space which means that I won't be teaching out of my studio anymore. I am sharing pictures here of the new studio while I am still successful at keeping things minimal (we'll see how long that lasts!) I am loving the light and the white walls - my previous space had no windows and plywood walls.

I will continue to teach, outside the studio, and since the name, Wishi Washi Studio, has become associated with my teaching - I'm going to keep it going. I have enjoyed posting reports on my workshops, travel relating to my teaching, and information and images from exhibits that I participate in, so I will continue to do so here.

My studio website, www.wishiwashistudio.com, will go away since it does not make sense to keep it going. I will continue on with my art website: www.jalexbooks.com - check that out to see past and current artwork.

I will also continue on with my wishi washi studio gmail account, my instagram account and my wishi washi studio facebook page.

To find out about where I will be teaching you can be sure to check this blog since I usually do seasonal round ups of my workshops, but also by joining my mailing list by e-mailing me at wishiwashistudio at gmail.

I want to give a special thanks to everyone who took workshops or private lessons at Wishi Washi Studio. You were the reason I kept it going as long as I did. You truly energized me and brought life to that space. Thank you.

Spring 2016 Workshops

The Wishi Washi Studio Spring 2016 Workshop schedule is up!

And, there are a few workshops outside of the studio I want to make sure you know about.

This Spring I am bringing back a couple of workshops that I haven't taught in two years: Origami Travel Notebook and Stitched Photo Collage.

Origami Travel Notebook

Origami Travel Notebook is a structure that I devised to hold signatures that are made up of a traditional Japanese folding technique that contains many useful pockets. They can stand on their own as pamphlets or portfolios or they can be sewn into a larger structure as signatures. There are also blank pages incorporated into the structure. The pockets and the blank pages together make for a great structure for traveling - jotting down notes, writing, sketching and a place to stash tickets, maps and other findings.

Stitched Photo Collage

The Stitched Photo Collage was a student favorite for many years but I gave it a little break. A few of my newer students requested that I teach it again. It is a fun way to incorporate fabric, thread, book pages, photographs and other ephemera into pieces that can then be part of a book or a wall piece.

Boro Bags

A new workshop is Boro Bags that is proving to be very popular (I ran a "beta" session in January and students loved it!). Both dates are already full but I may add more so get on the waitlist to be the first to hear if I add more dates. In this class I share what I know about Boro textiles (I'm still learning more all the time!) and then students use a length of cloth as a sampler to learn the stitching and mending techniques seen in Boro textiles. At the end of the class the lengths of cloth are made into bags! Students have their choice of one of two traditional Japanese bags that are simple but ingenious in their design. The bags can be used as book bags, project bags, or for shopping or a very fancy gift wrapping.

Carousel Books by Jennie Hinchcliff

Last, but definitely not least, is my guest instructor extraordinaire Jennie Hinchcliff. She will be teaching Creative Carousel Books: Layers and Windows. Jennie is so much fun and such a great teacher. If you are in the area you don't want to miss this one!

I also have two teaching/traveling workshops scheduled:

Mountain Maid Workshops is a new program in the Grass Valley/Nevada City, California area. I will be teaching Boro Bags there on April 23rd. This will be a nice opportunity to take this class if you are outside of the Wishi Washi Studio area.

Boro Bag

And, I'm thrilled to be teaching the Boro Sampler Book at Squam Art Retreats in June. They are located in New Hampshire...on a lake! Students pick their choice of two one-day classes from a stellar line-up of instructors. I'm very much looking forward to being in New England again.

Boro Books

If you are no where near any of these venues remember that I have classes online at Creativebug. 

I hope to make something with you soon!

Secret Belgian Binding

So, what is the big secret?

 Okay, this is the story:

 Updated version, 3/17/2015: A Belgian bookbinder named Anne Goy devised this binding in an attempt to create something that would resemble a Japanese style binding, but that could open fully. She considered it to be a work-in-progress when a student of hers saw and learned it. That student in turn taught it to Hedi Kyle who asked who created it - the student could only remember that she was from Belgium - thus the name Secret Belgian Binding. Hedi taught the binding to many in the U.S. and it was attributed to her. There was just (March 2015) a long thread on the Book Arst Listserv about this confusion and the story has been set straight: Anne Goy is the originator of the binding that is now also being called the Crisscross Binding - not to be confused with Crossed Structure Binding by Carmencho Arregui. Confused yet? I hope not and that this sets the record straight and that I have gotten it right. I would hate to be spreading mis-information.

Anyway, the Secret Belgian Binding, a.k.a. Crisscross Binding, was originally a hardcover structure with a three piece cover: front cover piece, spine piece, and a back cover piece. These pieces are held together with an intricate, weaving-like, sewing procedure. This three piece spine allows for a unique flexibility.

I learned the binding from Macy Chadwick many years ago at San Francisco Center for the Book. This orange book is the binding I made in that class. Although I loved the weaving/sewing, I did not love how that spine piece wiggles around and being the softcover-paper-case-loving-gal that I am I devised just such a structure. One softcover, paper case with slots cut along the spine to allow for the original sewing/weaving technique. I love it!

My class samples

And, now I teach it. It is my own version of the Secret Belgian Binding and it is still nice and flexible since it is a non-adhesive binding but it is a bit more solid, compact and secure.

Student work in progress

Last Saturday I taught the structure in my studio and as usual my students did beautiful work.

Student binding with Cave Paper

We used Cave Paper for the covers since it makes for a wonderfully sturdy book.

This workshop kicks off Wishi Washi Studio's Fall teaching schedule. I have many classes coming up in my studio, taught by me as well as three amazing guest instructors. Check. It. Out. 

I am also venturing out of Wishi Washi Studio to teach at Makeshift Society, Open Ground Studios and SCRAP.

Hope to see you out there!