Oh WOW! it's been a minute since I last posted. So much has happened! More about that later. For now I'll post my upcoming workshops. I've been asked to post them by several people so, here it is, (mostly formatted I hope!). My apologies, I can't post images because my current technology is out of date.

Workshops

Chigiri-e

Chigiri-e is the Japanese art of using torn paper to create water colour like images. Not just any paper.

The translucency and lightness of washi is used in creating these amazing images. Participants will

come with their own photographic image to re-create. Nature images work best. I’ve found that ripping

tiny pieces of washi to create an image of a loved one often has disappointing results. Let’s avoid that.

Students will create a 4” x 4” image on a traditional shikishi board to take home.

Saturday Oct. 24, 2 - 5 pm or 

Sunday Nov. 22, 2 - 5 pm

$50.00

Suminagashi

This is the art of Japanese paper marbling. Traditional inks are floated on water to create patterns. The

pattern on the water is picked up onto washi paper. These patterns are lighter and airy-er than traditional

western marbling. The tools are very different as well. They are things possessed by almost everyone.

The resulting papers may be incorporated into journals and artwork or used as special wrapping papers

for gifts or treats.

Sunday Oct. 25, 2 - 5 pm

$50.00

ABCs of Letterpress 

This course will look at letterpress development, terminology and tools.

Participants will explore setting and printing from metal type, wood type, cuts and engravings and…

Lego! You will learn to work three different presses. A Craftsman platen press, a Showcard flatbed press

and a Vandercook SP15 proofing press.

Thursdays Oct. 29 - Nov. 26, 6 - 9 pm

$360.00

Relief Printmaking

In this workshop we will cover the fundamentals of relief printmaking by hand. This is a beginner workshop. By using textures and line drawings participants will make their own unique printing plates. We will explore and print three different techniques; collage, styrofoam, and pressure. You will then choose one of the techniques to create your edition of 5 prints.

Saturday Oct. 31, 10 am - 5 pm

$125.00

LegoPress 

Yes. Lego can be used to print from!. Participants will create an image to print using just Lego tiles! Once done, the Lego plates will be inked and printed in relief. Participants will bring home an edition of 4 - 6 prints. These make great gifts. This is a great workshop for teens especially if they need portfolio pieces for school.

Saturday Nov. 7, 10 am - 4 pm

$100.00

$125.00

Holiday Gift Tags

In this workshop participants will create a set of Holiday gift tags on the Mini-Showcard Press. You

will learn the basics of hand inking and how to use a manual flatbed press. Vintage holiday cuts and

engravings from Akemi’s collection will be used. Each participant will be able to print up to 12 tags .

If you wish to bring your own tags to print please speak with Akemi when registering to make sure they

can be put in the press.

Sunday Nov. 15, 2 - 5 pm

$50.00

*All Workshops require a minimum of three participants in order to run.

The Collective Show

This is my 7th year doing this show. It's a wonderfully curated show. Last year it moved from  Triangle Gallery to the new Artscape Youngplace.

OCADU Book Arts Fair coming up!

Lego-press classes at KOZO Studio!

Lego! I have always loved it. I envied my cousins when I was child because they had a box of Lego to play with. Now that I'm a big kid I can buy buy my own lego to play with! At home we have a big storage bin full of it for playing...and I still play. I even made a practical pencil cup for myself! Now I even have Lego for the studio. Yay! I've fleshed out my Lego-press collection from a few years ago when some of my ABC students used it for their final project and now I think we're ready to do workshops!

I've had a few requests for children's workshops and I think this will be a great solution. No quads, furniture, no need to know picas and points...as my 2 and a half year old has learned to say, "Easy peasy lemon squeezie!" 

Check out the new classes on the Workshops page!

Teaching Japanese Papermaking

Last weekend I taught a 2 day workshop in Japanese Papermaking for beginners at Paperhouse Studio in the west end. After I put them through hard labour on Saturday I wasn't sure if they would come back for Sunday! They all came back except for one (who put her shoulder out when she was beating the fibre enthusiastically!).  Everyone had a fun, messy, sometimes frustrating Sunday of making kozo paper trying a variety of Japanese style screens (Su, sha) and frames (keta). I couldn't stay until all the papers were dry but I think there may be pics on Paperhouse Studios Instagram.

Day 1, Saturday

Cleaning the kozo fibre that Emily pre-cooked for us. Then getting our aggressions out by beating the fibre we cleaned to a pulp. We tried an assortment of beating sticks (double, single, angled, paddle shape) but I still like my two tapered sticks.

Day 2, Sunday

Time to make paper! Trying to create a wave using a small homemade keta and professionally made su. 

A post card size mini sugeta with a wet leaf ready to be couched.

Freshly pulled sheets made with an improvised su (sushi mat and mesh screen) and keta (2 matching wood frames).

Post card sized sheets laid out nicely on a felt before pressing.

Peeling up the wet sheets after pressing. Ready to be brushed onto the boards.

Brushing pressed sheets onto the blackboard and boards.

Japanese Papermaking.

Emily tells me there are still a few spots left for the Japanese Papermaking Workshops at Paperhouse Studio! 

38th Annual Wayzgoose this Saturday!

Japanese Papermaking at Paperhouse Studio

My friends at Paperhouse Studio have invited me to do a two day workshop on Japanese Papermaking this June! Their studio is in the Artscape Youngspace on Shaw near Queen. It's a wonderful old school building and they have a spacious, brightly lit space!

For more information check out their website http://paperhousestudio.ca

ABCs of Letterpress Postponed

The ABCs of Letterpress workshop starting in March has been postponed to start on Thursday April 7th. There are still spots left for those who would like to join us!

Other Stuff!
Albert and I have been busy at the studio moving things around, getting rid of stuff and generally trying to make the space flow a bit more. Not sure if we've got it right yet but  we can always tweak it.
Below are some pics of what we've been busy with at the studio in the past few months.

Big new work table that Albert made for the studio! Thanks Albert!! 

My Ladies of Letterpress Swap came in the male a couple of weeks ago!
Nice folio made for all of our broadsides!

Some of the letterpresses goodies inside the folio.
I always love seeing how everyone interprets the project! 

One of my new interns, Pauline, helping me print
this year's Wayzgoose Anthology submission. 

Claro, another intern helped print the
outside of the Wayzgoose Anthology submission.

All Canadian cuts and engravings.

Close up of some of the cuts and engravings in their form.

Some more...

I've added 2 more workshops. They are both Intro. workshops but they each focus on different presses.
Also, please forgive  the wonky formatting of that page. I can set type great by hand but on a computer I am not so talented!

Something of interest below...