CLASSES I'M TEACHING

I love teaching. It's really fun for me to share what I know about making art and helping others realize their potential as artists. Below is a listing of classes I'm scheduled to teach in the coming months. Please feel free to contact me if you'd like to arrange for a private lesson in bookbinding, drawing, painting, or collage (or a mix!).

{CURRENTLY}

May 22 (Saturday), 10am–4pm: Beyond Basic Bookbinding: Folds, Stitches, and Constructions at the Western New York Book Arts Center
Would you like a structured environment in which to play more with the simple techniques learned in Bookbinding for Beginners, and learn a few new ones? How about some fresh ways to look at the book structure beyond how you normally think of it? In this course, we'll talk about zines, altered books, and artist books and the ways that you can take basic bookbinding skills to make extraordinary objects, with plenty of time to play and experiment.
Additional Notes: This class will be fairly open as to what the participants would like to focus on. If you are still a beginner, feel free to sign up anyway—you won't feel left out at all. That said, those who are a bit more advanced will appreciate experimenting with new ideas in a group setting, which, at the WNYBAC, always proves inspiring and really fun! Projects may include simple box construction as the basis for a book, exploring the zine format, and combining handmade techniques with recycling and altering existing books! The sky's the limit!

{PREVIOUSLY}

January 16 through February 20 (Saturdays), 10am–noon: Who Am I? Drawing the Self Portrait: Identity, History, and Beyond (for ages 11-14) at the Buffalo Arts Studio
This drawing-intensive course will focus on artist as model: the self-portrait. Working with mirrors, memory, and more, drawings will reflect who the artist is and what is important to him or her. Students will also learn about the rich history of the self-portrait in art and the artists who made them, from Albrecht Durer to Andy Warhol. New projects each week will challenge the students to think beyond "the face in the mirror." Even if you think you can't draw, come and join us—you will be surprised!

February 2 & 9 (Tuesdays), 6–9pm: Bookbinding for Beginners at Alden Middle School/Community Education
Using simple techniques and materials, learn to create books that can be used for just about anything, from a custom-sized journal or sketchbook to a photo album or a unique handmade greeting card. If you're into scrapbooking but would like to go a step further with the book format, this course is for you! If you are a writer who would like to self-publish, these techniques can be put to good use. The possibilities are endless. Soft and hardcover bookmaking using sewing and gluing techniques will be demonstrated, and students will come away from the class with several of their own creations.The only limit is your imagination.

February 20 (Saturday), 1–7pm: Bookbinding for Beginners at the Western New York Book Arts Center

March 2 & 9 (Tuesdays), 6–9pm: Artful Paper Puppets at Alden Middle School/Community Education
Explore the whimsical world of movable paper puppets—as works of art, both functional and decorative. Students can work with a template provided by the instructor, or design their own movable art figures. if you're in a creative rut, this may be just thing that will help you think outside the box—or come to just have some good, old-fashioned fun!

March 4 & 11 (Thursdays), 6–9pm: Intermediate Bookbinding at the Western New York Book Arts Center
If you've already taken a beginning bookbinder's course and would like to learn more complex techniques, this is the class for you. We will cover a variety of multiple-signature stitched bindings, including coptic, which allows you to create a book of any thickness that will always lay completely flat—perfect for personalized sketchbooks! We'll also learn several, more complex variants on Japanese binding to create beautiful, decorative stitching, and more.

March 16 & 23 (Tuesdays), 6–9pm: Art & History of Collage at Alden Middle School/Community Education
The age-old technique of collage has been used by artists throughout history to create intriguing and unique works. Students will not only learn to use a variety of materials and techniques to create their own collages, but also about the rich history of this method and the creative ways in which artists like Picasso, Matisse, and many others produced masterpieces with materials as simple as scraps of paper and glue. Prepared to be inspired!

March 30 & April 6 (Tuesdays), 6–9pm: Who Am I? Drawing the Self Portrait: Identity, History, and Beyond (for adults) at Alden Middle School/Community Education
This drawing-intensive course will focus on artist as model: the self-portrait. Working with mirrors, memory, and more, drawings will reflect who the artist is and what is important to him or her. Students will also learn about the rich history of the self-portrait in art and the artists who made them, from Albrecht Durer to Andy Warhol. Projects will challenge the students to think beyond Òthe face in the mirror.Ó Even if you think you can't draw, come and join us—you will be surprised!