Bookmaking Class with Laura Wait

Next week I'll be in Santa Fe for a class about hand made artist books taught by my friend, Laura Wait. I'm excited! Laura makes unique books full of rich abstract paintings. Each book is an original work of art created completely by hand. Here are a couple of pages from her recent book, 

Codices Palimpsestus I.

I've been Laura's assistant for many years. She taught me so much about bookbinding and art in general. She tends toward the abstract while I tend toward children's illustration and those styles couldn't be farther apart. But I always learn interesting things while trying to combine her techniques with my style.

Laura has taught workshops at many prestigious art schools, but this year she is teaching some classes at her studio in Santa Fe. I know the class is going to be awesome! Check in at her website next year because I bet she'll be doing this again and I really recommend her classes.

I'm thinking of doing a book in class with the lyrics of Blackbird by The Beatles. It's a song I've always loved and I now sing to Tessa as a lullaby. Of course the book in my head might evolve into something completely different, but in the last week I made some blackbird stamps that I can use in class. Here's a photo of my sketchbook and I'll keep you updated from Santa Fe!