Stories: Paper Art

22 Dec

Posted at 13:15h in Stories: Book Arts, Stories: Drawing, Stories: Painting, Stories: Paper Art, Work/Study & Host Program
[caption id="attachment_12188" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Painting by Sara Boggs[/caption] Every time I see Sara Boggs around campus, like a giddy child, I ask her: "Can I see your sketchbook?" She always says "yes." You see, Sara is one of those artists who constantly carries her handmade sketchbook around, capturing tiny moments of life here and there - taking the time to practice and develop her drawing ability everyday. It has been incredible to see her book grow with the faces, places, and the spirit of the Folk School during her host term this fall. She permitted me to scan in some pages from her book to share with you. We also sat down over cookies and tea to talk about her experience as host and artistic journaler. [caption id="attachment_12174" align="alignright" width="229"]Sara in the Folk School Painting Studio Sara in the Folk School Painting Studio[/caption] CP: You were recently a character in the night of Holiday Revelry hosted by David Vowell. Who did you play? SB: I got to play a couple of different characters: an all around reveler drinking wassail, the Little Pickle Boy in one of the tales about St. Nicholas, and Jack the Green in the mummer’s play. Jack’s character is traditionally full of mischief! In our play, Jack the Green saves the day in the story of St. George and the Dragon. CP: Very nice. So you are wrapping up your host term at the Folk School? What's been your favorite part of being host?  SB: It’s the people… it’s for sure the people. Every week, I get to meet all of these wonderful people with amazing stories and wonderful things that they have done. They are all so sweet and encouraging – they make me feel like this world we have here that’s not quite real life – this fairy tale world that’s all fiddle music and blacksmith coal – is something that we can carry always. It’s been really wonderful to meet them all. CP: Do you have any specific memories that resonate with you? SB: There have been quite a few. Maybe it was because it was so early on in my time here, but one that sticks out is a magical cooking class dinner party. The class was a wood fired cooking class and they had their Thursday night dinner outside on picnic tables, with candle light torches. There was wine, and ukelele music, and a beautiful pink sunset overhead… little dogs came wandering through. It was slow and delicious. I wasn’t even supposed to be there, I was just crashing, but they let me crash. It was a lovely evening and I felt like it was the right way to start off my foot here. [caption id="attachment_12175" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Page from Sarah's sketchbook: Thursday night dinner party for the Cooking Class Page from Sara's sketchbook: Thursday night dinner party for the Cooking Class[/caption]

17 Nov

Posted at 12:24h in Instructor Voices, Stories: Book Arts, Stories: Paper Art, Stories: Printmaking
[caption id="attachment_11908" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Wood Engraved print and block project by Nancy Darrell created in Jim Horton's Folk School class Student print and block project created in Jim Horton's Wood Engraving class at the Folk School[/caption] I recently talked with instructor Jim Horton about printmaking, wood engraving, his upcoming classes and the new Book and Paper Arts Studio. Jim has been a printmaking/graphic design instructor for 43 years, with special interest in historic graphic tools and processes. His work ranges from job printing and book arts to limited-edition prints. Enjoy our interview! [caption id="attachment_11904" align="alignright" width="285"]Poster by Jim Horton Poster by Jim Horton[/caption] CP: Where are you from? JH: I was born in Oklahoma, but lived most of my life in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Midwesterner to the bone, but I sure like to visit the South. CP: Tell me about your history with printmaking? JH: My father was a sign painter, the old fashioned kind using a brush and gold leaf. It was an incredible skill. He also did silk screen printing back when the fabric was real silk. He cut stencils by hand. So graphic arts was always highly respected on our family culture. Making woodblock prints was way cool. As a college student in art school, naturally, I gravitated to the printmaking studio. I was at home there. I loved the industriousness of proofing an edition of prints on fine paper. CP: What do you do when you are not in Brasstown? JH: I was an art teacher, and at every level, teaching graphic design, studio art.. all mediums. That and always printing. A few years back I deeply got into letterpress and engraving. I live in a rural area, and love working outdoors, walking and doing yoga. I still love to draw too. I go over to the local universities and draw from life (models). [caption id="attachment_11906" align="aligncenter" width="480"]Class photo and projects from Jim's class: "The Art of the Great American Poster" Class photo and projects from Jim's class: "The Art of the Great American Poster"[/caption] CP: How long have you been coming to/teaching at the Folk School? JH: I want to say about seven years. Dea Sasso got me here, and she was right. People like the Pattersons, we can only get down here in these hills. [caption id="attachment_11910" align="alignright" width="480"]Wood Engraving and Letterpress Printing with Jim Horton5 Folkehøjskole print by Jim Horton and illustrations by Nancy Darrell[/caption] CP: What are projects are you working on currently? Where do you draw inspirations from? JH: I am illustrating and printing a book of traditional folk songs. I love cowboy songs...why? I don't know. I also love old gospel, though I am not the least bit religious in a doctrinal sense.

30 Jul

Posted at 16:58h in Community, Giving, Stories: Book Arts, Stories: Paper Art
Book_KS2A5694"What do you like best about the Folk School?" I asked an eight-year-old friend. "All the new old-timey stuff." The Folk School is cutting edge, ever pushing the handmade envelope. We were growing our food in Brasstown before any of us knew we were locavores. When bigger was surely better, we were small and rural and believed it to be the fountainhead of creativity. (Yer welcome, cityfolks). We wanted art to be a part of everyday life, and every person an artist, not just for art's sake (but, hey, art, yer welcome) but for our own sake. We said there was art in all of us, especially as children, and that we just wanted to give it back to those who may have missed it or laid it aside. BA-GianWe were helping people to find common ground at times when others tried to divide us about race, class, gender, orientation, origin, personal appearance, attitude, religion, and footwear. We are not really about crafts or music or books, though we teach and learn them at the very highest levels; to us, they are a legacy and a way to get beyond our bad selves and try to love one another. We teach good ways. Some of them are very old. Cool. Words under glass are handy, like when you're waiting in the drive-through at the Krystal and you can't remember who it was that shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914. BA-Holly-XOBut books are more than the words or images they contain. They are a physical object, the best-ever communication device and an inspiration. The fact that we've had paper and books around a long time does not mean we are through with exploring them, it means that we have a lot going for us in the forward journey. We still paint mountain landscapes in oil, though there are quicker ways to grab an image. We still carve wood, though plastics may be a quicker route to "bear." We still play the banjo, heaven help us, though it is easier to plug in the earbuds and listen to somebody else making music. That would be too easy for the likes of us. We are willing to go to some extra trouble to have beauty in our lives.

14 Jan

Posted at 22:43h in Stories: Book Arts, Stories: Paper Art, Student Voices
[caption id="attachment_9620" align="aligncenter" width="425"]"Crow" Block and Print by Sandy Webster instructor of "White-line Printmaking" January 5-11, 2014 "Crow" Block and Print by Sandy Webster[/caption]

A lot of people think they can't dance. But then they try contra dancing: they can jump right in as a beginner. The moves are straightforward, and they don't need any special skills. With practice, they become smoother and learn some extra moves, but the initial learning curve is a mere ripple in the road.

White line printmaking is the contra dance of the art world. I spent last week in Sandy Webster's printmaking class and enjoyed every minute of it.

I'd chosen the class for many reasons: I like how woodblock prints look, and the class had a low materials cost. I would not have to buy expensive tools and could use my old watercolor set. As I had hoped, the technique proved to be one that I can easily continue to do at home, even without a studio space.

[caption id="attachment_9617" align="aligncenter" width="425"]"White-line Printmaking" Process: Poppy Line Drawing, Poppy Board, Poppy Print White-line Printmaking Process: Line Drawing, Board, and Print by Emily Buehler[/caption]