Creative Workshops
The workshops below are on hiatus for the summer and fall.
Please sign up for notices for future classes here:
Please sign up for notices for future classes here:
GELLI PLATE & COLLAGE BOOKMAKING
with Susan Smereka $240 Create a unique artist's book while learning/honing your bookmaking and printmaking techniques. This workshop will guide you through a three-part creative process to generate text and images. You will make a Gelli plate magazine transfer and then collage in response to the prints. Your completed project will combine your edited and refined creations in a hardcover book (approximately 3.5 x 5”) with 8 spreads (30 sides) handbound with a long stitch variation. All supplies are provided. No experience needed - great for those trying to break out of a creative block, or searching for creative ways to generate image and text. 
SMALL BOOK - SMALL EDITION
with Jane Ploughman and Susan Smereka This multidisciplinary workshop combines edition printmaking with bookmaking. You will learn how to make linocuts, rubber stamps, and collagraphs to illustrate a haiku (yours or one of your choosing). Printing will be done by hand-printed and via an etching press. Completed prints will be assembled into an innovative book structure called the Australian Reverse Piano Hinge binding. The workshop is open to all interested: printers, bookmakers, and those curious to experiment with text and images. You will come away with four copies of your illustrated haiku measuring 6 x 4 x .25". All supplies are included. Some printmaking experience required. |
DECORATIVE PAPER MAKING
with Jane Ploughman and Susan Smereka $240 Spend an immersive weekend exploring contemporary and traditional decorative paper techniques. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to create richly layered, one-of-a-kind papers using paste paper, Gelli plate printing (both magazine transfers and two-sided printing), and Japanese marbling (Suminagashi). Through guided demonstrations and plenty of studio time, you’ll experiment with color, texture, pattern, and transparency to produce a vibrant collection of finished sheets. Emphasis is placed on play and discovery. You’ll leave with a substantial assortment of original decorative papers suitable for book arts, gift wrapping, collage and mixed media, scrapbooking, and handmade cards. No prior experience required. All levels welcome. Students who enroll in both this workshop and the FOLD, BIND, CASE workshop receive a $50 discount. Jane Ploughman is a bookmaker and printmaker from New Haven, Vermont. With two instructors, you are guaranteed plenty of one-on-one instruction. 
CREATIVE BOOKMAKING I
with Jane Ploughman and Susan Smereka Welcome to the exciting world of bookmaking! Whether you are interested in developing a cool new hobby or have an interest in creating unique artists’ books, this class is for you! This class is ideal for the newbie and for those with some experience. Learn the process of paste paper, Gelli plate printing, and Japanese marbling, called Suminagashi. Decorative papers will be incorporated into book structures such as single sheet, a single flag, and an accordion with a hard cover. In your final book project you will also work on content (words, drawings, collage, etc) for your book. You will leave the class with approximately 9 books (5 zines and 4 small books) and enough beautiful paper to inspire you on your bookmaking journey! Jane Ploughman, bookmaker and printmaker from New Haven, Vermont, and I, Susan Smereka, will co-teach this workshop. With two instructors, you are guaranteed plenty of one-on-one instruction. Jump into the exciting world of bookmaking, register today! Class size is limited to 4 people. All materials provided. |
UPCYCLE JOURNAL
with Susan Smereka $85 We will rebuild an old book and give it new life as a unique journal to inspire you to write and capture your precious ideas, collages, and drawings. You will take apart an old book and rebind it with blank pages interleaved with text from the original. Build your knowledge and skills around bookbinding as you learn the parts of a book and how to do a long-stitch binding with waxed linen thread. Whether you are new to bookbinding or not, this workshop is appropriate for all skill levels and interests. All materials are provided. 
FOLD, BIND, CASE
with Jane Ploughman and Susan Smereka $300 Design and construct beautifully crafted artist books — complete with custom protective housings. In this intensive, hands-on workshop, you’ll build three distinct book structures while learning foundational techniques in folding, binding, and covering. Decorative papers, collage materials, and personal content can be incorporated into each piece. (Students who have taken the Decorative Paper Making workshop are welcome to use papers they created, though it is not required.) You will create a Leporello accordion, a triple-row flag book, and a sectioned sewing book. In addition to book construction, the workshop emphasizes custom housings that protect and finish your books. This course is ideal for artists, writers, and makers interested in book arts, mixed media, or expanding their creative practice. All materials and processes are demonstrated step-by-step. Some familiarity with book-binding tools is helpful but not required. All supplies provided. Jane Ploughman is a bookmaker and printmaker from New Haven, Vermont. With two instructors, you are guaranteed plenty of one-on-one instruction. |
4 Howard Street, Suite I-17, Burlington Vermont, 05401