Dear Everyone ~
Last autumn, Zak was working at Gethsemane, an oasis of a garden supply center, and one of his quirkier tasks was deadheading rows of pots of marigolds. He brought the heads home to me, and I garlandized them, using a bookbinding needle (No. 18) and unwaxed linen thread. My garlands have faded in the window, but the memory of making them adds to my excitement about Bookful of India.
This will be my seventeenth Bookful collaboration with artist, author & dear friend Cat Bennett. Our four-session workshop via Zoom will begin on Saturday, September 13. Cat reminisces & shares her inspiration for this Bookful:
“Just after I got out of college, I found myself in a tiny antique store in Montreal where I spotted some 18th century Indian miniature paintings. It was love at first sight—the bold flat colors, the decorative details, the whimsical renditions of people, plants and buildings. The proprietor explained they represented Hindu myths and royal court scenes. But it was the look of them I loved and the small scale. I felt this was the kind of art I could do with different subject matter, of course. Over the years, I’ve taken huge inspiration from the color, stylization and playfulness. Indian art really showed me how we can bring lightness, beauty and wit into art.”
Students will make a set of three ledger-style booklets with soft covers of Indian decorative papers: one landscape format (6” tall x 7” wide), one portrait (6” wide x 8” tall), and one square (6 x 6). Each booklet has five Stonehenge Japanese-fold panels—so a total of ten pages. Scoring the pages ensures that the book opens gracefully and can lie flat.
The books are stitched with waxed-linen thread, including a handmade (by you, during the first workshop) diminutive decorative tassel.(You can adapt your new betasseling technique to make your bindings & giftings bedazzling!)
In week #2: we’ll make a portrait of Gandhi and embellish his words of wisdom using the woodblock stamp (included in your kit) and brush drawing.
In week #3: we’ll make our own miniature paintings referencing Indian imagery. We will also fill the book with the profusion of joyful and fanciful blooms we see in the decorative woodblock prints of India.
In week #4: we'll look at Indian mandalas and create our own. “India has a long tradition of stamping exuberant patterns on fabric with designs carved in wood. Mandalas are the beautiful, mostly circular paintings used to bring us into a meditative focus.” In all, we’ll explore how to stylize and enrich our art with strong, vibrant colour.
The papers I’ve selected for this Bookful are a fabulously floral array of Indian woodblock-printed patterns with a touch of gold accents. These papers, handmade in Rajasthan, are 100% cotton, so the sheets almost feel like fabric and fold elegantly. The paper is drapey rather than crisp; the word sensuous comes to mind.
Your kit includes two each of three designs, and the sheets are large enough for you to choose which pattern to use as the cover for which booklet. (This will yield some luscious scraps, which may find their way into your mandalas.) You will also receive a thread wand: five colours of waxed-linen thread wound on a piece of creamy white cardstock, so you can choose the colour that best complements each cover and tassels. We are including a mini woodblock; certainly, you are welcome to acquire additional blocks.
All levels, or no levels, of artistic skill & interest are welcome in Bookful. If you have bookbinding or artmaking experience, that’s great; if not, that’s great too! Our pace is relaxed & supportive, and the camaraderie is joyful. Plus, you will have four complete workshop videos (recorded in real time) to watch and rewatch at your leisure. We look forward to seeing you soonish via Zoom!
Bookful of India
Namaste, Bari