The shop is relatively quiet, in contrast to the activity of the past four weeks. This had been the busiest period scheduled for the school this year, with three weeklong classes and one weekend. The Foundations class was filled the week of July 19th, with Karen, Judy, Allison, Chrys and Jennie working their fingers to the bone and learning basic techniques and structures.
Judy and Karen returned the next week for the Case Binding class and again turned out really good work.
Then the first week of August Lesha was here for a private week of leather conservation, during which she was able to treat half a dozen volumes with as many different problems. That Friday Luis and Liz arrived, and all three proceeded to turn out moquettes with impressive inlays and inlays,
as well as hosting an excellent supper on Saturday night. On the following Tuesday afternoon Peter and Donna Thomas arrived in their gypsy wagon bookmobile for a working visit en route from Cleveland to Treadwell New York.
On Wednesday we printed a four color poster on the handpress. It was a long, hot day, but the final result was worth it.
I learned a lot about lockup and inking, and enjoyed collaborating with two such amazing artists.
On Thursday Peter taught his alternative structures class to students Stephanie, Lisa, Theresa and Peter, with me hanging over shoulders and, again, learning new stuff. On Friday, after breakfast with the University of Scranton Special Collections librarian and his wife, Peter and Donna got on the road for upper New York State. And on Saturday Elaine and I painted faces at the crafts fair in Eagles Mere PA…
I’m getting tired just writing all this down, but it was a very rewarding month for me, and, I hope, for the folks that were here.
Looks like way too much fun with Peter and Donna….