BuZzeS: Announcing Club Artful

Dear Everyone ~

Cat Bennett—my dear friend and co-teacher extraordinaire—& I are thrilled to announce our latest collaboration: Club Artful, a monthly art club via group Zoom! Club Artful will meet the first Sunday of the month from 2–4pm (Chicago time). In each session, students will make a papery structure with me in the first hour, and in the second hour Cat will lead students in exploring several different drawing & painting techniques with our theme of the month. We have designed the Club projects to not require a specific kit of materials. These new single-session workshops are shorter and less pricey than our Bookfuls or BZS group Zooms.

The Club is an opportunity to use papers you’ve collected and art supplies you have on hand. We will provide a list (right after you register) detailing exactly what you will need paperwise, including dimensions, and what supplies and tools we will use during the session. Students are welcome to join in for a single session (We announce them three weeks before we meet.) 0r to purchase a 3-month subscription at a slight discount.

Cat shares her creative vision and anticipation for Club Artful:
 
“ Bari and I decided to launch Club Artful when discussing how we both get inspired working together. We envisioned a monthly Club that could help us all hone our skills, learn new things and keep our creative energy high.
 
I’ll be sharing my lifelong passion for art and how we can grow our creativity. We’ll be drawing with ink, brush and colored pencils, painting in watercolor and gouache. We’ll work from observation and imagination to expand not only our skills but our vision too.

As Bari and I mused together, we imagined how we might share these works in the world—a gift of a box of tiny portraits, an accordion book for exhibition, a small stitched pamphlet book to share with friends. And, of course, we can post on Instagram too. We aim to fill our work with good energy and share it too. 
 
We especially want the Club to support people on their creative journeys both in the studio and in the world.
 
We’d love to have you join us! Let’s amplify our creative energy together and have some fun too!
 
With heart—Cat ”

Cat has had another lovely idea: We will start each session by answering two or three questions that students are invited to email us before the session. We will select those that we think have the broadest appeal for the Club. Your question can be about technique or inspiration or something else you’re curious about.

As always, we like to emphasize that truly no drawing or bookbinding experience is necessary—all levels of artistic skill & interest are welcome. Each session will be recorded and available to you later the same afternoon to watch & re-watch at your leisure. 

Club Artful

We look forward to seeing you in Club Artful!

Artfully, Bari

BuZzeS: A voluptuoso Varese paperpalooza

Dear Everyone ~

We are mildly deliriosa (not heat related) & molto delighted to announce the arrival of 13 new patterns (yes, a binder’s dozen!) from Carta Pura in Italy. Our official repertoire has now expanded to 21 patterns, all excellent for beholding and folding, glueing and ooh-ing, flapping and wrapping. Not to mention mixing & matching and pairing & layering.

We could not resist creating three new mixy-matchy palettes for my upcoming Ultimate Hardcover Paper Frame workshop. They are Giardiniera, Alta Moda, and Dolcezza.

The red-&-navy combo is the original workshop palette, Classico, which is still available.

Seen below is a frame in the new Dolcezza palette. If you've already registered for the workshop you are welcome to switch your kit to one of the new palettes if you’d like. Please simply call or e me with your choice. Our kit assembling will commence in earnest next week, and we plan to dispatch the kits with time to spare, including internationally.

Alyson (my postal muse), suggested rolling the sheets quite tightly and placing them in a vase. This idea inspired us to make several Carta Pura Varese bouquets for our shop windows. 

Meanwhile, back in the studio, Ruby has already hand-folded a set of nesting envelopes with her favourite patterns, from grande to piccolo: Primavera, Olivetti, and Millefiori.

I, true to form, have made a quintetto of piccolo buttonhole-stitch books, each measuring 2¾ x 3⅞ x 1⅛ with 36 (72 serendipitous sides) Stonehenge pages. And I may feel the ”need” to make a few more. Five books in the hand make me feel quite grand.

Whatever your papery pursuits, these papers will suit perfectly!

Carta Pura Varese papers
 
Molto motto, Bari

BuZzeS: Your atTENtion please!

Dear Everyone ~

Thursday, June 26, is the tenth anniversary of Bari Zaki Studio on Lincoln Avenue. I am reminiscing and reflecting about the people who’ve helped BZS become what it is—and reveling in the richness of the community I’d fantasized about creating. I still marvel at the serendipity of finding a studio space where I can connect with kindred spirits, receiving visitors from far & wide & even abroad, and enjoying the fond friendship of my shopkeeping neighbors. As you might expect, I’m about to express my gratitude exactly ten times… before telling Everyone about the shop specials commemorating this occasion.

1.
To my beloved Zak, for being my No. 1 Fan from the very moment I wanted to learn to make books. That was 36 years ago, and his encouragement, enthusiasm, and support are still keeping pace with my insatiable appetite for paper. 

2.
To Alyson, a.k.a. My Postal Muse, for being my longest-time collaborator and folder of exquisite envelopes. Her way with words has brought BZS to life in a way I could only dream about, but am now here (or maybe here now!). 

3.
To Ruby, Emmy, and Tammy, for their immeasurable creative camaraderie, lively imaginations, general adorableness, and dear friendship. It may be my name on the door, but their hearts and nimble fingers (See Ruby’s below.) are with me in the shop.

4.
To Cat Bennett, for sixteen Bookful collaborations (and counting) and for being an endless source of teaching inspiration, a fount of positive energy and encouragement to so many students—including me!

5.
To Janet Bouldin (seen at right above, with Cat) for watercolouring her way into my heart and onto my card rack. I truly love that my dear friend’s whimsical illustrations have become a prominent feature in the shop.

6.
To Will, for being the most reliable, thoughtful, appreciative (and photogenic) mail carrier in the Zakiverse. I like to think that Will’s wonderful energy personally protects all of BZS’s mail & parcels, both coming and going.

7.
To Julie Wildman, master calligrapher & artist, for showing me how to teach via Zoom in the early days of the pandemic. Julie taught in-studio workshops at BZS in the early days; she also calligraphed the beloved banners in my windows.
 
8.
To my customers, occasional as well as frequent, for appreciating my sensibilities and the forms of creative self-expression and connection that I want to promote. It is All of You who keep my inspiration for what comes next, moving and grooving and flowing.
 
9.
To my students, including those I've yet to meet, for being eager to learn about glueing & stitching, for being curious and asking great questions. And for sharing the books, or boxes, they've made with the people they love.
 
10.
To my correspondents in any medium, for sharing, for reaching out, for taking the time, for believing in the power & the magic of sharing your heartwarming personal stories, art, enthusiasm, and appreciation.

We’ve created a commemorative gift with purchase (a.k.a. GWP). Actually, it’s a PPPPGWP, which is to say: a pad of paper and a petite pencil GWP. The ensemble is an homage to mix-&-matchiness and the intersection of ho-humble office supplies and decorative fine papers. The jaunty jotter is a ⅜ in. stack of 3 x 5 sheets of Cat’s favourite drawing paper, with stripes of Canson cardstock. Maybe it looks like a slice of vanilla layer cake with veins of different jams; maybe it looks like a luxurious beach towel.

The sheets are held together with a Madame Butterfly clip covered in Japanese decorative paper. The companion mini-pencil is likewise wrapped in Japanese decorative paper. The ensemble is presented in a chic (and surely re-useable) sleeve of Tassotti, sealed with a teeny butterfly clip. We will include the PPPPGWP with every order of $100 or more (excluding shipping and tax), both online and in-shop, beginning right …NOW, until close-of-business day on July 5 (and midnight online). 

AND: From my personal collection of long-time favourite books I’ve made, I am ‘liberating’ ten books to go to new homes. All are one-of-a-kind and once-upon-a-papery-time. (Yes, I’ve discounted them 10% from my usual price-points.)

One-of-a-kind BZ blank books
 
With lots of papery love, Bari

P.S.
The 10 Years Here paper garland, including the origami stars (seen at top), was made by Ruby using the Carta Pura Varese papers. As you can see, the garland is currently holding court on our paper cabinet.

BuZzeS: Summertime and the mailing is easy

Dear Everyone ~

The summer solstice is nearly upon us! To celebrate the season, we are delighted to herald the arrival of five new notecard portfolios by artists from the U.K. Summery themes of picnicking, gardening, and swimming, as well as the perennial favourite: whimsical domesticity. The portfolios are all beautifully produced and easily, even ingeniously, repurpose-able. The cardstocks are all a delight to write on and take all manner (in your manor or manse, or garden) of medium, smoothly and beautifully. 
 
In all their noteworthy splendor…

Two beguiling notecard portfolios from British publisher (and artist) James Ellis, presenting petite cards that are paragons of pleasant pastimes.

Alice Patullo is an East London-based illustrator. These are lovely for correspondents who love to garden or gardeners who love to send mail year-round.

If you would love to be sitting opposite Mary Fedden (1915–2012) at her table, sipping spirits and breathing in the landscape she captures so whimsically, these cards are as close as one can get!

Eric Ravilious’s cards are no less captivating for being the least colourful images in BZS’s repertoire. (Ravilous was the first British war artist to die on active duty, when the plane he was in was lost off Iceland in 1942.)

Emily Maude’s pen & ink illustrations are like little snippets of domesticity from a bygone era … brought back to life with her whimsical style, which she says is inspired by Eric Ravilious. 

Last but nary least, there’s a new washi in town! Whenever we are wrapping, no matter how many rolls of washi are at hand, we always wish we had more. In this case it’s Hedgehog Garden by artist Lisa Larson. We love its peachy background, and the hedgehogs are, no hedging, adorable!

Noteworthy Notecards
Hedgehog Garden

In the mailing mood? Bari

BuZzeS: A summerful of Bookfuls

Dear Everyone ~

Cat Bennett & I & our students have recently completed our sixteenth bookful adventure, which is how Cat refers to our co-teaching. The theme for this four-session workshop was Japanese Art Inspirations. 

Since last autumn, our other bookful themes have been Wordy Stories, Wordless Stories, and Travel. We begin each workshop by making a book under my tutelage (occasionally, we’ve made a trio of booklets instead). In the next three sessions, Cat leads everyone in various drawing & painting exercises, sharing her creative process and inspiring us all to fluidly & fun-ly fill our books in the theme we are exploring. 

Cat recently reflected on the evolution of our Bookfuls:
 
“I love how far-reaching our explorations have become, and that they are preserved in a personal library to dip into whenever we’d like to create a special book. So many new ideas emerge when we just give ourselves that quiet space to explore without preconceived notions. When we keep our hands moving, inspiration always comes to us. All we need to do is follow it even if we don’t know exactly where it will take us. This is really what we do in our Bookful classes. We gather and look at art together then try to explore in ways we might not have before, using pencils, crayons, and paint.”

This summer, in honour of our sweet sixteenth Bookful collaboration, we’ve decided to make our 16 full-length live recordings available all summer, complete with their sumptuous kits of materials. Each recording is 12-ish hours-ful. As always, If you’d like to purchase an additional set of materials, you certainly can. I am also offering my standard discount on any tools you order at the same time as your Bookful purchase.

I’d like to share a handful of my recent favourite emails from Bookful students. All four of them are Bookful All-timers, so their personal Bookful libraries are rich to the point of overflowing with the fruits of their inspirations.
 
Lorraine D. in BC, Canada: I thought this class was wonderful—from the precut materials to all the brave ways to paint directly into the books and Cat’s amazing enthusiasm and kindness. Plus all the good ideas about filling our books to the brim!  

Carla J. in Virginia: A huge thanks for choosing such a wonderful subject for Bookful 16. You present us with just enough of a springboard to take off on our own. I love your choice of Basho haikus. Always simple yet filled with sensory images. 

Gabriele B. in Austria: I just want to mention again how grateful I am to have found you and your workshops and the Bookfuls with Cat. A treasure trove of ideas and methods. Pure inspiration. 

Jane H. in Michigan: I am so looking forward to ‘Wordy Stories’. I just heard something on the radio yesterday about learning something new each day. Makes me so glad to have you in my life…I love making books…and giving them away. 

If you’d like to purchase more than one Bookful recording, you will receive a 16% discount ($47.20!) on your second recording, and third, and so on & so fourth. The full range of Bookful recordings will be available for purchase until Labor Day, and the recordings will be yours to use for as long as you need.

Bookfuls
 
Bound for Bookfuls, Bari

BuZzeS: Debuting & previewing two new BZS workshops

Dear Everyone ~

I’m doubly delighted to announce Ultimate Hardcover Paper Frame and Art of the Hinge. In each workshop, students will make a bookish structure that is, at its heart, a beautiful memory keeper. Both use luscious materials to make a tactile backdrop for cherished photos, artwork, or ephemera.

In Ultimate Hardcover Paper Frame, we will make a hardcover folder (5" x 5" x ⅜") with a full paper cover—meaning the paper wraps around from front to back to make the spine. Inside, the facing mats are constructed so that your photo (or whatever you are displaying) easily slides in from the top and stays in place. The workshop kit includes all the materials needed to make two complete folders, one that you will make during the workshop, and one that you will make at your leisure.

The materials I’ve selected for this are a perfect pairing of Carta Pura Varese papers—molto classico! For the samples, as you can see, I’ve gone tutto cromatico, which I’m pretending means matchy-matchy, but you could also mix them (red mat/blue folder, blue mat/red folder).

Art of the Hinge is a two-session workshop with a focus on the technique of hinging. Hinging allows art or sentimental content to be preserved & protected without compromising or constricting. It is ideal for presenting and displaying all manner of flat objets in a book format. Why hinge? you might ask. And in the workshop, I will show several custom projects I’ve done in recent years, where hinging was the ideal binding treatment, not just an aesthetic aspect of the finished book.

Students will make an album measuring 5" x 6½" x ½" with eight Japanese-fold pages made of Stonehenge drawing paper, all hinged onto a piece of Japanese pure silk bookbinding cloth, from my very vintage Aiko’s reserve. You will learn how to cut out your art window precisely and then tape the art appropriately and seal the page so that your photo or artwork stays in place. 

The Japanese silky bookbinding cloth is soft & flexible (It’s actually 100% silk fabric on a very lightweight but sturdy paper backing.) This suppleness allows the pages to lie completely flat when the book is open. It’s elegant and a joy to work with. Its subtle shade is like the loveliest of tea stains, particularly a Puerh. It complements all the Japanese decorative papers I’ve selected for each kit.

As always, I will live record all workshop sessions, and these will be available to you later the same afternoon to watch and rewatch at your leisure. No previous bookbinding experience is necessary, though a bit of glueing experience is a plus— especially for Ultimate Hardcover Paper Frame, which is fairly glue-centric. That said, you will have ample time during each step to ask questions while we work. And I am invested in your ensuing glueing happiness. If you have any questions now, please feel free to call or e me to discuss!

BuZzeS: Painterly paper purveyors from across the pond

Dear Everyone ~

This week at BZS was a veritable parcelpalooza in both directions, which is to say, outgoing as well as incoming. Our stock of Card Catalogs, which I posted about on Wednesday morning, sold out within hours! Every few minutes, my display of boxes on the shop’s center table shrank, somewhat like a melting iceberg. All boxes are en route to their new homes. If you have sent us a forlorn email or left a disappointed message—fret not! Fresh Catalogs are already on their way, and I anticipate their arrival next week. If you’d like to pre-order a box (or two), you can.

We received two parcels from the U.K. this week. Ruby has been out of the studio for the last couple of weeks, and I especially missed her company as I decanted the dozens of new cards. Oohing & aahing to myself wasn’t nearly as fun. (And of course I have missed her wrapping & parcelizing prowess.)

Parcel One contained BZS’s order from Paper Sheep (seen above and below), a new artist I discovered in London on our last visit to the U.K. Parcel Two was from Paper Bird, with several beguiling new designs by Janine Burrows and Tjitske Kamphuis.

 Paper Sheep enclosure cards are as sweet as they are petite. Each charming little watercolour illustration is embellished with a teeny puff (as I like to call it) of hand-dyed sheep’s wool from Norfolk! As my postal muse enthused, O my galosh! The ovines are divine, the flora are adorable, and I’m cravin’ the avians! We are stocking eleven, rhymes with heaven, designs. Herewith the marvelous menagerie.

Continuing the whimsy is a new series of notecards called Bijou, by Janine Burrows. A pastel palette for flock & flora & lepidoptera. Seven (which also rhymes with heaven) designs that chirp for themselves. We have also restocked the artist’s coast & countryside selection. 

 Tjitske Kamphuis has added four new dreamy designs to her repertoire of notecards, and we have added them to ours. Seen here from top left to bottom right: Wolf and Night Wandering, Flights and Crows. We’ve also restocked our previous selection of these cards! 

Yesterday, while we were writing this post, a keen-eyed customer swooped in and bought a complete set of both Janine Burrows & Tjitske Kamphuis. This gave us the idea to offer a little bonbon to everyone who scoops up all 22 of the entire new card collection. We've recently wrapped dozens of our preferred No.2 pencils in Carta Pura’s Varese patterns. We will include one with your order, wrapped, of course, like a cracker.

BuZzeS: Refreshment, commencement, contentment

Dear Everyone ~

Springtime is springing all around. As I walk about the neighborhood, I pass by several lilac bushes whose blossoms are in their glory and whose aroma is intoxicating. The light stays light for longer, and the sun streams into the studio. This time of year is particularly pastoral, as we keep the door open to the backyard all day long, and visitors feel magically transported. In the morning, the birds sing & chirp & perhaps chatter. And all this to say … 

For several weeks now I have been hankering to refresh the shop. It might just be that spring feeling thing, though I am always inclined to move things hither & thither whenever I have the chance. I call it the domino effect: when I move one thing on one table, it sets off a chain reaction of moving, arranging, and rearranging the entire shop. There’s colour & shape & theme to consider. I believe things commune with each other, and they even commune with me. They need to be in the right place, juxtaposed but not jumbled. And when it all comes together, it sings. Speaking of singing, a new customer commented, just before my big refresh: I never knew a place like this existed—I already feel calmer just being in here. Music to my ears, and inspiration to my impulse.

 We have been eagerly anticipating two parcels from Atelier Écluse, to restock the much loved St-Henri sketchbooks. Praise the postal gods & Will for delivering both boxes in good order! I’m delighted to report that both sizes of sketchbooks, petite & grand, are now available in both colourways, Blue & White and Ochre & Ecru. If you’re not able to visit in person, the online shop is also updated. But if you are able to visit, touching these books and gently flipping through their pages is a memorable pleasure.

In other noteworthy news—and also provoking my shop refresh—is a new-to-BZS boxed set of flat cards & envelopes, titled Card Catalogue. The box definitely speaks for itself, but let us mention that its drawer slides in and out so smoothly. And its wood exterior and drawer pull are a trompe l’oeil triumph. The box is super-sturdy, a definite keeper once you have disbursed its contents to deserving correspondents. In the shop listing, you can read more about what’s in the box.

BuZzeS: Kit ceremony for Bookful of Japanese Art Inspirations

Dear Everyone ~

Bookful of Japanese Art Inspirations, my 16th Bookful collaboration with Cat Bennett, begins Saturday, May 3—still almost a fortnight away!

Will, our beloved mail carrier and smiliest parcel-picker-upper, has been on holiday, so we have personally delivered three big bag-fulls of Bookful parcels to the post office, bound for destinations from north (Beverly Hills, Michigan) to south (Wilmington, North Carolina) & coast (Mountain View, California) to coast (Fairfield, Connecticut). My dear Zak had already led the postal charge, sending off four International parcels (three to Canada and one to Austria).

 
Back in February, Cat & I decided on Japanese Art as our inspiration for our spring Bookful. Since then, Cat has explored numerous books about traditional and contemporary Japanese art & also several books about tea ceremony. She recently shared with me discovering a new painting technique “quite by accident.” She was experimenting with painted papers, for a collage she was working on… and, in the workshop, she will share her revelation. Here is her enthusiastic preview:
 
“I love the art of Japan, especially the woodblock prints of Hokusai and Hiroshige. The drawing, color, drama, and composition are all so arresting. I don’t have the patience to do woodblock carving and printing, but I still try to integrate some of the qualities of Japanese prints into my small paintings. It helps me grow and refine my own work when I work with inspiration from other artists. (I’m not alone. Van Gogh borrowed color and a sense of overall pattern when he also fell in love with Japanese art.) I’m eager to see all we discover when we explore Japanese art in this Bookful!”

Whilst assembling the Japanese papers for this Bookful kit, I noticed that my paper cabinet was beginning to lean, egads! My beloved neighbour Robert Rudd was close at hand and came in to perform R&R (Rescue & Remediate). Thank goodness! As serendipity would have it, I needed to pull out the contents of all 24 drawerfuls of paper. In the process, I discovered a few more un-crinkly Kodai & very vintage Katazome papers that would have otherwise remained submerged under newer acquisitions.

In other Japanese art-related news, Alyson (my postal muse) sent Cat a few Japanese themed postage stamps. One of which Cat used in her teapot collage (seen above). This inspired me to comb through my worldwide postage binders to see what I might have to share with the students in this Bookful. I’m delighted to say, my reserves have allowed me to include three Japanese or Japanese-themed stamps with every kit. As Alyson is fond of saying, “No piece of paper is too small to have an impact.”

If you are considering joining us, we still have time to ship your kit(s). As always, Cat & I like to emphasize–especially if you are a Bookful newcomer, that truly no drawing, painting, collaging or bookbinding experience is necessary. The pace is serene, dare we even say Zen, and the camaraderie is harmonious. (Plus you will have complete videos to watch and rewatch—all 12 hours-ful!)

Bookful of Japanese Art Inspirations

From Arigatou to Zen, Bari

BuZzeS: At last, April arrivals, no foolin’!

Dear Everyone ~

Yesterday, our eagerly anticipated first delivery of cards from British publisher (and artist) James Ellis arrived. We’ve brought in a binder’s dozen of designs by several artists James represents—a global mix of talent. We are proud to be the first U.S. stockist of James’s Paintworks line. We hasten to say that everyone depicted in these lovely scenes—including birds of all feathers—seems extremely content to be there.

Although I’d never refer to my sister-in-law in the U.K. as a bird, I do want to tell you that it is thanks to Elaine that I discovered James several trips ago. Elaine is a prolific correspondent with an admirable knack for matching the card to the recipient. In the 30-some years I’ve known her, she has never missed my birthday, Zak’s birthday, or our anniversary. She often embellishes the envelope flap or illuminates an initial. Elaine also introduced me to the Pencil Shaving line of cards we’ve stocked continuously since opening ten years ago.

As you might imagine, when we’re together, we tend to motor about, on the lookout for likely places to search for cards. Elaine can often point out where she had found a particular card she’s sent me. I love having this visual sense of provenance. On our last visit, Elaine invited me to peek in her address book, which she refers to as a diary. Every page contains decades worth of handwritten names, addresses, birthdays & etc. What a treasure.

If you’re feeling arty: For those of you who enjoy illustrating your own cards, we’ve restocked Hahnemühle’s watercolour postcard pads in a lovely landscape format: 4⅛ x 8¼. (Perfectly proportioned for a DL envelope.) The luscious (250g!) stock has the same inviting linen-y texture as the smaller counterpart (4⅛ x 5¾) pad.

If you’re feeling chatty: We are now stocking Tschechisch 100% cotton papers from the Czech Republic. The A4 letter sheets (8¼ x 11¾) have deckled edges on all four sides, and the texture is a dream to write on with all manner of medium, especially a fountain pen. The C6 envelopes (4½ x 6⅜) have a square flap, with a deckle on the throat as well (très décolletage). The A4 sheet fits neatly inside by folding it in quarters, traditionally referred to as a French fold.

 What missive isn’t enhanced by a snip or swish or swash of washi?! We’ve just received an awesome octet of new patterns in a range of widths and motifs from four of our favourite washi wizards: Mina Perhon, Lisa Larson, Ottaipnu, and Hana R.