Dear Everyone ~
Bookful of Accordion Art is the second co-teaching collaboration between Cat Bennett and Bari Zaki. This new four-Saturday workshop will start on January 23. We thought briefly about naming it “Accordion Trio,” because you will make three accordion books, but, in the end, we decided we had to have the word bookful in the workshop name, because we love it.
The success of our Bookful of Art this past autumn, for more than 40 students, inspired us to brew up a new structure, for you to fill the deep winter months with warmth and creativity. We will record the workshop lessons in advance, so that they will be available for you, with no interruptions or delay, immediately after each workshop. Between sessions, we will both answer any questions in our private Facebook group, where students are invited to share and be inspired by each other. (Even if you are not on Facebook, it’s easy to create an account simply for the class.)
In Workshop #1, you will fold the accordion pages for your three books and prepare their covers. In Workshops #2 & #3, Cat will lead the group in drawing and painting on your accordions. In Workshop #4, Cat will lead the group in drawing the faces of guests at an imaginary gathering of your favourite artists. For the finale, Bari will do a 30-minute demo of two alternate styles of hinging for your future accordion making. (So, you might want to bind one of your three books during the week, and wait to decide how to bind the other two.)
The style of accordion book you’ll be making is more than a bit sentimental to me. Many moons ago, when I first began making books, I discovered this binding style. I was so fascinated by all seamless folds and tucks. There was no glue needed, only paper folding. I have always thought of them as origami accordion books. I mostly made them in trios—selecting assorted palettes galore provided many moments of chromatic delirium. For this workshop, we’ve devised five different palettes, each featuring three Fabriano Tiziano colours.
The only tools you will need are a bonefolder, a glue stick, and a pair of sharp scissors. For your drawing & painting exercises, Cat is a big fan of using what you have on hand. That said, if you feel inspired to shop for new implements…. We hope you will join us to share in the creative camaraderie and shared love of paper, bookbinding, drawing, painting & nature. No previous bookbinding or art experience necessary—but you do need a reliable internet connection.
Bookful of Accordion Art
Accordion-ly, Bari