Japanese Bookbinding with Dawn Woolsey

Explore Japanese side-sewn bookbinding in this hands-on workshop. Learn the basics and create three unique books using decorative papers and
About this Event

Event Description:

Join this four hour workshop for a hands on introduction to the Japanese craft of side-sewn bookbinding. This ancient non-adhesive technique, also known as stab-binding, is a simple and beautiful way to bind single or folded sheets of paper together using decorative thread patterns. It has many variations and can be used with both hard and soft covers, perfect for notebooks, guestbooks, artists books and more.Participants will complete three books and may choose from beautiful hand-silkscreened Japanese patterns and attractive decorative papers for their book covers. No experience needed. All tools and materials are supplied. Ages 14 and up.

About your instructor:

Dawn Woolsey is an Edmonton-based visual artist and educator whose practice spans book arts, printmaking, papermaking, and graphic design. She worked professionally in commercial graphic design, television animation, music packaging, and web design for over 40 years, later focusing on hands-on artmaking and teaching in community arts spaces. Her artistic focus currently involves more complex book arts and print processes, exploring sculptural forms, relief and intaglio processes incorporated into storytelling.She currently serves as an Alberta north Chapter communicator for the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild and has been involved in many group exhibitions,Dawn is known for teaching a range of printmaking and book arts workshops, currently in both formal courses and community settings:

• At SNAP – Society of Northern Alberta Print-Artists, she instructs courses and mentors students in Introductory and Advanced Bookbinding for Artist’s Books, Box making, Silkscreen, Letterpress, and Lino printmaking where participants gain hands-on skill in traditional techniques
• At Wellspring – Dawn teaches several art workshops; community wellness programs offered to cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. These include introductory book structures such as notebook bindings, side-sewn folded and accordion books, as well as papermaking from natural fibres and inclusions.