Penland School of Crafts – Page 6 – The Penland Sketchbook

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Penland

Your Penland

Two photographs taken by Sarah Banko during her Penland workshop this summer

Well over 1,000 students and instructors passed through Penland’s studios this summer, and each one brought different talents, interests, ideas, and perspectives. That’s why we love seeing the variety of work our students make, browsing their photos, and hearing their stories—each one adds a new richness to the Penland experience.

Below, we share a few recent blog posts written by Penland students that illuminate a bit of that experience.

Sarah Banko

Studio assistant for Sally Van Gorder’s Narrative Photography workshop
“Two whole weeks of learning, teaching, relaxing in the mountains, taking photos, eating incredible food, meeting new people and so much more. It was an absolute blast and I cannot wait to return sometime in the near future, perhaps as a student next time to learn something completely new to me.”
See Sarah’s blog (and her gorgeous photographs!)

Brigitte Boucher

Student in Keith Wallace Smith’s workshop Figuring Out the Figure
“It’s hard to sum up my time there in a neat, simple way. Immersive, intense, transformative. Challenging yet fun. Inspiring and eye-opening. I learned a ton, pushed myself out of my comfort zone, met all kinds of wonderful people, lost track of time, and also got a clearer idea of what I might want to do next with my art.”
Read Brigitte’s thoughtful post and key takeaways

Elizabeth Busey

Student in Andy Rubin’s Monoprinting workshop
“Our studio of twelve had artists from seniors in undergrad programs to people who were embracing art in their retirement. I spent almost all of my time in the studio, so I was able to experience the differing energies of the morning printers, and those who found their groove towards midnight. Everyone brought such generous energy and good will to the studio each day.”
Read more about Elizabeth’s first time monoprinting

Posted on August 23, 2018 by Penland

Letterpress Possibilities

Slow down. Be still. Pay attention. Take note.
—Beth Schaible

Details of Beth’s studio desk filled with calligraphy, letterpress, book samples, and more.

There’s an attentiveness and quiet that flows through Beth Schaible’s considerable body of work—tonal letterpress prints, meandering and elegant calligraphy, hand-bound leather journals with stitching along the spines. Her hands seem capable of communicating calm presence into her materials.

Beth is a printer and an artist, an adventurer and an observer. She collects the beauty around her in photographs and on paper with paint and ink. Her travels and her art inform each other, with the same winding trails showing up on the mountains she climbs and the lines she draws with her pen. Both are acts of appreciation.

Beth Schaible (third from left) teaching a bookbinding workshop at Penland in 2017.

Beth has a deep connection to Penland and the surrounding mountains—she spent two years here as a core fellow, lived in Asheville for years while doing design and letterpress at 7 Ton Co., and returned to Penland a couple times to teach summer workshops in bookbinding and printing. This fall, we are thrilled to have her back for eight weeks to instruct a Penland concentration.

Beth will teach Letterpress Possibilities this September 23 – November 16. Students will learn to use a wide range of printing techniques, from hand-set type to polymer plates made from drawings, to get their ideas down in ink and paper.

Whether you’re a seasoned printer or you’ve never turned the crank on a Vandercook press, eight weeks in the studio with Beth will get your ideas flowing and your skills sharp. There are a few spaces left in the workshop—register now to discover the letterpress possibilities for your work!

We also have a few work-study scholarships available. Applications are being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Three of Beth’s letterpress printed notecard designs

Letterpress Possibilities

Students in this workshop will learn to translate type and their own hand-drawn imagery into print using hand-set type, carved blocks, polymer plates, and other processes in both monoprints and editions. We’ll discuss the best techniques for each individual’s work. We’ll cover printing-press basics and upkeep and troubleshooting during printing, and we’ll engage in weekly conversations about content, production, and craftsmanship. While the workshop will be mostly print based, we’ll also cover basic book structures. All levels. Code F00L

Beth Schaible—Studio artist and owner of Quill and Arrow (CA); teaching: Pyramid Atlantic Art Center (MD), Asheville Bookworks (NC), North Bay Letterpress Arts (CA), Penland; former Penland core fellow.

quillandarrow.com

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Penland

Photo of the Week: Canoe Launch

Thirteen canoes in 2.5 weeks—the class poses on the water in their handmade boats. Photo by Nadia Massoud.

This past session, Gerald Weckesser came to Penland to teach a skin-on-frame canoe building workshop. Over the course of 2.5 weeks, the boats took shape in the wood studio, first as steam-bent ribs, then as fully lashed frames, and finally as Dacron-skinned vessels ready to hit the water. On the final morning of the session, the class strapped their new creations onto their vehicles and headed to the lake for a maiden voyage. The water was calm, dappled sunlight lit up the boats like lanterns, and nobody capsized—a fitting end-of-session celebration, indeed.

Happy paddling, canoe builders!

Penland’s Gary Jobe loads three canoes onto his truck outside the studio.

Each canoe is sized for a single person and is light enough to be maneuvered with ease.

Students made quick double-sided paddles from plywood to use on the lake.

Gerald poses with one of the canoes by the shore of the lake. — Gerald Weckesser, canoe building instructor and A+ canoe model. Photo by Nadia Massoud.