Workshops
Courses in 2025
I will be starting to run courses from my home studio again from the end of April 2025. These classes are small with 6 people being the maximum number. There is free parking and the No. 16 bus brings you very close. If the course is an entire day lunch is included (homemade soup and bread)
Please contact me on [email protected] for details
Artist Book Workshops on Thursdays in March, 12 -2pm @
Moredun Library, 92 Moredun Park Road, Edinburgh (Contact Moredun Library for info and book through Eventbrite) Free
These four workshops will use the book form as a way to interpret the City of Edinburgh. This precipitous city, next to the sea with ever changing weather, will be the starting point and inspiration for four different book structures. In each 2.5 hour workshop, participants will be introduced to both book form and simple methods of printmaking to make content. Each participant will leave with a book. No experience needed.
Precipitous City : A Journey through Edinburgh 6/3/25
The concertina or accordion book is the perfect structure for conveying landscapes, cityscapes and journeys within them. This workshop will experiment with folded pages that can be layered in order to give depth and a sense of the city and the buildings within it. Simple printmaking will be used to make imagery.
The Map: A Sense of Place 13/3/25
This workshop will introduce participants to the many different map folds that exist, looking at different ways the page can fold out from a smaller book form.
Miniature Theatres: The Tunnel or ‘Peep show’ Book 20/3/25
Tunnel books and carousels are miniature dioramas inspired by theatre set design and traditionally were often sold as souvenirs. This workshop will use a story about Edinburgh as the starting point in order to develop a multi layered book that evokes a sense of place. The layers of the book will be created by drawing, cutting and collage.
Forecast: A Change in the Weather 27/3/25
This workshop will use the changing weather of Scotland and, in particular, Edinburgh, as the starting point. Words, text and weather symbols will be used to make inserts for a folded pocket book.
Summer Schools 2025
Every year I head up to the beautiful landscape of the North of Scotland to run summer schools at Bridgehouse Art School, Ullapool and the Moray Art Centre in Findhorn. It is always inspiring to work in these art spaces away from the city. All materials are included as is lunch.
There are still spaces available in both so if you'd like to spend 5 days making artist books and focusing on a project in greater depth supported by myself then I would love to see you there.
Between the Cracks, Bridge House Art, Ullapool, 7th July - 11th July 2025
This week-long course will research and document the weeds and plant life growing between the cracks, surrounding Bridge House Art. These plants that are growing 'where they shouldn’t' have a strength and resilience in times of drought or changes of climate and many, hold beneficial properties for health. The week will begin with documenting the plants surrounding BHA through drawing, printing and making rubbings. These will be the starting point of a personal investigation, in order to develop a collection or herbarium, using printmaking (lino, monotype and tetrapac) drawing, stitch and text. We will look at several bindings, including Drum Leaf and make a box or portfolio to contain the collection. The course will look at both historical books on botany and contemporary work by artists Jane Hyslop, Helen Douglas and Laurie Clark.
To book contact www.bridgehouseart.co.uk
Re-Imagining the Artist Book, Moray Art Centre, Findhorn, 25th - 29th August 2025
Many artists have used found objects or existing texts as the starting point to their work. Over the week students will look at ways to create an artist book inspired by a found object found on the beach or around the school itself. Focus will be given to different ways of combining content and structure and there will be an emphasis on simple printmaking as a means of creating imagery.
The week will begin by learning several different book structures from a simple folded book with pockets to more intricate sewing with hard covers. The found object will be re-interpreted and given new meaning using printmaking, drawing, stitch and mixed media and each student will develop their own personal project around this object. An experimental approach will be encouraged.
To book contact www.morayartcentre.org
A little closer to home I will be teaching a 5 day summer school at Leith School of Art from the 4th - 8th August 2025.To book contact : www.leithschoolofart.co.uk
The Artist Book - PalimpsestPalimpsest: ‘something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form.’
On this summer school students will look at ways to create an artist book inspired by a found object and the visual possibilities of a palimpsest. The first two days of the course will introduce book structures and how to research and develop ideas through drawing and printmaking. We will look at a range of book structures from simple folded books with pockets to more intricate sewn books with hardcovers. On the third day the group will visit the Modern Art Gallery Special Collections.
For the rest of the week, each student will then develop their own personal project re-interpreting their chosen object and giving it new meaning through printmaking, drawing, stitch and mixed media.
The work of Marcel Duchamp, Betye Saar, Dieter Roth Hans Waanders and Tom Philips will be looked at as inspiration.