July 9 – 12, 2010
Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (1-hour lunch break)
Limited to 8 students.

Instructor: Jeanne Bennett
$425 + $220 materials fee: see note at end of workshop description for details

Why do we rarely see books with fore-edge paintings? Because they are tucked away in closely guarded exclusive private collections and libraries.  Artists and bookbinders alike will love this class.  Inspired by the most glorious period of book decoration, each student in this class will be taught all the techniques necessary to create their own fore-edge masterpieces. Students will transform a simple book block into the hidden magic of a fore-edge painting as they:

• Fan and clamp a book in their own Portable Combination Fepping Press™
• Transfer a design to the fore-edge
• Paint the design in watercolors
• Prepare the spine with a double fan adhesive, kerf-cuts and spine linings
• Apply an acrylic edge decoration (this “hides” the fore-edge painting)
• Convert the book block into a beautiful binding
• Learn how to make designs for future books
• Learn the history and many other aspects of fore-edge painting

At the end of the class, students will take with them this hidden treasure and the knowledge to continue an almost forgotten art.

Materials Fee: $220.00, includes the kit for completing the fore-edge painting and

• Portable Combination Fepping Press™, a multi-purpose combination press for:
• fore-edge painting
• fan gluing
• nipping
• finishing and safely transporting the completed  book

It also includes the book block, design for fore-edge painting, FEP stick [maulstick], sanding block and sandpaper, graph paper, graphite paper, tracing paper, mull, spine lining paper, linen thread, book boards, decorative cover and endpapers, book cloth and a non-skid pad for the press, and many other items.

Please bring the following items:

• Watercolor set, small watercolor brushes—including rounds, No 3/0,  No. 0 and No. 6, preferably sable (more, if the student wishes to bring them),
• E-Xacto knife with #11 blades or a small breakaway craft knife
• paper-cutting scissors
• bone folder
• 9×12” or larger cutting surface
• pencil and eraser
• metal straight edge 12 to 18” ruler
• plastic straight edge 12 to 18” ruler
• Apron

All other materials for this class will be provided by instructor, including: Acrylics for edge decoration, ruler, glue/edge decorating brush, palettes, water/paste/acrylic paint containers, paper towels, paste/PVA, waste paper, wax paper, masking tape.  Some watercolors will be provided for those students who do not wish to purchase expensive supplies for this class.

Filed under: Book Binding, Calendar, Workshops