Paper and Book Inten­sive is an annual work­ing sab­bat­i­cal in the  book arts, paper­mak­ing, and con­ser­va­tion for sea­soned  prac­ti­tion­ers and moti­vated begin­ners. For more than thirty  years, par­tic­i­pants have gath­ered together from around the world for two weeks of daily work­shops to pro­mote unusual lev­els of exchange, knowl­edge and inspi­ra­tion. Tuition includes room, board, and three workshops taught by world-class practitioners.

In this class, working with elk bone, we’ll craft a traditional tool of the bookbinding trade—the bone folder. We’ll play with shape and ornament to move beyond a simple tool into the realm of the sculptural and adorned. With the help of approachable hand tools (such as rasps, files, and the jeweler’s saw) rough pieces will become smooth custom tools made to suit your individual needs, resulting in instruments of function and beauty. You will have the chance to cut, file, drill, and inscribe as means to add embellishment to your work. Students will create a small quiver of unique bone tools and a leather tool pouch to house them for transport and will leave with the skills to alter and repair any bonefolder that crosses their path.

Note: We’ll be working with bone from elk killed in the wild. This material would otherwise be wasted and thrown away, but it is an animal product nonetheless. There is no vegan alternative available for this workshop