Join us for a fun afternoon of printing in the studio. We’ll be making pressure prints, a method similar to rubbings. A type-high block is set in the press bed, and a handmade low-relief plate – in this case your collaged shapes and words – is inserted behind the printing paper. The higher the relief, the darker that area is. It’s a quick and simple way of making images and text. Unlike most printing, the text and imagery don’t have to be reversed.

Enjoy a FREE glass of wine (21 and older) while you work the presses.

Participants will take home 5 handmade prints and bragging rights that you printed it yourself. It’s a drop-in event, so come by anytime during the event to make a print.

Saturday, February 3, 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm, $15 for the afternoon.

Register now by sending us an e-mail (bigriverbindery@gmail.com). Your registration fees can be paid on-site via cash, check, or card.

Today I returned to WVIK, one of our local NPR stations, for an interview on the show Scribble. Hosts Don Wooten and Ronald Tweet talk about books, poetry, and now… the making of books. I had a fun time and think they did as well.

Listen to 90.3 FM in the Quad Cities on Saturday at noon, or on the website soon after at http://wvik.org/programs/scribble

If you missed my last interview at WVIK with Bruce Carter in the fall of 2014, it can be found at http://wvik.org/post/art-talks-book-artist-andrew-huot

Join us for another fun evening of pints and printing in the studio. This time we’ll be making pressure prints, a method similar to rubbings. A type-high block is set in the press bed, and a handmade low-relief plate – in this case your collaged shapes and words – is inserted behind the printing paper. The higher the relief, the darker that area is. It’s a quick and simple way of making images and text. Unlike most printing, the text and imagery don’t have to be reversed.

Enjoy a FREE local beer (21 and older) while you work the presses.
Participants will take home 4 handmade prints and bragging rights that you printed it yourself. $20 for the evening (additional prints $1 each).

Thursday, February 5, 7pm to 9pm
Register now by sending us an e-mail (bigriverbindery@gmail.com). Your registration fees can be paid on-site via cash or check.

I recently was asked to create an artist book as an award to community members and groups by Radish Magazine. Instead of a plaque, they commission artwork from a local artist each year. The January issue of Radish just came out, and my carrousel book is on the cover. You can see it here. You can also see an article about the bindery and our work.

Now that we’ve finished the grand opening and we’re all cleaned up, it’s time to offer some workshops. We have three workshops this fall and we’d love you to join us. Learn how to make historic or modern bindings, good for sketchbooks, journals, or gifts for the upcoming holiday season. We also have a one night workshop to let you try out the tools and materials, and you’ll still go home with a few little books as well.

The specific dates and how to register are available on our website at https://bigriverbindery.com/26-2/.

Now the the boxes are unpacked (well, most of them), and the shop is mostly set up, it’s time to get down to work. One of my first projects was a pro bono project on a children’s book, belonging to my son, Ethan.

Books with flaps regularly have problems, especially when handled my small hands. You can here that one has become detached from the page beneath. We wanted to catch that right away, before we lost the flap.

Since this will still be in use, an adhesive that is strong and quick to dry was used. PVA (Polyvinyl alcohol) is a synthetic glue that has been tested to be safe for long term use, and is common in bookbinding and general collections conservation. Application of a thin layer with a soft brush was all it needed.

Once applied, we wanted to dry the page under pressure, to avoid warping while the repair dried. A plexiglass board and weight applied the right amount of pressure.

By the end of the day, the book will be back in Ethan’s hands. Not the most complex conservation treatment for the week, but I’m happy that my son won’t go shoeless (or bookless) for too long.

Join us for the grand opening of Big River Bindery.

We’re unpacking the boxes, and putting the type away. Try your hand at making a folded pamphlet book or printing on the letterpress. We’ll be showing examples of the book repair and conservation, boxes and bindings, and some of the artists’ books and prints we’ve made.

Big River Bindery
230 W 15th St
Davenport, IA 52803

Saturday, Nov 1, 2014
3:00 – 7:00 pm