Make Your Own Bible - In-Person Class

For more information, click here.
John Neal Books is not hosting this class.

"Make Your Own Bible" --Ralph Waldo Emerson
Laurie Doctor

In-person class: Mabel Dodge Luhan House, 240 Morada Ln, Taos, NM 87571
5/29/23 to 6/3/23
Class Time(s):
08:00 AM - 06:00 PM

Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.”  — Ralph Waldo Emerson

What will happen if we make a book dedicated to those guideposts that touch you or move you like “the blast of a trumpet”? These guideposts can become the inspiration for our painting, texture and writing.

This idea works so well with the notion that it is not only about accepting things as they are, but also imagining ourselves becoming, and shaping what is to come.

Going all the way back to cave paintings, thousands and thousands of years ago, it is the power of imagination tied to a physical act, a ritual, a making note of, that gives artists the mandate to hold vision for the culture, to help imagine what does not seem possible. In those clear moments of apprehension we know that this thing called the world, and the process called creation, is a collaborative affair. The process of creating a book like this is interactive on several levels: you and your book, the collaborative atmosphere and emergent power that happens in a classroom of fellow travelers, and you and your imagination, your vision. We make and re-make what we are given.

The total cost is $3000 for the class, a double room and all meals. All rooms have a private bathroom, and the meals are large and delicious. Single rooms are available for an additional fee of $395.

For more information: https://www.lauriedoctor.com/events/taos-2023-june
Registration Contact Email: guldennoelle@gmail.com

Supply list:

**Pens & Pencils**

- Bring your favorite writing & calligraphy tools (brushes, pens, pen holders and found objects)

- Pen Nibs: Broad-edged nib: Speedball C-0 (N09); pointed nib: Gillott 404 (N74)

- White china marker (S916)

- Two fine-point pens: Pilot G-TEC-C4, size .25 or .3 (M08)

- HB, 2B, and 4B pencils (PL38)

- Pencil sharpener (S960)

- White eraser (E13)

 

**Brushes**

- No. 4 pointed brush, or choose one or two within the range of size 1-4 (BR22)

- Cheap “paintbox brushes” or stencil brushes for mixing (BR43)

- One wide brush, three or more inches wide (cheap foam brush, house painting brush, or Japanese Hake brush)

- Containers for rinsing brushes (S1005)

 

**Ink, Paint, & Gouache**

- Walnut ink (walnut crystals are easy to pack) (S450)

- Transparent yellow iron oxide acrylic (two to four people can share a two-ounce tube of acrylic; Golden is the preferred brand)

- Windsor-Newton permanent white gouache (WNG1) or Dr. Martin’s bleedproof white (I38)

- Watercolors (red, yellow, and blue). (WNWC1, WNWC2, WNWC3, WNWC4)

As long as you have tubes of good-quality (not student grade!) watercolors in red, yellow and blue, you will have enough to play with. If you wish to try a new palette, and two versions of each primary color, I recommend the following colors (Daniel Smith colors are well saturated):Yellows: New Gamboge & Hansa or Lemon. Reds: Alizarin Crimson & Transparent Pyrrole Orange. Blues: Indigo and Ultramarine Blue.

- Containers with lids for ink

- Palette or small plastic cups (deeper wells are useful)

 

**Paper**

- Three sheets white Rives BFK paper: 22” x 30”; 250 gsm (PS91)

- One sheet Arches Text Wove: 20” x 25.5” (PS01)

- One sheet cover-weight paper for your book: 10” x 12” or larger; Arches Black Cover is one of my favorites (PS90)

- Tracing paper (P112)

- Notebook for taking notes

 

**Bookbinding Supplies**

- Embroidery or bookbinding needle (S213 (blunt))

- Glue stick (S391)

- Right triangle (S613)

- One spool linen thread, 2- or 3-ply (S826)

- Paper clips (about 6)

- Rubber band

 

**Other Supplies**

- Scissors (not necessary if flying with carry-on luggage)

- Metal ruler with cork backing, 12” or longer (S271)

 

**Optional Supplies**

(You do not need to bring these)

 

- Paper/collage scraps

- Water-soluble graphite pencils

- Water Soluble Graphite Crayon and or Block (Art Graf or Lyra)

- Other tubes of gouache or watercolor: Peach Black (Holbein) is a lovely matte black

- Colored pencils (PL05, PL38, PL2031)

- Mat knife and cutting mat (S504)

- Bone folder (S308)