Workshops
Guided by Richard Reitz Smith, create beautiful painted papers and learn the art of constructing unique drop spine boxes and clamshell presentation cases.
Dates:
Oct 14, 2024 - Oct 18, 2024
Levels:
Beginner,
Intermediate,
Advanced,
Workshop Fee: $1195
Workshop Duration: 1-week (Monday-Friday)
Workshop Location: On-campus
Class Size: 8
During this weeklong, in-person workshop, we will explore and construct multiple 3D enclosures! First, we will make a few models to spark your ability to think in the third dimension by taking 2-D diagrams and creating them in 3-D.
Then we will make coverings for our creations: Paste paper, marbling and painted surfaces. These are integral to finishing the structures to make them uniquely your own. This will be a quick station-to-station day of painting on paper surfaces. From this practice, you will have plenty of options for final coverings with book cloth pairings.
Next, we will take your basic models to the next level. By seeing a simple 3 or 4 sided box and book cover as a module, we can make nearly infinite combinations of structures. With a few adjustments, you can turn that model into a drop-spine box and then into a clamshell presentation case.
Then go even one step further to add dividers for multiple compartment trays and multiple trays to make stacked boxes.
This is a great companion course to Dawn Surratt’s class “Photographic Objects, Advanced Techniques” or any workshop or project that you want to elevate the final presentation.
All images by Richard Reitz Smith.
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Instructor: Richard Reitz Smith
Richard Reitz Smith is a letterpress and book artist who excels in marrying traditional techniques with technology and is the Book Arts Program Chair and Studio Manager at Maine Media. He is the owner of DoubleDoor Creative in Camden, ME. In 2015, Richard was the first Book Artist in Residence at Maine Media where he wrote, illustrated, printed, and bound a limited-edition abecedary of alliterative haiku. Richard received a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University in painting and illustration.
After working for three years developing products for Crayola and Liquitex, he returned to school and earned an MFA in graphic design (Tyler School of Art- Temple University). Then started a five-year tour of universities as an art and design professor which led him to New York City, where he taught at Pratt Institute and School of Visual Arts. While doing this, he freelanced as an illustrator and graphic designer for companies like The GAP, Macy's, American Craft Museum, Metlife, Pearson Education, and Scholastic. Then he took positions at Clicquot, Inc. and Clinique Cosmetics consecutively. For Clinique Cosmetics, he managed multi-million-dollar, international, seasonal product and promotional launches as the director of package design worldwide. For Clicquot, Inc. he was a one-person art department for the wine importer/promoter of Veuve Clicquot, Krug, Bouchard, and many other ultra-premium wines. It was in NYC, that he found and frequented The Center for Book Arts learning much about letterpress and the book as an art form.
