Suminagashi, Ink on Water and Japanese Bookbinding

Presenter: Christina Di Marco   The Japanese art of Suminagashi, ink floating on water, was kept secret for over a thousand years. Its beauty and variety are magically surprising, and each person’s style will be different and blossom. We will explore traditional and modern versions and practice this for two sessions. Following that we will explore Japanese bookbinding. The basic Japanese bookbinding technique will be taught as well as the tortoise shell and hemp stitch as well. Please join us to learn these timeless arts, and you will go home with journals, papers to decorate your walls and home, works for calligraphy and more. A materials list is provided. You will learn on and use your materials at Vassar College and continue creating at home; and you can prepare your bookbinding materials so that you may learn optimally what is being offered.   Suggested Readings: SUMINAGASHI by Don Guyot The Ultimate Marbling Book, Diane Maurer; other marbling instruction books Creative Bookbinding by Pauline Johnson Japanese Bookbinding by Kojiro Ikegami   Christina Di Marco Christina has been teaching in the Hudson Valley region for over 25 years, with diverse populations, young and old and loves the elemental arts. She teaches drawing and painting, photography, puppets and marbling of different types at different schools, libraries and arts organizations, and her Marbling arts have been shown in area arts organizations. She currently studies Creative Art Therapy with Dr. Lucy Barbera and works in this field as well.