Christopher Rowlatt

Big News

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 08:08:00 -0400

I have decided to cease trading at the end of this year!

This year has many events that will be my last.

WEST DEAN College June 21 - 23 - my final Marbling Course -

ART in ACTION July 18 - 21

Oxford Summer School July 29 - August 3

Herefordshire Art Week (H-Art) September 7 -15

Throughout the year I have marbling and bookbinding courses here at Presteigne and at The Grange. I shall continue to teach at the Grange in the future but not any where else.

I am hoping when all commitments have been honoured I shall be able to spend some major time working on my own books, I have felt a bit like the successful cobbler whose children have been running around in bare feet! The first big project will be the continuation and completion of the David Hume volumes (see the annexed blog). Then I shall start on rebinding all my periodicals that have at some time been stored in a damp and tasty place for slugs as they all have slug teeth mark trails all over the covers!

This Spring has been eventful, not least my foot operation but all is getting really better at last. Last Monday evening, Roger and I were reminiscing about our school and training days. Roger attended Handsworth Technical School in Birmingham in the late 50s, where amongst many skills learned he made a pattern for, and cast in Alumimnium, a little anvil. My Father in the 60s and 70s went in the evenings to Hammersmith College where he attended the ornamental woodturning class. On one occasion the class had a visit from a rep from Record, the company that made g-clamps and any kind of cast metal tool etc. He was given a tiny iron anvil as a publicity gift. Below is a picture of Roger’s and my Dad,s anvils.

Yesterday Kris spent the day learning and creating her first head band.

For a first attempt this is really good, the tension is correct and she remembered to balance the pattern when she got to the middle.

a hand written World Record

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 04:39:00 -0500

January 13th 2013

Last year I was contacted by Nick Dubois asking me if I could supply a book for a project based at the South Bank in London in connection with the up coming Olympics. After a long discussion about what might be suitable and an explanation of the original idea for the book I had made (see the Laurence Sterne entries below) this little book winged its way to London and a very excitingly grand new life.

There follows a link by way of a thorough explanation of the project with images of the book in situ and with some of the poet’s inscriptions.

http://asymptotejournal.com/article.php?cat=Visual&id=16&curr_index=20&curPage=

Scrooge McDuck

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 07:55:00 -0500

Another on Boxing Day 2012

Scrooge McDuck came into our lives a few Christmas’s ago acquired from Andy at Courtyard Antiques in Presteigne. He unfortunately had a poorly foot which has now been operated on and is healing really well. He is able to put all his weight on the foot at last. We are waiting until a future date to finish off the cosmetic surgery, not that he will need much…

End of 2012 news...very belated

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 07:04:00 -0500

Boxing Day 2012

Majorie’s daughter, Martha, when she came to visit us soon after we moved here to Presteigne in 1990, took a photograph of one of the first production runs of marbling that was possible in the undecorated bathroom. I know it isn’t a very informative picture but it sure does bring back memories of using pure pigments and gouache which since 1991 I haven’t used at all.

This November, Adam Watson came and used the facilities to make a Christmas card book for a friend. Kris drew the calligraphy for him. Adam has the most brilliant original ideas for one off books and this was no exception, a long stitch binding with a concertina guarding between the sections.

David’s Jules Verne book is coming on well. He has now to tool the title and the silver track across the front cover. It is onlay leather work. There will be more images to follow…

This years end of year offering has been a big undertaking. Dave Castle’s photographs, Jon Ward-Allens letterpress pages, Marion’s, Kris’s and my input into the production of 50 copies took quite a long time but it really is worth it.

These are the two images that Dave made for us. The sad thing is that I didn’t make sure that there is something for every letter of the alphabet. I could so easliy have put a quoin key on the bench…never mind!

We used Arbelave bookcloth, 17 different colours, for the covers and at a little less than A4 in height, they give a good feel to the production and show the Bindery, personel and work off to great advantage. I have only 20 now available but I doubt if they will last very long!

UP & DOWN 10th August 2012

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 09:19:00 -0400

Sunday last was out Ruby Wedding Anniversary. We had a lovely happy celebration with friends and the Sun. Thank you to all who came.

Tuesday Mig died, we put her to rest next to Barley under the Rowan. She had had a good day previously and thoroughly enjoyed Sunday hoovering up the tit-bits and saying hello to everyone. 14 and a half is good age and she certainly lived her life to the full.

This is one of the last pictures of her.

Latest Evening Class work by Anita...and the new arrival at The Grange. 17th July 2012.

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:44:00 -0400

This is Anita’s latest creation, a non-adhesive binding without kettle stitches. The materials are interesting…Magnani broad laid paper for the pages, Colorplan burnt orange for the cover (sadly this paper is now discontinued), Harmatan fine goat together with some 19th century legal document vellum for the tapes and all sewn together with silk thread.

Anita has decided to make another book immediately (only Blue) and the same as this one that she made along the lines in Shereen LaPlantz’s Cover to Cover.

On Friday last, Les Baynam, of Homeward Bound, delivered a 1930s Crossland 30” bladed Board cutter to The Grange.

With help from Steve, he had it set up in 3 hours, it is a beauty and cuts correctly. Les is at pains to say that it is not restored just cleaned and regulated. So far as I’m concerned it’s perfect. THANKS LES!

Now we get to use it at The Grange Summer School. There are still vacancies!

The Grange Open Day. 30th June 2012

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 05:00:00 -0400

Kris arrived in Presteigne at 7:25 and we were off by half past. Managed to get up the A49 quickly before the main daily traffic started and was ready and able after a welcome mug of coffee by 9:10. (The previous day had been a nightmare with a closed bridge at Leintwardine and silly faulty traffic lights in Craven Arms.) The day was very lively and a constant stream of visitors came through the Medlar Press Print Shop and the Medlar Bindery. I didn’t have a moment to take pictures during the day but managed a few before the visitors arrived. This is Kris about to take the first trial sheet off. She was able to give away over thirty sheets so the drying rack was empty come 4:30.

Marion was responsible for the sewing demos. Sewing 2-up on cords, 3 tape case binding and long stitch sewing. I didn’t see her for the rest of the day as she was surrounded all day.

In the Print Shop were George and Jessie Miller of The Hedge Sparrow Press. www.hedgesparrowpress.co.uk and Gerard O’Shea of Gwasg Gregynog www.gwasg-gregynog.co.uk

Also Ken Burnley of the Silver Birch Press kjborby@yahoo.com and working along side Ken was Elizabeth Willow who is learning the trade as well as print finishing.

Latest Student work 2nd July 2012

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 04:47:53 -0400

On Thursday last Anne continued with her tooling practice. She is in the process of making a couple of sets of paper sample books of hand made papers from Ruscombe Mill. As she is a book designer as well as craft bookbinder she is very particular about the covers of these books. They will be covered in quarter calf and different hand made papers. Anne decided on blind tooling rather than gold or coloured letters, so using 24pt Goudy Old Style she is learning the skills and patience required to tool leather. The first picture shows cold ink practice on bank paper, the second shows hot practice on calf offcuts…the very necessary repetition to get practice in straight lines of letters and even impressions.

At the same time Sian was learning the intricacies of 2-up sewing on cords!

Latest Student work completed. 27th June 2012.

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 04:42:00 -0400

On Monday nights I hold an evening class for bookbinders. Sue has been attending for a few years now and this year tackled the “big” book.

It is the National Holy Bible (circa 1890s). The condition was not good and long hours were spent cleaning before commencing on the forwarding. The state of the leather around the spine and board joints was very poor so rebacking was in order.

Sue is very proud of her first ever head and tail bands, sewn with pearl cotton on a gut harp string core.

When later this month the rest of the website is updated you will be able to see Sue’s book in progress, all be it as a small part, in the panoramic photograph of the Bindery that Dave Castle took in early Spring.

Open Studio/Bindery/Printshop/Book Arts at The Grange. Saturday June 30th 2012

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:34:00 -0400

The Grange is having its first Book Arts Open Day.

Kris, Marion and I will be there looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible.

Kris will be marbling, please come and have a look at what she can do now, she has become a really good marbler. Marion will be sewing at least four different styles. I will be showing as many different repair techniques, casing and covering styles, forwarding techniques, varieties of materials used in Bookbinding and anything else that I might be asked about and that I have examples to show.

Jon and many others will be showing off the Printing Barn and there will be a lot of other allied crafts…illustration, story telling, calligraphy, etc. Oh and don’t forget there may be ice cream as well!

Have a look at the Grange website for further details.

http://www.thegrange.uk.com/Grange/Book_Arts_Open_Day.html

This year may not be quite as lively as the Whittington Open day last year but the Grange has got to start somewhere, come and have a look round and get hooked.

April 20th 2012 and "The Cats of Copenhagen" job is completed.

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:21:00 -0400

The week after Easter saw the despatch of the final bound copies of The Cats of Copenhagen to the Ithys Press in Ireland.

It has been a full-on busy two months since the printed sheets came from Paris in two deliveries by Michael Caine (the Printer). This is him with the first delivery.

Each time he had two suitcases full, each weighing in at about 24kilos! Two days before the first batch came I fell and had to decide very quickly to become the project manager rather than the main bench worker. Luckily I had a band of very able helpers known as the “Team” and they all agreed to pitch in to get all the creasing, folding, cutting into folios and gathering and collating into sections done.

May I introduce, from right to left, Marion, Adam (Dr. W), Kris, Adam (Mr. L) and me.

The board preparation was a huge task undertaken by Mr. L; the sewing of 170 copies fell to Marion; endpapering, spine lining with mull and paper, bookcloth and marbled paper preparation for the covers, were taken on by Kris and Dr W. By the time the casing and covering was due I was able to perch on a stool with my leg up on another to do those jobs. Then labelling, numbering and finally wrapping…we all had a go at these. Anastasia, of the Ithys Press, wanted the whole job to be done by hand which it was except for the trimming of the bookblocks which was done on the guillotine at my local printers by Richard and Heather of Artisan Print.

Marion gathering…

…keeping order…

…Mr. L holing…

…me casing and covering…

and finally drying…

…Dr.W labelling…

…Kris wrapping…

This picture shows off the three different bookcloth colours chosen, each of them complimented a different aspect of the marbled paper. The marbling was on a rich blue stock and I used Liquitex Irredescent Copper, Silver and Mars Black inks.

Do go to the Ithys Press website, see the previous post for the link, for details of Michael (the printer), Casey Sorrow (the illustrator) and the Press …and the book itself, there is quite a story to tell.

The most beautiful anonymous project ever

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:38:56 -0500

Saturday 4th February 2012

Adam sent me an email with this link, go on, have a look, it is wonderful.

http://thisiscentralstation.com/featured/mysterious-paper-sculptures/

February 1st 2012 NEW James Joyce story

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:54:00 -0500

At long last the newly discovered James Joyce story called “The Cats of Copenhagen” has been published. The previous posting shows the marbling and the slip cases in production. Have a look at The Ithys Press website for full details and good write ups about Michael Caine - the printer and Casey Sorrow - the artist and me.

Have a look at http://ithyspress.com

The finished boxes.

Three delicious coloured bookcloths and the marble.

January 2012

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:05:35 -0500

Before Christmas 30 slip cases with their accompanying marbled paper wrappers and undercard covers were created for the deluxe edition of a book being published by the Ithys Press in Dublin. As yet I am not at liberty to say what the book title is due to copyright issues but I can show you some of the finished work. The marbling is on Wibalin Blue (Winter & Co) and is copper, silver and black, very striking and bold.

The marbling was great fun because the 4 x 4 feet tray came into its own again! The slip cases are covered in three different colours from the Origins range (Ratchfords).

This image was taken soon after the box making and shows the very necessary styrene wedges inserted to stop the bowing of the boards while drying. I am at present awaiting the labels that will go on the front of the marbled wrappers and the boxes. The printer is Michael Caine of Paris and is in the process of printing the standard issue, 170 copies, which will eventually keep us busy for a few weeks fairly soon.

AND…

I have just been invited to Art in Action again…phew! This will be fun as it is followed the next day by the Oxford Summer School which in turn is followed by the Grange Summer School. Watch this space for more details.

Course updates for the time being.

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:57:00 -0500

Here is an immediate list of the courses I am teaching this year, if you require more detail go to COURSES in my website…

COURSES AT PRESTEIGNE 2012

JANUARY 28 - 29^TH PAPER MARBLING

FEBRUARY 25 – 26^TH PAPER & FABRIC MARBLING

MARCH 10 – 11^TH PAPER MARBLING

MARCH 24 – 25^TH BOOKBINDING (for beginners and experienced binders)

APRIL 14 – 15^TH PAPER & FABRIC MARBLING

APRIL 28 – 29^TH JAPANESE BOOKBINDING

MAY 5– 7^TH BOOKBINDING IN LEATHER

JUNE 9 -10^TH PAPER MARBLING

COURSES ELSEWHERE

THE GRANGE 2012

The Grange, Grange Rd, Ellesmere SY12 9DE 01691 623495 ‎

rosie@thegrange.uk.com www.thegrange.uk.com

March 30 – April 2^nd Friday evening to Sunday afternoon - General and beginners Bookbinding (not leather)

April 20 – 22^nd Friday evening to Sunday afternoon – Paper Marbling

June 30^th – OPEN DAY come and enjoy printing, marbling, bookbinding and all things to do with Books!

July 30 – August 3^rd Monday evening to Friday afternoon – Summer School of Bookbinding and Printing

September 28 – 30^th Friday evening to Sunday afternoon - Paper Marbling

October 25 – 28^th Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon - General and beginners Bookbinding (not leather)

ALSO COURSES AT WEST DEAN COLLEGE 2012

Telephone 01243 811301 Email: enquiries@westdean.org.uk Web: www.westdean.org.uk

February10 -12^th 2012 PAPER AND FABRIC MARBLING

June 22-24^th 2012 PAPER & FABRIC MARBLING

OXFORD SUMMER SCHOOL

July 23 -28^th 2012 - 23/24 marbling, 25/28 Non-adhesive bookbinding

31st October 2011.The Grange and Shandy Hall.

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:26:00 -0400

At last I have arrived back after a busy, very intense fortnight teaching away from home. It started with a attack by a sheep dog upon Mig, a nasty bite on her tummy with bad bruising. A trip to the vet to be stitched up and given a full course of antibiotics. At the same time as Mig’s trauma the water went off because we had a mains leak in the cellar, so no water for two days when I need to make 30 litres of size. Following this, having made size with difficulty, I made a second trip to The Grange to teach a Paper Marbling course for six Students in the Conservatory.

I shall write a full report in the course reports blog attached.

Rosie and Jon are very keen to run more of these courses next year and have fixed a few dates already. The dates will be posted very shortly on my website as well as a more comprehensively detailed posting on the The Grange website. Planned for the end of July is going to be a Bookbinding Summer School, to run concurrently with Jon’s Printing Summer School. The bookbinding school will be for anyone who is at all interested in Books and their construction or repair so existing binders and beginners are all welcome. The really exciting date is the 30th of June…an OPEN DAY. There will be many different aspects of printing and books on display and possibly to try, such as letterpress printing, poster printing, paper marbling. bookbinding and repair, possibly paper making…watch this space for more info eventually. Remember 30th June 2012…keep it free.

I got home at about 8 o’clock, had my Sunday boiled eggs and emptied the van ready for the morrows sorting. Boy was I tired. A complete scrub up and a replenishment of all the materials, and equipment upped to 10 trays. Marion delivered Mig, who was very sorry for herself and in a great deal of pain when she had to move, to Sarah who then had the responsibility of getting to the vet to have the stitches out on the Monday. Eventually we set off for Yorkshire on the Tuesday morning. Drove up the motorway and got completely muddled up on the A1 north of York but succeeded in getting to Shandy Hall, Coxwold by teatime. What a lovely welcome, the most cosy, warm and comfortable little apartment flat in the downstairs of the comverted barn and underneath the Gallery where the “emblem of my work” exhibition was being staged.

Why show a picture of a barn when the main house is so attractive, sorry it was such a good start to the week, I’ve put it in because… On the other hand the main house is a gorgious large cottage with additions by Sterne himself.

This is the back of the main house and below is the front with Sterne’s extension at the far left.

The following is the garden room extension called by Sterne “the Garden Front” with the “sweet pavillion” tothe left.

Wednesday was a preparation day down at the village hall, a big room ideal for a marbling studio with plenty of space. The first two days were two single day courses for 10 students from the Fine Arts Course at York College. (Reports of all the courses appear on the Blog attached.) Followed by another complete scrup up and restock of materials ready for the second course held for the general public on Sunday, a one day course with 20 students. I promise I wont do that again, 20 is too many especially when the conditions are not on the friendly side…the humdity was at its lowest 77% and rose to 84% at one point. Not conducive to allowing the prints to dry quickly. Monday, more cleaning, more size, more sleeping and preparation for the final two days marbling with the Masters degree students on the Future Design course.

Also on Monday I was given a real treat. I spent an hour alone in Laurence Sterne’s Study. It is tiny and intimate room with one window and a single small table and chair and surrounded by books on four walls. The books are all small, as if they wished to be is the same scale as the room. I was allowed free rein so enjoyed reading and handling the Trust’s collection of Sterne’s writings and other Sterneana. The first edition of The life and Opinions of Tristram Shady with its marbled page in Volume 3, Page 169 and again repeated on the verso page 170. The second and third editions together with the Irish and pirated editions. The first edition of A Sentimental Journey and Yorick’s Sermons. The most enjoyable aspect of this treat was that I could study a collection of mid to late 18th century books in detail. Looking at the spines and their designs and use of labels. An aspect that I was surprised at was the consistency of the red and natural or the purely natural coloured head and tail bands found in the vast majority of the books, I only found one with a semblance of blue thread. This just shows how ignorant I am. The first edition Marbled page was fascinating too because the main colour was pink, not red. A green, again not common, and a yellow were added and finally water was sprayed over all. The creasing of the margins was visible too. All these details enabled me to set up the colours and the equipment, perhaps not quite true to the period, but never the less we managed to produce a very reputable attempt at an original marble to replicate the first edition’s marbled leaf, recto and verso.

There is a coincidence. On the wall above the mantle piece in the dining room at The Grange is a silk screen print by Tom Phillips. It can be found on the cover of Phillips’ Dante’s Inferno. It is very special as in has been printed in 50 or more colours. On the wall of the Shandy Hall flat is the self same print! I didn’t know anything about T. P. until this year and at the Hall I was introduced to his work properly. In the Collection is a copy of the limited first edition of the Dante (not allowed to touch) as well as a set , so far, of the series of books T.P. is creating based on “A Human Document” by W. H. Mallock published in 1892. Altered books can be an acquired taste and up to now I have enjoyed them from afar. This series called “a Humument” are fascinating in that they use the original text in a million ways, no cutting or folding, just colour, over printing, high lighting aspects of the original to create another form and still in book form. Wow!

And last night at the Monday evening class there was the blue leather going down on a common place book, the careful cleaning and lifting of linings/pastedowns/spine cloths/leaf joints from the papier mache boards of an Edwardian Album, and the gathering and collating and holing, ready for sewing, of a Folio edition of Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Life is never dull.

Sarah's Visit - September 21st

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:12:00 -0400

Sarah, who has worked with me for 11 years before she moved to Australia last year, has been to visit the Bindery today. Kris was working and Lucy and Anne popped in too to get all the news.

We were able to see lots of photos of S’s house and garden, more a field, where she has planted grapefruit, lemon, orange, lots of other fruits and ornamental trees. The hydropnics is a brilliant system that will eventually provide fresh veg and fish, and the raised beds that she has made have kept her in joy and food all summer. It really has been a joy to see her again.

Have a look at the other blogs on the right.

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:36:31 -0400

The History of England postings are continuing and needed their own page, click on the button to see the latest findings and pictures.

The other blog has gentle reports of my courses as well as a chance for me to show the skills and end products that come from the courses. The students have very kindly allowed me to use images of themselves.

TO GET BACK TO THE MAIN BLOG CLICK ON THE IMAGE OF ME ABOVE THE TWO BUTTONS.

h-Art week...open studios

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 05:16:00 -0400

Nine days of delightfully interested people…

THANK YOU to everyone who visited us…

New Product

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 11:27:28 -0400

The Rives Artist paper that I use to make my dumpy marbled edged journals is no longer available so these and another twenty or so are probably all I shall ever be able to make. This lot were finished last week and I call them my Harlequin range as they have 5 different marbles, 5 different bookcloths, 2 different cap bands and a register (bookmark) that doesn’t match. They are rather complicated to make hence the price £65.