Student's work from first two weeks; binding with needle and thread Last week I began an 8-week residency through Woodland Pattern Bookcenter   with Pierce St. Elementary School 4th and 5th graders. We are handmaking our own 8"x8" books from start to finish, from binding with needle and thread to decorating our hardboard covers with tissue paper and scrap material collage. Kate pfeiffer-Sloan, education coordinator at Woodland Pattern, is collaborating with me during the residency on a poetry and writing component with the students. Our pages will be art-filled and poetry-filled cover to cover! Each student will take his/her book home at the end. Each of the 8 students will pick their favorite spread and I will compile those into a real published Shutterfly 8"x8" photo book that the class can take home as a gift containing each of their classmates work. There are also challenges that come with doing any kind of classroom work. We take 15-20 minutes at...

This summer I had the opportunity to travel through Peru for two weeks with two inspiring friends, one of whom is a gifted visual artist, and the other a gifted restorative justice facilitator. While there we made many new and old acquaintances, being that one of my friends had been to Peru once before. JOURNEY THROUGH TIME  We made our first stop in Lima, staying at the home of our friend Frances, a nun.  From there we flew to Cusco - the capital of the ancient Incan Empire - before heading off on a four-day hike through the jungle along the Urubamba River to Macchu Picchu led by Samuel, our tour guide. At Macchu Picchu we basked in the glow of the Andean wonder, rising at 4am to hike the one-hour climb up Macchu Piccu mountain, stone steps carved into her mountainside. I sketched atop the Sun Gate, and spent the day wondering at how the ancients lived in community with each other. From there we headed back to Cusco, and at the invitation of Samuel, travelled to his ho...