John C. Campbell Folk School

My first out of town trip planned for 2010 is a long weekend at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina.

I have never taken a class here, but my mother took two classes several years ago. In one, she learned to spin raw wool into yarn. In the other she made a small, hand carved stool. Classes generally are for either a weekend or are a week in length.

I will be attending a weekend course, a bookbinding class utilizing mica in the book construction.


Daniel Essig will teach the class. He is an artist I have admired for some time. Daniel is known for his creative books and bookbinding techniques.

He first became interested in bookbinding while studying photography at the University of Southern Illinois at Carbondale. He learned Coptic bookbinding, an ancient technology from 4th Century North Africa. His interest was refined at the Penland School of Crafts.

A link to his website is here:
http://www.danielessig.com/

Check it out!

Here is a photo of some of his handmade books and bookbinding tools.
Expect a report and more awesome pictures next week.

See you then!

Carina