*View of Chama River near our workshop at Ghost Ranch* Photo by Martin Ray

I am devoting this post to showing the work done by students in our recent class at Ghost Ranch. Please forgive this long absence — all my attention has been given to my class, and to finishing my paintings for my upcoming exhibit. Another post will be coming soon with some images from my show.

It is impossible, after a rich experience, to convey it all in words or images. This will give you a glimpse of the place, which has its own power and presence, and some of the work that was done.

*Our workshop space at Ghost Ranch and high desert around us* Photos by Martin Ray

It is not my job to praise or blame, only, in the end, to be envious of your work.
— William Stafford to his students

In this place of immense skies and a view of the horizon in every direction, I am reminded that our work is not about how much time we have, or how much we get done. It is about emotional readiness. Are you connected to what moves you? This is what opens the gate.

In the atmosphere of New Mexico high desert, Barbara Griek and I combined working with the Tarot cards (to strengthen intuition and inner imagery), with writing, painting and bookmaking exercises. We worked with a limited palette of sumi ink, walnut ink, and yellow iron oxide acrylic. Detail and accent were added with graphite, pen and watercolor.

At the dawn of civilization, before the separation between writing and painting, the line was the basic element.
— Paul Klee

Returning to line practice:

*Examples of line practice on Kozo paper, incorporated into small books:* Martin Ray and Lynn Rogers

*Cover of book and inside page:* Suzie Ross

We made small books, similar to the size of a deck of cards. The binding is simple, the focus on content. The papers we used are Arches Text Wove and Kozo for the interior, and Arches Cover for the boxes. For writing tools we used pens, pencils, brushes and shells. Here are some more examples from the students’ books:

*Inside page and boxes for the book:* Happy Price

In the classroom, we have some students who are completely new to the process of painting, writing and bookmaking — and others who are seasoned professionals. Below you can see the spine of two books with the woven binding (top left), the cases, and a couple interior pages:

Ann Dettmer and Lissie Wetton (using a handmade Kentucky broom for her marks)

Elena Kirschner and a glimpse of our offering table

Students often ask about supplies: For walnut crystals, bister ink powder and a wonderful collection of calligraphic books, supplies, paper and a knowledgable staff, contact John Neal Booksellers.

There are some openings left in my 2020 classes:

February 8-15, 2020 | Costa Rica — Only one space open. Learn more and register here.
March 22-28, 2020 | Taos, NM — Learn more and register here.
June 1-8, 2020 | Taos, NM — Learn more and register here.

All three of these classes share the same theme: Tree, Stone, Eye.

The stone is contained, representing stillness and structure. The tree expands toward the sky, representing movement and expression. In developing one’s own voice in the creative pattern, there is a balance that needs to be maintained between form and expression. One must learn a form well enough to internalize it. This mastery of form leads to freedom of expression.

The eye is the third element, the observer, who notices and notates. In this class we will explore form, expression and observation in the continuum of drawing, painting and writing. Line is the unifying element.

From exercises in playing with line, we will learn to draw and paint. You don’t need to have any experience to learn to do this.

I hope you will join me in 2020.

Do you have any questions? I’d love to hear from you.