Old Ways of Making Books in Santa, Idaho

I had the privilege of spending the month of June completely off the grid (no electricity, cell phone service, internet or running water) studying materials and gothic bookbinding structures with Jim Croft at his home in Santa, Idaho. It was a big decision for me to spend such a large chunk of time, so late in my design education, doing something not directly related to my professional pursuits, but I feel that I learned more living in a tree in Idaho for a month than I would have pushing pixels and pulling beziers back in Baltimore. I expected to learn tons about gothic bookbinding, a field in which Jim is a world-renowned expert, but I did not expect to learn so much about homesteading and sustainable living.

View all the photos from my trip

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Spirit Quest: Idaho, Here I Come

So, I know it has been eerily quiet around here, and for that I apologize. I have been gearing up for my apprenticeship with Jim Croft, which begins tomorrow, after a series of airplane rides. I will be studying traditional book arts with Jim from the 1st of June to the 28th of June, and I will be stranded in the Idahoan wilderness with no internet, cell phone service, or even electricity. I realize, this is likely the longest and most complete vacation I will have until my retirement from my computer, email, and the organized design world. I plan on making the most of this mental rest.

When I return, I will be updating my website, uploading the last 12 months worth of work I have done, and sharing all of the gazillions of pictures I will be taking in Idaho with all of you.