Anne Murray

Since first encountering The Penland Book of Handmade Books at the public library in 2006, I have been passionate about making books and have been learning and practicing the crafts involved in making books – binding, making paper, marbling paper, creating book cloth, and woodworking.  These skills have been acquired from the John Campbell Folk School (Brasstown, NC), the Penland School of Crafts (Penland, NC), the Sawtooth School for Visual Art (Winston-Salem, NC), as well as from several well-known paper/book artists and through independent practice.  Particularly well-known teachers include Steve Pittelkow (pamphlet stitch and marbling), Jana Pullman (historic bindings), Dan Essig (Coptic stitch and wooden covers), Jim Croft (Gothic style), and Regina and Dan St. John (marbling).   

My intent is to provide a one-of-a-kind functional item that is pleasing to both eye and hand and conveys the creative energy that went into producing it.   In a time when e-readers are common and some folks wonder if books still have a place, I shout an enthusiastic vote for the pleasure of holding a hand-bound book and turning pages while feeling the texture of the paper. I am also a teacher at heart, finding great pleasure in sharing my triple passions for functional books, marbled papers, and handmade rag papers.