Me
Hi, my name’s Ivan. Originally from Spain but I’ve spent a long time in England. ‘ve reached that stage in life when there is a shorter road ahead of me than behind me. I’ve been coaching and consulting professionally for much of the last decade, and I’m increasingly looking for ways to use these skills with the communities I am part of outside of work. It’s largely selfish – it means I can continue learning and call it ‘work’. But it’s also genuinely an attempt to share the things that move me – that make me laugh, or think, or simply worry less.
Making stories
My main passion has always been storytelling, and I’ve been writing stories of one sort or another for most of my life. While my novel writing days are on seemingly permanent hiatus, I amuse myself with devising puzzle boxes and games.
Making books
My interest in storytelling was sparked by a love of reading, and I’ve worked in various forms of publishing for over 30 years. My very first jobs were binding reports and ordering stationery, so it is perhaps inevitable that many years later I spend much of my time learning and making stationery and binding micro-edition books. I welcome commissions for journals, diaries, planners and sketchbooks.
I explain a bit more in my bookbinding journey
Book arts and artist books
I like to experiment with form and structure, and I enjoy experimenting and learning new techniques. My book arts combine some or all of my printmaking, photography and occasional poetry.
I have a more formal Artist Statement.
Workshops for adults
I am slowly adding to the repertoire of workshops I offer – the main downside of paper arts is waiting for things to dry / timing things right.
Introduction to book arts
Paste paper pamphlets – decorate and make your own simple notebook and at least one ‘non-traditional’ structure
This is usually run over two days or evenings, in two sessions of 2 or 3 hours. In the first session we make some decorative paste papers using a variety of decorative techniques. In the second session we make a number of simple books using your own papers as covers or wrappers. This workshop covers a number of fundamentals of bookbinding and book arts, while requiring very little prior experience – threading a needle and folding paper is about as complicated as this one gets.
Venue
Sessions currently take place at Colne Road Studios in Twickenham. Find out more on the Book Arts Workshops page.
Mindful art
Adults tend to be a lot more reluctant artists than children, which I think is a real shame. So I run what I call ‘Mindful’ versions of some of the sessions I run for children, where we focus more on ‘being present’ and less on story telling.
MQ Art Club for children
Note – I’ve paused these workshops while I consider how best to deliver these locally.
I prefer to call this ‘Creativity Club’, but as there aren’t many of these around, ‘Art Club’ is simpler to explain. Inspired by artist-teachers like Hervé Tullet and Paul Johnson, I focus on the process of making art and not the product (i.e. this is not about making things to get mum or dad to put on the fridge). We never use reference images, don’t set specific objectives, and rarely – if ever – do I give direct instruction.
What we do instead is make things up – and share them. A typical session begins with a game (charades or consequences are often the spark), and then we work on that session’s specific theme on a collaborative canvas to build individual and collaborative stories around a theme we illustrate. We use dice and other elements to introduce random elements – the aim is to give the children confidence in their creative resilience. A shared canvas also increases the need to collaborate and negotiate. Ideas – good and bad – spread around the table, and laughter (and occasional mischief) is definitely contagious.
Venue
I’ve paused these workshops while I consider how best to deliver these locally.
Shop / buying my work
I occasionally have items for sale in my shop.
Craft fairs
Nov 20-22 Winter ‘Sparkle’ fair at Landmark Arts Centre, Teddington
Dec 6-7 Colne Road Maker’s Market