In 2002 I received a grant to study the art of papermaking and bookarts at Oxbow Artist Retreat with Andrea Petersen. There we were promised to leave with an armload of books by the end of the session—and we did. Exploring a range of construction techniques, from the ancient Coptic binding to more experimental methods resulted in a repertoire of examples to continue exploring.

In 2009 I returned to Oxbow with an Education for the Arts Educator grant to study with Bridget Elmer. Investigating content and narrative allowed for more possibilities regarding the book form as a work of art.