Wayne
Houston

Leather Checkbook Cover
by Wayne Houston

COURSE OFFERINGS:

Beginning Leather - 2 sessions - 2.5 hours each

Love the smell of leather? The way it feels? Ever wonder how those people do that stuff on leather? Here is your chance to learn about working with leather.

This is an entry level class where you will learn about different types of leathers, decorating techniques and finishing techniques all while completing a belt project. The student will leave the class with a beginning knowledge of how to case your leather, create various textures on the leather and how to dye and finish your project. No previous experience necessary.

BIOGRAPHY:

Wayne Houston is a local artist, currently working in digital photography, leather carving and jewelry. He graduated from Hofstra University (NY) with a degree in Fine Arts and went on to complete an apprenticeship with Mikhail Zakin in pottery.

He has been an instructor in the areas of pottery, glassblowing, jewelry/enameling and glaze chemistry working for various institutions such as Hofstra University, the Brooklyn Museum Art School, the Long Island Craftsman’s Guild and the Old Church Cultural Center (NJ) as well as at smaller, lesser-known private schools. He has taught various weekend/week long workshops on Raku techniques, glassblowing, black smithing for craftsmen, kiln building and glaze chemistry.

Wayne has participated in numerous group and one man shows in the greater New York metro area and has his work in both private and public collections. He has also been the technical advisor in glassblowing and the Raku pottery technique at both Hofstra University and the Long Island Craftsman’s Guild.

Wayne has worked with leather since the early seventies. He began by doing leather stamping (where the stamp is the design or is combined with other stamps to make a design) and progressed into carving figures or scenes into the leather. Leather carving is similar to metal working techniques where the result is a three dimensional representation of a scene or figure. Some of his work is utilitarian (wallets, pocketbooks or horse related items) while other work is purely decorative (framed and matted wall hangings). Some of his hung art is carved and painted (with leather dyes or watercolors) while other pieces are simply paintings on leather.