Kris Stewart is a bookbinder and artist who specializes in leather journals, artists books, and paper marbling. While getting her degree in Art History, Kris discovered she was more interested in the artists’ use of the elements and principals than actual names, dates, and movements. She’s always been a maker and discovered her passion for creating books in 1998, starting with hardcovers then moving to soft leather bindings. After years of buying mass-produced decorative papers to use in her work, she realized she should be making her own and new obsessions were born: paste paper and paper marbling! You won’t find any fancy laser cutters or automated machines in her studio — everything she makes is produced by hand, with an eye for detail. She sees the world as a tapestry of color, texture, and pattern, and hopes this comes through in her work. 

Kris is new to Walla Walla and loves living here. When she’s not creating or teaching in her home studio, you’ll see her walking around downtown or doing a little wine tasting.