Uncommon Threads / Bookopolis 2011

Uncommon Threads : The Handicrafts in Book Arts

an artists' book show at:

"23 Sandy Gallery" Portland, Oregon

September 23 - October 29th 2011

Unfortunately my entry and newest hand made artists' book - " Made Elsewhere", 3"x4"- did not fit the criteria for the show but I enjoyed making it and found some new ideas and techniques along the way. Looking forward to seeing the books in this show...should be quite wonderful...mark your calendar...and take a look.

"Made Elsewhere" photos printed on used coffee filters.

The cover is made of banana skin paper with a fabric collage.
(3"x4")

All pages are used coffee filters (abaca) with clothing label collages or ink jet printed photos of needle work...banana skin fiber outside and banana leaf (abaca) fiber inside.

This book records a survey of my closet .. noting all the countries that are represented on the clothing label tags, and which companies have outsourced production of these items. Most are third world countries... no surprise but I'm amazed at how many items I own that are made elsewhere.

Bookopolis 2011
Book show open to all book artists at the Asheville Bookworks, Asheville, NC, September 23 to November 28, 2011

In conjunction with the 25 year birthday celebration of Hand Paper Making Magazine, the Asheville Bookworks is hosting a party and one day open studio for papermaking.... luckily I can attend this event on October 1st and view the book show in person. I am also entering my book about the history of dominoes - "Daily Wants: Dominoes" pictured in a previous blog.

.......photos on my return.

Monumental Ideas & Time Flies When Your Having Fun

The Future of the Book is here.....so states a poster for the Jaffe Center for Book Arts.

"Time..........."

The Jaffe Collection of hand made artist's books is housed at FAU's (Florida Atlantic University) Wimberly Library. A course in the study of book arts is centered around this unique collection. This summer's exhibit, "Time Flies When Your Having Fun", celebrated Arthur Jaffe's 90th birthday. I was lucky to attend and I recommend a visit to the center at anytime. - OR visit YouTube for an in depth discussion and artists books in collection viewed ...wonderful..... OR the blog

This little accordion book, retrieved from a gumball machine for 4 quarters was basically the show card for the exhibit. How much fun is that ?

"Monumental Ideas in Miniature Book Making"
Savannah, GA

---- is a traveling exhibition of more then 100 artists' books from 8 countries. I was able to view this show at the Savannah School of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, GA this August. It originated in Ohio - University of Akron...if you have an opportunity to see it ... I highly recommend this show as well. You can view it all online but it's not quite the same. One of my favorite book making couples, Peter and Donna Thomas are represented - always a joy to see their books.

Investigating Fibers for Perfect Papers

My tulip fold book - pages: miscanthus paper, cover paper: Kristoferson Studio Itajimi paper

A previous blog mentioned a gift of Miscanthus plant fibers from Mira Scott owner of "Picture This Gallery" on Hilton Head Island, SC. A few rough samples of papers made with this fiber were pictured as well. Finally learning its properties (trial and error) I made some very wonderful papers. I used some to make this tulip fold 2 1/2" square book as a thank you for Mira. The paper folded beautifully.... it was worth the work of processing these fibers.

(2 1/2" square) August 2011

miscanthus fiber

Cotton boll breaking open.........

........fully opened boll- ---- Cotton !

My cotton crop (only about 2 dozen plants !) is finally maturing. I plan to experiment with the cotton PLANT itself... the lovely fibers that bloom, the actual cotton, are as strong as iron and could never be processed (by me) into paper in a small studio, although I might try one day.

Sometime this fall I will be giving the dried stalks a go !!!

"BIG" papers

I am working with Mira Scott on a large scale book that can be "walked" through when set up in a gallery. Mira is supplying her beautiful stories and artwork . I am creating the book structure and hand made paper. I finally decided after much experimentation to use a combination of cotton linter, abaca and corn husk for a little variation in the color and texture of the papers... and gelatin sizing for all. These large papers will be made sometime early this fall.... much too hot and sticky out for the papers to dry naturally at this point.

Emily Dickinson as Book Artist

"A Poet's Garden"

Cotton and abacca paper cast into plaster mold of a bean pod. "Seeds" are accordion folded artist made mulberry paper, ink jet printed with poetry of poet labeled on pod.


Detail " A Poet's Garden"

Larger detail of "A Poet's Garden"..... leaves also of cast cotton paper, all forming a vine of "book chapters" (bean pods) wrapped around fencing - poles and wires. (In private collection)

I made this book several years ago before I became enchanted with Dickinson and a devoted member of the Emily Dickinson International Society. "The Poet's Garden" fits Emily's image. During her lifetime she was well known for her beautiful gardens.

Just read a new book about Emily Dickinson - "Maid as Muse" by Aife Murray who apparently also makes artist's books. This about the help.. the maids...cooks... stable men... gardeners and seamstresses who attended to all the needs of the Dickinson family.

Murray uses new descriptions for how Emily presented her original poetical works... collage artist and book maker. She would add stamps, paste cut up book pages and images on her letters as well as draw cartoons - an early collage artist ? The 20th century collage artist, Joseph Cornell, was greatly influenced by Dickinson, dedicating several pieces of work to her. Then there are the fascicles ... her poetry hidden until after her death found in 40 pamphlet bound small single signatures books called fascicles. Artist's books ? Each designed mostly by placement of her very unusual hand writing by stretching words across a page to fill the line. Something to think about - Emily Dickinson, Artist Book Maker.