Le Papier IV
When a discarded placemat just screams “book”
Single signature binding
Side bound book made from packing material, twisty ties and jute.
Le Papier III
Le Papier III
“Prioritaire”
A Flag Book
Front
Opened, covers folded
Opened, covers unfolded
Back
Le Papier II
Le Papier II
“LostGirlsFound”
Envelope book with accordion fold pages.
Repurposed paper, print media and ribbon.
Lost Girls OK Group
Lost Girls Falling
Moments Become Absurd
Discover I Think I Can
It’s Everything
I am the vulnerable girl
WeAreTheVulnerable
Le Papier I
Le Papier I
Side stab binding…repurposed materials…emptying the mind…instinctual movement
“Faber’s Book“, repurposed cardboard, repurposed paper, hemp cord, tissue, pencils, matchbook
“Fixing Broken Hearts“, repurposed cardboard, repurposed paper, hemp cord, tag, print media
“Full“, repurposed cardboard, repurposed paper, hemp cord
2014
Linkage: How I Learned to Love to Link
Linkage: How I Learned to Love to Link
The French Link
I recently learned the French Link stitch in a class, and then almost immediately made 7 books using it. I had struggled with the structure in class, and felt sure that if I could just sit down far from the maddening crowd in the relative sanctity of my studio, I could get comfortable with this process, and be on my way to mastering it. The little model above is my first solo flight, and it was fun, and gratifying.
The Brown Bear Book. A Gift. For a Brown Bear. Made of paper, board, ribbon, Eco-fi felt and hemp cord. Five signatures, or sections, or three folios each. The “x” is the French Link.
My book from class. Fun use of paper.
And maps. 
This book is composed of seven sections of four folios each. The links are created over the ribbons, which are then inserted through slits in the covers, glued to the inside of the covers, and then in this case, covered with paper.
Getting daring, I employed three ribbons on this one, inspired by polkas dots, linking four sections of three folios each.
The inside was fun.
There are some nifty-looking sites and tutorials out there that deal with the French Link, so i feel confident that should i need further support, it will be easy to find. I hope this post has whetted your appetite…you have to love this stitch…its French! C’est si bon!
Pushing the Envelope
Pushing the Envelope
Using the form of the envelope to create an artist’s book can be evocative, provocative, crafty, conceptual, fun, somber, expressive, “artistic”, creative, engaging, and baffling. As with many artists’ books, the question can be raised, “What are these for? What is their purpose? Are they meant to be read, observed and perused, handled, shown behind glass?” And in the case of the envelope book “…sent through the mail?”
I don’t presume to answer these questions, and can imagine another post which delves more deeply into them. In this one, my intent is to share a few of my own envelop books, the materials used in them, some of the motivation, thinking and feeling behind them, and let the observer draw their own conclusions, and perhaps becoming inpsired to explore, and even create one of their own.
Note: in this post, we see books created in the form of an envelope…as opposed to books created from existing envelopes, which is a whole other story. Also, hemp cord was used to bind the sewn books, and acid-free UHU glue sticks were used as the adhesive for anything glued on all the books depicted.
Cutting, Folding, Stamping, Sewing…
In this book, the basic form is cut and folded, and a single signature is sewn into the last fold with a pamphlet stitch. A single rubber stamp image stamped in varying ways is used to develop and adorn the piece, and delicate handmade paper containing plant material adds a finishing touch to the pages.
Lone Stories Connect…Discover “I Think I Can”…It’s Everything
In the piece above, the basic structure is cut and folded from a sketchbook cover, and the pages created by a concertina/accordion folded paper strip glued into its next to last section.. The collaged elements, ranging from printed material cut from magazines, personal writing, repurposed corrugated paper, ribbon scrap and copied illustration images, tell a story of pain and isolation with the potential of redemption through connection and story.
Painfully Animal
This mini book opens on four sides, with pages sewn in a single signature into one fold. Soft handmade paper is used both for adornment and pages, attached with a running stitch which is threaded back into the sewing holes so that the two ends can be tied together. The single message greets the viewer right in the center. What does it mean? Well, ponder it for awhile, and notice your associations with the phrase, “Painfully Animal”. What does the term evoke for You?
Mixed Media Envelope Book: Work in Progress
This mixed media message piece has been underway, along with a number of bookish siblings, for over two years. It’s structure is cut and folded, like the first envelope book depicted in this post, and it’s graph paper pages stacked into a single signature, and sewn into the end fold with a running stitch as described above. The painstaking, step-by-step process of developing the book’s content requires time and focused attention.
Every bit of image and text must feel ‘right’ in how it looks, what it evokes and where it is placed in the book. The ‘story’ that emerges, however non-linear, is discovered in the doing as much by the artist, as it may be later by the observer. Time itself is one of the most significant materials used, as such a piece can’t be rushed.
In these works, many aspects of the creative process come into play: patience and impulse, technique and tension, methods and materials, effort and evocation.
The medium of the envelope book may be on a mission to become a missive to the outside world from the maker’s heart and soul, hands and head. If it gets a little heady, or crafty in-between, well, that might be just another aspect of this long strange trip we’re on.
Material World (4)
Material World (4)
One of the pleasures and deep satisfactions of bookmaking is delving into the visual, visceral, and tactile pleasures of materials. Though many artists do not make the kind of money that allows for indulgence in what might be termed, “material pleasures”, we may be seen as materialistic…for materials are the very warp and weft of our trade. We can find our way to the ineffable through immersion in the materials and techniques we choose to create with. Here I share some of my own investigation into the qualities inherent in materials that create texture. Though I am a visual artist, I find the sense of touch as powerful as that of sight, and am fascinated with how the two work together.
“A Stitch in Time Saves 9”, Flag Book, Title stitched onto flags, covers textured with crumpled tissue paper and adhesive, collage and repurposed beads stitched onto cover.
Textured Fan, covers covered with textured, painted and glazed paper, accordion spine made of repurposed Neutra VDL House brochure
“Brown Paper Bag”, Covers textured with crushed plain brown paper and brown paper bags, bound with hemp cord.
PaperPaintPlant, single signature binding, using paper containing plant material.
Teapot Book, Japanese Side Stab binding using thick highly textured handmade paper for covers, and drawing paper for pages, teapot rubber-stamped.
“Synesthesia” is “a rare neurological condition in which two or more of the senses entwine.”
The sense of sight and the sense of touch. How can we separate the two? Does something feel like what it looks like, or does it look like what it feels like? Powerful questions for anyone working in the visual, or any realm of communication and expression. Powerful stuff.
Material World (3)
Material World (3)
One of the pleasures and deep satisfactions of bookmaking is delving into the visual, visceral, and tactile pleasures of materials, and how to employ and combine them. The following shares one step of my journey exploring and investigating the qualities inherent in specific materials. Though many artists do not make the kind of money that allows for indulgence in what might be termed “material pleasures”, we can be seen as materialistic… for materials are the very warp and weft of our trade. We find our way to the ineffable through the use and exploitation of the materials we choose to create from.
The following books are created from basic but sturdy cardboard, the kind that drawing pads are attached to, wrapped with a felt that is made from recycled plastic bottles. That aspect alone would lend these pieces a feel-good quality, but the fact that they become warm, fuzzy and strongly tactile books for some reason is currently irresistible to me. Playing with the single signature bound book form in this way has been pure joy. All the books employ the pamphlet stitch.
WointerSuite: Gray
This is a multi-signature (gathering of folded pages) book structure, even though each signature is composed of a single folded page, stitched separately to a piece of felt that was then glued to the whole inside surface of the book. The pages are high quality drawing paper designed for pastels.
This piece is also a multi-signature structure, each signature composed of a single folded sheet, stitched separately to a strip of felt that was then glued to the spine. Two other cerulean blue sheets of felt were then glued to the inside surfaces of both covers. The pages are also pastel drawing paper, of a different sort. Yes, that is a working zipper on the spine. “Unzipped“? “All Zipped Up“?
WinterSuite: BabyPink
Fascinated by the use of Eco-fi felt, I wanted to see how felt pages would look and feel, and so bound this “BabyPink” book. It’s 6 pages are created from a single signature of 3 folded felt pieces, stitched to a strip of felt that was then glued to the spine. A piece of off-white felt was glued to the inside surface of each covers. The corners that were cut off the felt “wrapper” and other felt fragments were used for embellishment, in an effort to use the felt to its fullest. In this way, such activity becomes piece / peace work.
There is something primal about doing this… primal as regards to materials, and creating the basic form of covers, spine and pages. Even when open, the book remains mysterious and primordial form in feeling. It seems to start at the very beginning…
Material World (2)
Material World (2)
One of the pleasures and deep satisfactions of bookmaking, is delving into the visual, visceral, and tactile pleasures of materials, and how to employ and combine them. The following shares one step of my journey exploring and investigating the qualities inherent in materials. Though many artists do not make the kind of money that allows for indulgence in what might be termed, “material pleasures”, we may be seen as materialistic…for materials are the very warp and weft of our trade. We find our way to the ineffable through the use and exploitation of the materials we choose.
Front view…closed and tied.
Peeking open, ribbons wafting
An open book…
Seen from behind
Single signature binding with wrapped covers, collage, patterned paper from scrapbook pads, drawing paper, recycled shirt-weight cardboard covers, binding sewn with hemp cord, ribbon. Ribbon inserted through book, between cover board and wrapping and over spine.
Artists Books, The Book Arts, Bookbinding, Bookmaking, The Making of Books, however you want to put it, is fertile ground for this exploration/exploitation. In this sense, we are turning even our language on its proverbial head. For what might be seen as negative, such as materialism (being “materialistic”) and exploitation (making use of and benefiting from resources) becomes an act of creativity, imagination and exploration through this transformative process. Which becomes ultimately, an act of expression.
Material World (1)
Material World (1)
One of the pleasures and deep satisfactions of bookmaking, is delving into the visual, visceral, and tactile pleasures of materials, and how to employ and combine them. The following shares one step of my journey exploring and investigating the qualities inherent in materials. Though many artists do not make the kind of money that allows for indulgence in what might be termed, “material pleasures”, we may be seen as materialistic…for materials are the very warp and weft of our trade. We find our way to the ineffable through the use and exploitation of the materials we choose.
Three Books in Bows…all dressed up and ready to go. An exploration of textiles, papers, ribbons, beads, shells, repurposed materials, collage, hemp cord, jute, nylon and bindings. Textures created with tissue and brown wrapping paper and adhesive, layering of transparent material over collaged two-color cover, and stitching. Detail added with recycled and found beads, a treasured shell, and gauzy, glittery, patterned and woven ribbon.
Two Friends…My own version of an “art pauvre”, …a simple structure of humble, repurposed materials existing quietly in the world. Single signature binding of recycled graph paper pages, using jute cord, covers and spine made of recycled cardboard, covered with scraps of recycled cloth. Repurposed ornament stitched to front cover with hemp cord. The pleasures and mysteries of the seemingly mundane and everyday.
Unzipped…so named because there is a zipper stitched to the front cover…(to be depicted at a future time if a good picture can be made of it.) Another example of my expression of “art pauvre”. Single signature book with pages made from recycled paper, covers and spine made of recycled cardboard, covered with repurposed cloth. Jute cord used for binding, and to attach exterior cloth to covers. Interior cloth strips/insets glued on.
Zebra Book…Single signature binding with wrapped covers, patterned paper from scrapbook pads, recycled shirt-weigh cardboard covers, folded card stock weight spine, patterned gauze ribbon, embroidery thread used for sewing. Ribbon inserted through book, between cover board and wrapping.
Lace 2… Single signature binding with wrapped covers, collage, patterned paper from scrapbook pads, drawing paper, recycled shirt-weight cardboard covers, binding sewn with hemp cord, ribbon. Ribbon inserted through book, between cover board and wrapping and over spine.
Los Angeles, California, Single signature binding with wrapped covers, collage, maps printed on multipurpose paper, patterned paper from scrapbook pads, drawing paper, recycled shirt-weight cardboard covers, binding sewn with hemp cord, ribbon. Ribbon inserted through book, between cover board and wrapping and over spine.
Artists Books, The Book Arts, Bookbinding, Bookmaking, The Making of Books, however you want to put it, is fertile ground for this exploration/exploitation. In this sense, we are turning even our language on its proverbial head. For what might be seen as negative, such as materialism (being “materialistic”) and exploitation (making use of and benefiting from resources) becomes an act of creativity, imagination and exploration through this transformative process. Which becomes ultimately, an act of expression.
Artissima - Blog of ArtiFactory Studio 
