Category: Book Making

Although I am retaining the idea of Alterations I have found myself following up ideas fairly randomly. It has been relaxing just going where an idea takes me without the focus on presenting a body of work. I did however in this haphazard fashion complete three books between playing with folds of paper with an eye to future projects.

Sample Book 2022

I had worked a sample book dated 2020 – 2021 last year and I thought that I would make one from 2022, so I printed 2cm fragments from plates designed and printed in that year and constructed this book. I shall try and do another book  for 2023, next January, with a different design and shapes of printed fragments. I like this idea and wonder why I hadn’t thought about it years ago! Too late now.

Unpicked Pleats

Here I took my favourite printing plate and printed it onto Hosho paper, that I had been experimenting with lately. Its a small book which sits in my hand.

Altered Messages

This set of five books began with the idea of predetermined sized stationery that many societies use, postcards, A4, A3 etc. I found a small envelope and it was a short jump to the messages that we place within them. I again used the Hosho paper as it folds down easily, made the envelopes from Indian cotton rag paper and designed a plate the correct size. I printed a series of five, each time removing a part of the plate so that the fifth print was just the bare bones of the design. 

Altered, until there was little left.

The envelopes were lined with painted tissue and the editions were printed to the covers.

I have recently discovered that it is possible to sign up to receive my blog. Go to the bottom right of this blog and enter your email address. I have no access to that information. The wonders of computing!

The Collaboration between myself and Fiona Dempster in Australia has been ongoing throughout this year, but because of our various commitments the exchanges have not been regular, but that doesn’t matter it is the spirit and commitment between us that is vital and joyful.

See here and here.

Fiona will, I’m sure write about her book, so here are a few notes about my fourth book, 

‘The Shape of Two Sides’

Over the years I have made several arrangements of ‘glued spine’ books. I particularly like the way that the pages can stand equally spaced out, forming a fan.  This arrangement reflects the Northern and Southern Hemispheres that Fiona and I inhabit whilst commenting on the collaboration.

Physically its a strong book, both in terms of structure and image

This book is a new variation and involved printing 56 pages for the two books. The printed page edges are derived from the print of lace, fully worked in the book “Shape Defines Purpose”.

The paper used is Somerset 250 gsm 

Book size is 6.5cm high and 31cm open

Covers are painted and mono printed paper with text and Fiona’s paper

And here is Fiona’s book, a beautiful strong book with delicate pages 

We have committed to two more books and I’m sure that we will continue to stretch ourselves as Book Artists.

I’ve been thinking much about alterations recently, it’s a theme that has often been considered during my years studying antique textiles. Today, much thought given today to up cycling textiles and clothing and the mending of clothing to prolong its life.

Being a post war baby these ideas have always been there for me, mending, reusing and restyling were a part of everyday life. Indeed the Brownies had a thrift badge and we were taught how to darn. I must have been less than ten. I then went on to make many of my clothes and soft furnishings and curtains. Many were altered over the years.

Many of my printing plates  have ‘life’ left in them as my editions of books are small and I have turned to the most recent of them to consider the theme of Alterations.

I have also been using a different paper to print on, Hosho, Japanese paper, 90gsm. Its been interesting using a different paper to my usual Somerset 250gsm, it’s softer, one side is slightly suede like and it takes a print beautifully.

Out of these thoughts came the book “Refashioning the Original”, it’s 13 x 6.5cm closed and I have used a printing plate designed from C18th heavily woven silk. The Hosho paper comes in a pad 38.5 x 28cm, which provides another challenge, to design a book different from my long concertina variations. It also has soft covers which is a departure for me.

I am often asked how I arrive at my different book structures, I play with paper, see my desk at the end of a session. The joy is being able to leave it all there until next time!