#this has me really inspired for my next bookbinding projects

[cilantroodon]

[ID: Painting of an open, handwritten book, propped open by a flap on its cover. End ID.]

Master of Saints Severinus and Sossius - Madonna and Child. Detail. 1470

[erosia-rhodes]

It took me 14 months to write my fic, but it only took 2 months to turn it into this:

That’s right, y’all. I learned the art of bookbinding. This is the dark path fic writing can lead you down. I wanted a copy of my 220K-word monstrosity on my shelf, but paying to have it bound is illegal. (Damn you, intellectual property law!) When I learned I’d have to make it myself, I was like, are you fucking kidding me? No way. That is insane. Then 24 hours later I was like, okay, I guess I’m learning bookbinding? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Then I started to enjoy it! Rejecting a life of crime gave me a new hobby. And it does look nice sitting on the shelf next to the Scholomance series that inspired it.

It really is gorgeous to me, mostly because I created the whole thing from concept to hardcase. I wrote the story, created the typeset, designed the cover, and bound it—all by myself! I feel a bit like Gwen Higgins creating that healing patch for El: tilling the soil, planting the linen seeds, spinning it into thread, and then weaving it into a patch. (Okay, I didn’t make the paper or the ink or the heat transfer vinyl, but we have to set boundaries somewhere.)

It was rather exhausting though. I feel like I’ve completed a never-ending quest full of side missions that each required a different set of skills and required me to obtain a wide variety of obscure supplies. I also spent a bunch of money that I don’t really have, which makes this the most expensive book I’ve ever owned BY FAR, which is ridiculous because all the flaws in its construction undoubtedly decrease its value. It cost so much that I feel obligated to bind a whole bunch of more books to bring down the average cost per project. That, or I’ll have to eat all the supplies instead of buying groceries next month.

I plan on writing a series of posts about how I made this thing, including all my trips to the hardware store, the fraudster on Amazon who sent me weird paper, and my newfound love for craft knives and bone folders. When I do, I’ll post the links down below.

In the meantime, if anyone has an urge to bind a copy of my fic themselves, here are links to zip files of the signatures and the cover images: Spellbreaker signatures | Spellbreaker cover images

Oh, and here’s a link to the fic on AO3. Spellbreaker: A Scholomance Sequel by Erosia Rhodes. Enjoy!

[panharmonium]

Bookbinding: The New Deal by Closer

Moar bookbinding! This one is a Suits fanfic that I bound for @brambleberrycottage's birthday (pictures shared with the author's permission).

[Same disclaimer as always applies: I do this for fun; no money has been made from this project!]

Notes on the binding: This was my third leather book, but my first time sewing on cords (my previous leather books were both split boards). The actual sewing process was definitely...something. Sewing is usually my favorite step of a bind, but not this time. (Possibly because I was sitting on the floor at the base of the stairs sewing the book on a shelf under my desk, as that was the easiest sewing frame hack I could come up with - once I rig something that will allow me to sit up like a human being and not be scrunched up like a hermit crab, I am sure I will enjoy the process more.)

So the sewing itself was a bit painful, but I did really love how the board attachment played out in the end, with the cords laced into the boards. It is SO satisfying not to be doing case bindings anymore! It's the same feeling of relief I had when I first learned how to do split board bindings - you have so much more control over the placement of the cover boards, so much less opportunity for skew, so much more stability. No more casing-in anxiety necessary. (You do acquire all-new steps to be anxious about, but for me, it's worth it).

Notes on the design: I've never actually watched Suits, but the fic itself takes place in and around Harvard Law, so I used that as my inspiration for the book's design. The book is covered in crimson leather from Siegel. Endbands are handsewn with metallic red and gold threads. The blind tooling on the cover is a street map of Cambridge, MA, which I drew onto tracing film and then tooled through the film onto the leather. (So far I've only used a foil quill heat pen to do this, because brass tools are expensive. I'm taking a class on traditional tooling soon and I'm VERY excited for it, but for now, this is what I have access to.)

The gold outlines in the design highlight the buildings of Harvard Law. (These lines are also not actual gold tooling - paint pen for now.)

^ early design work, featuring unsightly eraser smudges.

I followed a similar theme/color scheme for the interior. For the endpapers, I used acrylic paints and a dry sponge to make a crimson and gold pattern:

For the title page, I modified an image of Harvard's Veritas shield to display the fic's title and author.

The chapter headers may not immediately ping an association for anyone who doesn't live here/spend a lot of time on the T, but they were the first thing I came up with - they're designed to look like the signage for the Red Line, which is the subway route that serves Harvard Square.

Notes for future me: The one thing that went "wrong" with this bind was that the endpapers ended up being short at the foreedge. I knew this was going to happen before I pasted them down, but I had to make a choice between two undesirable results - the boards were already VERY slightly curved inwards after doing the fill-in, and if I used paste on the endpapers (so they would stretch), I was worried it would pull too hard as it dried and make the boards curve too much. But if I used PVA, the endpapers wouldn't stretch enough and would end up being short. I decided I would rather have short endpapers than warped boards, so that's what I went with, but next time I might try doing one less lining inside the boards and hope that the pastedown will handle more of the counterpull.

Despite little things like that, I had a great time with this! Every time I make something I learn new things, and every time something goes "wrong" it's good to look back and be like "ten years ago I was duct taping the spines of loose pages that I covered in cardstock! i'm doing fine, actually." Lots of progress has happened and lots of fun has been had, which is ultimately the point.

Big thank yous are owed to @brambleberrycottage for letting me send her all my bookbinding experiments, and also to Closer for a) writing this fic in the first place and b) okay'ing the sharing of photos! Much appreciation goes out to both of you :)

[spockandawe]

It's time! for! 2ha!!!!!!! I've had 'the husky and his white cat shizun' on my radar as a bookbinding project basically from the very start, back when I thought it was impossible that any of these danmei novels would ever be licensed for english translations. But this book is so long, and besides, the translation wasn't complete, so it went onto the backest of back burners. Until now! So, the book has been licensed. It's started releasing! As usual, please support these authors, they have a passionate english-speaking fanbase, and I very much want them to enjoy that success in a practical sense and not just an abstract one. And I also want more of these novels translated, haha. But the nature of licensing means I've also gotten a lot more interested in preserving prior translations in formats that can't casually be yoinked from the internet.

Now, this is a big novel. This was 1.1 million words. The stack of pressed text quarto blocks was over 15 inches, and once I added covers (very thick, for reasons I'm about to cover) and boxes, this thing was 22 inches long. Oh my god. This sustained effort naturally overlapped with an international trip and two crucially Important work presentations. I almost died. I had to split it into multiple boxes because I wasn't sure I could laminate boards thick enough to support so much weight at so much length and still cut it with any precision, lmao

And those covers? I took inspiration from notebooks I've sent with cover flaps like these, and also decided to see if I could incorporate the strip magnets I bought for peller box experiments and barely used. The downside that didn't make itself apparent until late in the construction process was that laminating boards to match this depth made the covers REAL thick, and difficult to cover with a crisp finish. Duo bookcloth can get wrinkly and fragile when it's wet, so it didn't entirely take me by surprise, but it's something I'll be accounting for next time I try this construction!

I tried to stick to a black and blue and silver color scheme, because it matches the book, but I also accepted some gold highlights on the endpapers. The duo bookcloth tends to photograph with a bit more brown in the color shift than I see in person, but I think it plays out well in person or in photos! The endpapers make for a nice striking pop when the book opens and don't blend into the cover fabric, which was something I definitely wanted to avoid.

And, speaking of thematically appropriate, I found this image for chapter headers that was almost perfect, but the wrong kind of flowers. So I did change those to haitang blosoms, haha. That happened early in the typesetting process, but I did also have that on my mind as I worked out decorations for the boxes! Mostly, I just titled what book of the novel it was on the top and left it there, but the very last detail I added was a pair of foil flowers done in pink and silver, on the outside edges of the boxes for book 1 and the extras. I finished that last night and then went to bed SO excited to take pictures in the morning. I really had an incredible time with this book, and the whole adventure reminded me just how much I love 2ha. I'm so happy I did this, I really had just an incredible time!!!!!

[flyinghome-againstthewind]

Hello to my fellow fic writer and question answerer! 7, 10, 37, 40

hello friendo! 🥰

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

I don't know that this is a particular strength of mine generally, but with Seaside as a 1940s + seaside inn au, I spent a lot of time figuring out how the 18th century places and characters and plots would fit in this world - like how instead of Jamie going to foster with his uncle Dougal, he goes to work for Colum and Dougal at Leoch, which is a hotel, and that's how he has his background for running the inn. We will get into this later in Seaside, but I also really enjoyed exploring how Jamie would be different if he'd had both parents and all of his siblings growing up and only lost his dad and brothers once they were all adults in the war. I'm proud of what I've come up with and hope that I'm able to get it all down on paper okay!

10. How do you decide what to write?

I'm interpreting this question on a basis of which fic to write, and despite that I currently have TWO active wips, I usually function best just writing one at a time lol. TBBFIY was started pretty much as soon as I binged Outlander for the first time, and so while I was working on that one, I really only wrote the occasional one-shot, and most of those were from participating in fandom fic events. I decided on Seaside as my next multi-chapter fic after TBBFIY because it was the most fleshed out idea of any of my unpublished wips, and I was eager to start it! But I think it's just generally a combination of whatever feels inspiring at the right moment (like when I'm close to wrapping up a longer wip) and if I feel like I have enough to get started.

37. Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it?

It's very likely because it was the first fic that was published since I started restricting access for my stories to just registered, and/or because it's newer, but Soften Every Edge feels very much like my underrated fic at the moment. This fic is a passion project for me, so I think that comes through in the story, and it has some of my best "Jamie and Claire raising their family" moments. If you like soft family and coupley moments, and less plot more vibes, this one is for you!

40. Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?

I'm very much pro-rereading fics but also tend to fall into the same trap that I do with books in that I feel like I should be reading what's on my tbr or marked for later lists before I keep rereading my faves. I reread shorter fics more frequently, and revisit my favorite parts in longer fics, but full rereads on long fics I don't manage as often as I'd like. I've gotten better though through starting bookbinding/ typesetting, and also as I've accepted that I will simply never be caught up on fic 😅

ask me fic questions! 🥰

[mistressdragonflame]

And now, for something different

Welp, the idea I had for my next two projects didn't pan out. So those are cannexed.

But I'm still ADHD fixated on bookbinding for the time, so I dug through some other AO3 works for inspiration.

I rediscovered a absolutely wonderful Dragon Age: Inquisition story, Dreaming Red by lizzledpink. A Cassandra/Varric, with focus on Cassandra. I absolutely loved this story when I read it a few years ago, and I think the book bind imagery will be absolutely wonderful.

So I checked if the Author allowed transformative works, and success! She does. Thus I made a typesetting for it, which took a bit. I also made a custom space breaker.

I know, perfection. It's smaller in the typeset, of course, so the tiny errors are invisible. Good enough for government work. (especially now) I scrubbed through for errors like I did Lionheart, fiddled with the format, and sent it to typeset.

(If you don't know, the series Dragon Age has a "Red Lyrium" which is a magical red rock that grows out of your skin and makes you a slave to an eternal Elvhen God. (Long story). This is a story based upon a failed alternative universe in which the two main characters die to it, and the in universe characters dream of that past life. Phenomenal story. I love me a strong female character lead, and Cassandra fits that bill so very well.)

Anyway, so I was thinking the book will be a black base, with white Inquisition eye sword thing, and have a red crystal boarders. I really want it in black leather, but I don't have any black leather, there is no leather shops on island, and it'd be three weeks before it came in the mail so thats out. Perhaps I have some fabric somewhere. I don't have the boarders made yet, but I did poke about the sword eye.

I yoinked the in game design, and played with either splitting it like the right image, or just leaving it whole and layering red font over. Both have their merits. I'm thus far going to try to keep it whole.

I did have to fuck around with the image in the Inkscape however, because its such a low resolution that the Cricut would probably explode trying to work it. It was a surprisingly pain in the ass.

For being black and white image, it refused to get a clear conversion. I had to get like 30 something colored layers to get it remotely good. And even then I had to go back through and clean up some random spikes that appeared within the tentacles.

Ugh.

But I eventually cleaned it up. So I should have a decent print when I carry it over, but first! Printing and squishing!

Till next time.

[frogsandfries]

Okay guys,

I mean, not that I talk a whole lot about this, but!

I finally, after much hemming and hawing, bought an external hard-drive. My google account has been bitching at me for about a year that I'm out of storage space, and I know, and it's been fine in the interim, but I know I have to get those things off the internet, and the best way to store them would be on some high gloss photo paper--ideally cotton, but ehh...

Then there's this new 'problem' I'm going to run into where, I'm finally tired of forgetting things that I've seen and appreciated, or liked, or been inspired by and I forget where I saw them. Where images originated is not so much the problem with reverse image search machines and even less of a problem when the artist (if it's an illustration or such) watermarks and/or signs their work. Imo, those are the best.

Anyway. I'm going to start grabbing and hoarding things. And I'm also going to eventually and periodically be working on sheets of the photos that I've taken over the years, as well as the images I've saved. Too bad about that Tealin/TwirlyNoodle/NocturnalSoldier Harry Potter a la Disney renaissance........ I mean, there's the wayback machine and kinda Pinterest, but the Photobucket is long, long gone and I would have liked to really practice and learn and study coloring illustrations with them. Ah well, it's too late to fix the past, but it's never too soon to learn from what is loved and lost.

Off on that tangent, I think I printed every single last one while I was in middle school, and I put them in a binder with every intention of coloring them and I'm still incredibly salty that that binder, thanks to my dad, is long, looonnngggg gone. That's not even the only thing, but we can talk about unreliable, untrustworthy parents some other day (probably never).

Oh man..... I have way too many gargantuan, life projects......my tumblr archive, my photo archive. And then there are the smaller-ish projects, my typesets, my AO3/fanfic hoard. Data data data.

Like, does anyone ever stand back from the internet and the cloud and all their social medias and just go, "Damn, I can not even visualize how many pages this would be"?

I fucking love bookbinding. I fucking love taking something that feels so......intangible, and doing my best to give it tangibility as well as ideally a different kind of life. Like, one day, these books are going to have no more context than them being books that are written in early 2000's English, and someone may still be able to pick them up and read them entirely without context.

It took me about ten years to fill my Google drive, mostly with pictures I think.

I can easily see it taking maybe seven years to fill it anew, and maybe five years the next time, and so forth.

Anyway, I bought an external hard drive. Now I just need to reign myself in/redirect myself occasionally, to make my pages of images, and I'm going to put the pages in, instead of each individual image. And one day, I'll get this book printed. One day, when it is a book--which, with a little focus, I'm certain it quickly will be. One, then another, another and another, until it is its own little library, a stack, a whole bookshelf. I was thinking a hundred pages at a time.

Not to pretend like my way of seeing the world, and my collection of things I found visually interesting or inspiring or humourous is special, but it's special to me, and I guess it's a semi-permissible way for me to hoard. Like, normally, one may hoard data in hard-drives, and maybe hoard those hard-drives. But what if one hoards books?

Anyway, whatever. I want to work on this typeset today, but maybe once I get the hard-drive, in the process of downloading my shit out of Google, I'll do a little work on the photo hoard. Don't look at me like that. I don't keep every single last image I take. I don't keep pocket photos or work pictures or duplicates.

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

A week full of weaving, sewing, and embroidery

It’s been a while since I’ve done arts and crafts. Lately I’ve been focused on drawing - traditional and digital - and improving my skills in that area. Journaling helps a lot in terms of that, especially when I’m trying to come up with creative spreads so it’s not just a wall of scribbled words. It’s amazing to see how much your art style has shifted over the course of several months.

I don’t know if I’ve found my art style yet but I’m starting to see what I tend to gravitate towards. I still have a lot to learn and the possibilities are endless. Who knows what my illustration style will be like a year from now?

Until Cecelia came to visit the camp earlier this week I hadn’t realized that it’s been forever since I last touched my sewing machine. Back in the day I used to make plushies with Cecelia for her shop when it was just starting out. It was a lot of fun creating cute plushie designs and then bringing them to life with fabric, thread, and stuffing. 

That’s what I love about art - taking a bunch of stuff and creating something new and unique with it. With nothing but a pencil and paper, anything’s possible!

Daisy Jane and Cecelia have been working together a lot now that Daisy Jane’s becoming more serious about opening her own shop. Cecelia’s been running Coconut’s Grove for over seven years, selling handmade goodies like jewelry, keychains, art prints, pins, stationery, and knitted goods. It’s a lot of work running your own business so mad respect for Cecelia being a pro at it.

To help Daisy Jane get some exposure as well as have a taste at what it’s like being an independent business owner, Cecelia wants her help to release some limited products for the holiday season. So for the past few weeks they’ve been designing notepads, clay pins, and sticker sheets.

By now most of the designs have been finalized so they’re pretty much ready for Cecelia’s next shop update. Daisy Jane’s art has really flourished since coming to the camp! It’s hard to believe that what was once a pipe dream for her is slowly becoming a reality.

With Cecelia here, I figured we should have an arts and crafts week. Since campsite events became a regular thing, arts and crafts day has been kinda put on the back burner. I didn’t realize how much I missed doing them until we started planning out this week.

Since I wanted it to be chill and low-key, I decided to spread it out to a week instead of just a weekend. I actually like it better that way, probably since my inspiration tends to come in spurts. So spreading things out over the course of a week gives me time to really get inspired as I prefer to think things over before starting. Also that means we can take on crafts that’ll take more than a day to complete like ceramics and textiles. 

This week’s arts and crafts themes are embroidery, sewing, and weaving. Other than cross stitch, I’m a newbie when it comes to embroidery. I don’t know why, but I never got around to learning how to embroider. I mean, I can do some basic stitches like the running stitch and blanket stitch but for whatever reason I never actually made something. It’s just one of those things that’s always been on my to-do list but ends up getting lost in the shuffle. At least now I got to finally give it a whirl!

In a way it’s kinda like drawing. A lot more freeing and enjoyable than cross stitch - probably because I don’t have a pattern to follow. It’s been years since I’ve done cross stitch and maybe I’ll pick it up again someday, but it looks like today’s not the day. Speaking of which, my mom’s picked up the hobby again after taking a break for a couple years. Now she’s halfway done with the project she’s working on and it’s looking great!

Weaving’s a new thing for most of us, except Cecelia and Maple. I’ve done basic weaving like with paper and the elastic band thingies as a kid, but not like with legit looms and such. It’s fascinating to watch and learn about, as well as watching those threads weave together into fabric. It takes patience but the end result is worth it! 

I’m definitely going to look more into weaving and textile making. I wasn’t sure if it’s something I’d be into but it’s got my attention. Maybe if I’m brave enough, one day I’ll tackle making an entire roll of fabric or a rug or something big. Maybe I’ll even try to make some intricate patterns if I’m feeling extra courageous. That’s something to consider in the future once I master the basics of weaving.

Sewing’s one of those things I occasionally enjoy doing even though I’m not the best at it. My mom’s like a professional, as in people - family, friends, acquaintances -  used to pay her to alter clothes. She’s the reason why me and my friends never had to get our clothes taken to a professional - because she’d alter our clothes for free. For someone with short legs - like me and my mom - pretty much most of our pants have to be cut. Same with Daisy Jane, Emmaline, Robin, Serena, etc. - short people who would be constantly tripping over pant legs if it wasn’t for my mom.

Aside from making plushies, I rarely use my sewing machine. I’ve learned the basics of altering clothes from my mom so if I need to, then I’ll use the machine. For the most part I prefer sewing by hand just because it’s easier. Aside from fabrics the only other time I’d sew is for bookbinding, usually a basic saddle stitch or coptic stitch. I think I do a decent job at sewing but compared to my mom, my stitches aren’t the most straight or even.

I try, but sometimes it just doesn’t want to come out right. Maybe that’s why I’ve been so reluctant to try embroidery. At least with embroidery the crooked stitches add to the charm, which I quite like. I find myself drawn to an art style that’s imperfect and clearly handmade because I think it gives character.

In between crafting sessions, we enjoyed the fall weather as much as we could. It’s getting cold now and most of the leaves have fallen. Maybe I’ll pick up knitting again and make mittens, scarves, or hats. If I’m really feeling it, maybe I’ll finally try to make a pair of socks.

Is it weird that I’ve been knitting for like, what fifteen years, and never ever made socks. Like most people associate knitting with socks because socks are, well, knitted. Except a) I don’t really like knitting with four needles and b) I’m not into socks. Also the yarn I have on hand isn’t suited for socks. Speaking of which, what yarn type/weight do you use for socks?

The weather this week has been on the warm side, so I’ve been embroidering outside. I’m living out the cottagecore aesthetic - as if I wasn’t kinda already doing that by living at the camp. There’s just something so peaceful about doing needlework outside, especially when inspired by nature. I can now see why embroidery is associated with fall - it just feels right.

Think of all the possibilities one can do with a needle and thread! I’ve just opened the door.

[trans-witch-cauldron]

You decide to needle felt because you enjoy that you get to stab things. You love it. You do it for so very long, and since you do 3D needle felting primarily, you oftentimes use cute amigurumi animals as inspiration pictures.

So then you decide to see if crocheting has any kick! It does. You have crochet hooks. You have So Much Yarn and it’s fun because you always wanted to buy pretty yarn but now you have an excuse to do so. The repetitive hand motions are great.

Yarn is really expensive, you think. Maybe I can save money by making my own! I’m always eyeing that gorgeous hand spun yarn I see, I should try it myself! So you do. You get a drop spindle and you get really pretty fiber and you learn how to make yarn. It’s very fun.

You want to make that gorgeous chunky corespun art yarn that you see on Etsy! But you know that it’s a nightmare to work with due to stitch definition. Maybe you’ll see if weaving has any kick! It will utilize all that texture, and you like the back and forth repetitive motion of weaving. Or maybe you’ll try nalbinding next! It’ll be a good way to use all your scrap yarn, and it doesn’t seem too hard. Maybe you could even practice woodworking more by making your own needle. Oh, and speaking of needles, you should try cross stitch! You have always wanted to, and it would give you something to do with the tapestry needle you have lying around! And also you’ve been meaning to try quilting, now that you think about needlework. Oh, and you want to try sewing stuffed animals and sewing your own clothes! It would be good to express yourself, and good for gifts. Gosh, you do like finding out about crafts that you didn’t know before. Oh!! Yes, you should try tatting lace! You’ve always absolutely loved the symmetry of doilies, but shuttle tatting should be easier than crocheting something that delicate because the shuttle is bigger and easier to hold! And while you’re at it, if you’re doing all of this, it might be good to write down your observations. Have you considered bookbinding and making paper? And also calligraphy and also making your own paints and pigments? Hm, you should consider that. And while we’re talking about paper, remember those paper beads you liked making? We should try beadwork jewelry! And wire wrapping and polymer clay and possibly metalsmithing. Maybe I should try macrame again, since I didn’t do much research the first time… oh, and that will give me something to do with rope if I try making more rope with natural fibers!

It’s been a couple years since you tried needle felting. Your life is consumed by hyperfixation craft hobbies, especially those that are fiber arts related. You have supplies everywhere. There is yarn everywhere. There is thread everywhere. There is wool everywhere. You have so many unfinished projects. You want to do everything constantly. You start a new project.

We love hyperfixations being the gateway drug to other hyperfixations

[deutscheshausnyu]

INTERVIEW WITH THORSTEN BAENSCH

Thorsten Baensch was born in Heide, Germany, in 1964. He has lived in Brussels since 1991 as an artist and publisher. Baensch has worked as a bookseller and book production manager in Cologne, Hamburg, Munich and New York. He studied painting in Brussels and Milan. In 1995, he established Bartleby & Co., through which he creates and publishes artists’ books and editions. His limited-edition books are in the collections of many prestigious institutions.

On November 15, 2018 at 6:00pm Deutsches Haus at NYU presented the exhibition opening by Thorsten Baensch. His exhibition “Winter Heroes” will be on view until March 2019.

In 1995, you established Bartleby & Co., which creates and publishes artists’ books and editions. What inspired you to establish such a project?

“Bartleby & Co.” developed gradually. My first edition from 1995 was inspired by Luc Richir, my former professor of philosophy at the Brussels “Académie des Beaux Arts”. Upon visiting a small exhibition displaying some of my drawing books, he asked me if I would like to work with him. He gave me a manuscript consisting solely of aphorisms, and I added my original drawings. We named the joint project, “La Quadrature du Ciel”. To me, making artists’ books seemed to be the perfect solution to combine three of my professional passions: bookselling (first trained as a bookseller), bookmaking (working as a production manager for a well-known German art publisher) and art (studying painting at the Art Academy in Brussels).

Certainly your project Bartleby & Co., helps you in networking and in facilitating the exchange of ideas with other artists. How does this collaboration inspire your own work and practice?

Over the years, collaborating with other “experts” has become the most important to me. What I truly like about making artists’ books is indeed the collaborative aspect. One cannot make a book all by one’s self. Writers, artists, printers, and bookbinders are all essential during the publishing process.

Your exhibition “Winter Heroes,” is currently on view at Deutsches Haus at NYU. Can you tell us how you developed the idea for this exhibition and how it was realized?

I like the idea that my books can be exhibited as specific objects of art without neglecting the richness of the content they are comprised of. For the show at Deutsches Haus, I tried to make a simple and movable exhibition featuring a few pages, quotations, laminated photographs and some other material of the two editions Neuköln “Heroes” and Nuclear Winter.

Besides the texts from these two very special artists' books, the work of two photographers is part of the exhibition. Can you tell us a little more about these collaborators?

Indeed, the show is featuring some elements of the book Neuköln “Heroes,” published in close collaboration with the two Parisian photographers, Benoît Grimbert and Hannah Darabi. In addition to a series of stills from the silent Billy Wilder film, “Menschen am Sonntag,” showing ordinary Berliners from the 1920’s, Benoît and Hannah present their photographs of people from Berlin-Neukölln today. “Nuclear Winter,” was done with Benoît Grimbert, with whom I’ve already made a few books, three of them feature famous iconic figures of pop.

Is there anything else you are reflecting on during your stay in New York City? Any new projects you are thinking of?

Yes indeed! From time to time I come to New York. Over the years – ever since I first came here in 1989 – I’ve made friends with various artists, many of who I’ve enjoyed intensive work relations. During my stay, I met the New York based artist-writer Richard Kostelanetz, with whom I recently finished a book project. We are now developing a new book idea.

I also met with Joe Scanlan, a visual artist who lectures at Princeton. Twelve years ago, we published the book “Two Views,” and this time we have propelled the idea of publishing a book based on a monumental series of 3000 drawings he made. Another friend, the painter Laleh Khorramian from Catskill, met up with me in New York City and we are dreaming of a new joint artist book.

What has been your most precious experience in New York City? What do you enjoy the most when you are here?

I love New York City. I also like to discover new places. This time, I “found” an old-fashioned sandwich shop called “Eisenberg,” near the Flatiron building at Madison Square. Another enjoyable experience was the great “Hilma af Klint” show at the Guggenheim Museum. I’ve never before heard about this early abstract painter from Sweden. I found her work astonishingly beautiful.

Where do you feel most creative? Indoors? Outdoors? Has a city ever captivated your imagination?

I get my best ideas in public places. I love sitting in cafes or bars with a note or sketch book. While observing the other guests, and if sitting next to a window, I watch the life outside, get into a meditative mood, and in this state, I get new ideas…

Are there any contemporary artists that you’re particularly interested in?

“Hilma af Klint” was a real discovery. I prefer “silent” artists and those who for some reason are underestimated. On the more famous side, I admire the work of the Austrian painter Maria Lassnig, who passed in 2014. I’m really inspired by the work of Joseph Beuys, and I truly appreciate the American artist Richard Prince.

[han-made-bookbinding]

Two Under Two...

So it would seem that having two children under two means there is not much time for anything else! In fact, finding enough time to brush my teeth has even been a challenge at times let alone getting any binding work done. 

Daughter number two, Winifred May (Winnie), was born in mid-November and the last seven weeks have shot by in a blur. Ivy has willingly jumped into the role of big sister however does need to be reminded on regular occasions that her sister probably doesn’t like having toys shoved into her mouth and ears. As much as we have tried it also seems to be impossible to get a decent picture of them together...(!)

On the run up to the birth, and the precious few quiet moments I have had since Winnie was born, I have been trying to keep on top of my work as best possible - actually a welcome release in amongst the chaos of parenthood! 

I currently have two bindings in progress, plus a hundred and one thoughts for new projects whirring around in my head (I have had plenty of thinking time whilst sat feeding Winnie!). The first of which is one I touched upon in a previous blog post, “British Birds”. I am at the embroidery stage of that one, having started with the outline work of the background first. I can’t wait to get started on the actual birds - I am saving that until last though as a sort of “treat”! 

The second is a binding of “The Noble Knight Paris & the Fair Vienne” by The Allen Press. The text is translated from French by William Caxton and is one of 130 copies printed on Val de Laga French paper. The text block is really lovely with little hand-coloured wood-engraved decorations on each of the pages.

The endpapers were inspired by these wood-engraved decorations and I decided to do some lino-cuts of the floral/leafy shapes that appear on the vines to the left of each page of the book. These were much larger than the prints on the pages but I thought it would be an effective way of tying in the endpapers with the text block.

I did many tests with each of the stamps until I was happy with the design and in the end chose to go for a repeat-print using a floral stamp. These papers will be further embellished with some colour and gold when the doublures are worked on. 

The text is love story between Paris the Knight and the maiden Vienne. I was struck by the idea of Paris jousting against his rivals for the admiration of Vienne. I thought that this would create a strong design and would mirror well across the cover with Paris appearing on the front cover and his rival on the back - their jousting poles I crossing the spine.

In the text it says that, "Alle other knightes there were knowen by their armes, but the two white knights were unknowen...Said Vienne, yonder two white knightes that bear no armes on their sheldes are more to my fantasie".

Paris is therefore depicted with a plain shield and in the story goes on to win a crystal shield and a gold garland of flowers, presented to him by Vienne. On the cover design she is seen standing on the spine section - the image taken from the wood block print in the text block. I drew her standing in the doorway to her castle, the castle being a much larger version of a wood block print that also features in the text block. 

The sample board has been embroidered and the book sewn and forwarded. I am now working on the book onlays and the next stage will be the embroidery of the covering leather.

I am also participating in COLLECT at the Saatchi Gallery at the start of February with Designer Bookbinders. COLLECT is the leading international art fair for contemporary objects presented by the Crafts Council. The show offers an unrivalled opportunity to see and buy exceptional contemporary craft by artists and makers represented by leading British and international galleries. Designer Bookbinders is of course not a gallery, but we have been given special dispensation by the Crafts Council to showcase bookbinding at this prestigious event. Subject to my binding getting through the selection panel it will be very exciting to be part of this.

“Collect will fill all three floors of the Saatchi Gallery from 2-6 February 2017, returning for its 13th edition with a fresh vision and revitalised look and feel. Collect profiles the exceptional skill and intellectual rigour behind modern craft from works in ceramics, glass, metal, wood and textiles to makers working in non-traditional materials with experimental techniques. At a time of unprecedented interest in craft, Collect connects the passion of collecting and the energy of making with a heightened awareness of design.

Works will be exhibited in a contemporary gallery setting during the five-day event, with a programme that includes a series of talks featuring leading craft thinkers, an exclusive preview of the latest acquisitions to the Crafts Council Collection ahead of a national tour, and an expanded Collect Open a dedicated showcase for concept-driven experimental craft.”

I am submitting a binding I did last year for inclusion, ‘Butterflies and Moths (British)’ - it is great I still have this one as I would definitely not have had time to make anything new! This binding was also featured in a blog post last year.

On a closing note I got a new tripod for Christmas that I am very excited to try out - I just need to finish a binding now in order to test it out properly! After struggling through for a couple of years with a ropy second-hand one it finally gave up the ghost at the end of last year. I have been photographing my bindings myself since I moved over to France, beforehand a friend was doing them for me. I had to learn the ropes myself so I could be self-sufficient whilst I was away and have kept up with this following my return to the UK. I have a method I try to stick to with the set-up and the photographs seem to do the job!

Hopefully in my next blog post I will be able to showcase some photos of bindings taken on my new tripod! In the meantime I better return to my other full-time job of being a mum...

[connorrenwick]

Where I Work: Zai Divecha

Zai Divecha is a Bay Area native artist based in San Francisco, California, whose creative explorations began with metal. After graduating from Yale (both undergrad and grad), the cycling enthusiast became a metalworker who just recently transitioned into working with paper. Now she’s creating small and large scale geometric works made from paper featuring repetitive pleat patterns. For this month’s Where I Work, Divecha opens the door to her shared studio space in the Dogpatch neighborhood for a look at her process.

What is your typical work style?

I’m a morning person, so I like to get my day started early. A few days a week, I get up at 5am to do a 30-mile bike ride before going into the studio. There are few things I love more than cycling. And going out at dawn — when the fog is still thick and the light is a cool, grayish blue — is the absolute best.

I usually get into the studio by 10am, and work until 7 or 8pm, taking breaks to chat with my studiomate or take Simi out for a walk. Some days end up being more computer- or admin-heavy; other days are more focused on making. Unless I’m really in the zone, my brain typically shuts off around 8pm, and I’m useless after that.

What’s your studio/work environment like?

The studio is bright, cozy, and clean. A huge skylight lets tons of light in. When we moved into this space, my studiomate and I laid the flooring ourselves, and we chose a pale gray color in order to bounce as much light as possible into the room. We mop the floors regularly to keep the dust under control. Lots of plants, candles, and furs make it feel cozy and welcoming. I’m a neat freak, so I need the surfaces around me to be clean in order to think clearly and feel creative. The less clutter I have in sight, the more focused and creative I am.

My studiomate Emi Grannis is a big part of my daily life. She’s a metalsmith who makes fine jewelry, and she’s also one of my very closest friends. Even though we each run our own separate businesses, Emi and I help each other out constantly throughout the day: she’ll take photos or videos of me working for my Instagram; I’ll help her draft tricky client emails. She’ll weigh in on my design decisions; I’ll help her triage her to-do list. We know each other’s strengths and needs, and we’re good at making the other person feel supported, focused, and happy. It’s pretty special. I don’t know where we’d be without each other.

How is your space organized/arranged?

We have a small studio space on the mezzanine level of a shared metal shop called ShopFloor. It’s located in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco, and it’s three blocks from where I live (best commute I’ve ever had). Our studio is 270 square feet, so it’s pretty compact. I have my little zone at one end of the room, Emi has her workspace in the middle, and at the back, we have a lounge area with a couch and a makeshift kitchen (mini fridge, microwave, tea kettle). The couch was a game-changer — having a soft, comfy place on which to take breaks (or naps!) means that our days can be longer, more productive, and more sustainable.

How long have you been in this space? Where did you work before that?

I’ve been working out of this building for two and a half years, but it’s only the last nine months that I’ve had this cozy studio space on the mezzanine level. Before that, I rented a bay on the ground floor, in the metal shop. I was making welded steel vessels and mosaic steel wall hangings at the time, so it afforded me easy access to the metal shop tools. But I didn’t have walls, private space, or heat, so while it was utilitarian, it was not particularly inspiring or comfortable.

But now that I’m primarily working with paper, a medium that doesn’t require any machinery at all, it’s been lovely to have a contained, quiet space away from the noise and grime of the metal shop. I have walls, heat and air conditioning, a comfy couch, and, of course, one of my best friends nearby, so I’m much happier and more productive now.

If you could change something about your workspace, what would it be?

A teeny bit more space would be nice. I routinely have to downsize my tools, prototypes, and projects in order to make space for everything.

Is there an office pet?

Yes! My dog Simi often comes with me to work. She’s a chill, low-key dog most of the time, but she’s become infamous for starting to hump her dog bed as soon as clients walk in. She can be a liability.

Do you require music in the background? If so, who are some favorites?

I tend to listen to downtempo electronic music when working. It needs to be melodic, hypnotic, and a little edgy. Nicolas Jaar, Chet Faker, Polo & Pan, Glass Animals, Zhu, and Alina Baraz come to mind. Here’s a playlist I made of my favorite songs for work. If I’m doing repetitive measuring, scoring, and folding, I’ll often put on a podcast to keep my brain engaged. The Guilty Feminist, Reply All, The Daily, and Planet Money are current favorites.

How do you record ideas?

I have all kinds of systems. I have a notebook that’s just for my daily to-do lists, I have a separate sketchbook for drawings and diagrams, and I have a series of digital notes that are synced across my devices.

Do you have an inspiration board? What’s on it right now? 

All of my inspiration boards are digital at the moment: I have dozens of Pinterest boards, and a number of Instagram collections of saved posts. Lately I’ve been saving things like 3D-printed ceramics, hand-carved wood home goods, geometric murals, blackwork tattoos, installation art, and parametric architecture.

What is your creative process and/or creative workflow like? Does it change every project or do you keep it the same?

I often start by examining prototypes and sample pleats I’ve made in the past. I hold them in my hands, and collapse and expand them. I imagine how they’d look or behave if I made changes to the pattern. What if I altered the angles or spacing of the pleats? What if I pinched it at one end, and let it fan open at the other? What if I made this out of a translucent Mylar instead of paper? What if I made a collage, where I put this pleat next to this other pleat? Then I’ll make a quick mock-up using scrap paper. I love that it’s so easy to prototype with paper. I can test out ideas quickly.

Once I have a plan, and I’ve figured out all the measurements, the execution is a series of repetitive motions: measuring out a grid, scoring lots of lines, and working with my hands to pleat the paper. I love settling into a meditative routine, and making only minor changes with each sheet of paper to optimize my efficiency and precision.

What kind of art/design/objects might you have scattered about the space?

A tiny painting of Point Reyes by Susan Hall, who’s a dear family friend. Ceramic pieces by Two Hands Full, Pinckney Clay, and ShanMan Clay Co. A half-moon shaped serving board I made out of Cocobolo wood. A concrete sculpture of hands by Rheal. Two brass Ganesh statues that my mother gave me when I was little. A sweet note that Emi left me one day. And a handful of items collected from nature: a Cholla cactus branch, an antler, and a dozen potted plants.

Are there tools and/or machinery in your space?

Now that I’m primarily working with paper, my tools have been pared down to just the most unassuming and lightweight ones: pencil, rulers, cutting mat, X-Acto knives, painter’s tape, needle and thread, and bone folder.

What tool(s) do you most enjoy using in the design process? The bone folder. It’s a bookbinding tool made out of bone that’s used to score paper. It lets me make precise, sharp folds. It feels smooth in my hand — so simple and primitive.

Let’s talk about how you’re wired. Tell us about your tech arsenal/devices.

I have an iPhone X, a MacBook Pro, and a Canon 5D Mark II with a few different lenses. I store all my notes, documents, and photos on Box, so they’re accessible from any device (I used to work at Box; old habits die hard). Instagram is my main marketing and sales tool, so I spend a fair amount of time on it.

What design software do you use, if any, and for what?

When I was doing metalworking, I used Illustrator and SketchUp to design wall hangings and prep vector files for lasercutting. Now that I’m working primarily with paper, my creative practice is blessedly analog! The less time I’m on the computer each day, the better.

Is there a favorite project/piece you’ve worked on?

I recently finished up a large hanging paper installation, and my partner Phil Reyneri added subtle light effects to it using Lightform, his company’s tool for projection-mapping. Each edge and facet was illuminated with projected light patterns.

Do you feel like you’ve “made it”? What has made you feel like you’ve become successful? At what moment/circumstances? Or what will it take to get there?

I definitely don’t feel like I’ve “made it.” I have so many things I still want to make, and so many goals I still want to hit. But I suspect I’ll always feel that way, even if I’m making a lot more money. There’s a famous cycling quote by Greg LeMond that I love: “It never gets easier, you just go faster.” I think this is true for running a business, too. I feel like I’m hustling just as much as I was three years ago, but when I compare the work I was making and the types of problems I was solving now, it’s clear that I’ve made a lot of progress.

Tell us about a current project you’re working on. What was the inspiration behind it?

I’m developing a series of smaller paper pieces with stitched red accents. The goal is to sell them framed in shadowboxes with glass fronts, so they’re ready to hang. I’m excited to offer pieces that are elegant but also accessible — at a price point that my friends could afford.

What’s on your desk right now?

I have a cutting mat, some rulers, a mug filled with pencils, pens, and X-Acto knives, a few pieces of pleated paper, my reading glasses, and my laptop. I try to keep it as bare-bones as possible.

Do you have anything in your home that you’ve designed/created?

Just a few random craft projects here and there. I have a set of ceramic fruit bowls I made in high school, and some dog beds that I sewed out of canvas drop cloth and painted (I made one for my studio and one for my home). One day, I’ll do a proper paper installation for our place!

Photos by Zai Divecha, Emi Grannis, Phil Reyneri, and Andy Wong.

via http://design-milk.com/

from WordPress https://connorrenwickblog.wordpress.com/2018/12/18/where-i-work-zai-divecha/

[flowermandalas]

How Art Makes You Stronger: Creativity and Madness

I’ve just returned from an incredible week at the Creativity and Madness conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and I wanted to share a little about the conference itself and what I presented there.

The conference is the creation of psychiatrist Dr. Barry Panter and Mary Lou Panter and is currently run by Dr. Panter and his wife, Jacqueline Berz Panter. Barry began it 35 years ago as a way for health and mental health professionals to receive and to present ideas on how artistic creativity and mental health are connected. This conference and the companion conference Women of Resilience happen twice a year in the U.S. and twice a year in other parts of the world.

The conference has been held in Santa Fe, San Francisco, New York, Boston, Washington, Hawaii, all of the major cities in Europe, as well as in South America, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Bali, and China. MDs, PhDs, Social Workers, MFTs, and other therapists and medical professionals can obtain continuing education hours by attending Creativity and Madness.

You can find out more about it here: http://ift.tt/2uAnowg

I’ve given presentations and workshops there five times. This year, my focus was on the psychological benefits of creative projects.

I’ve been engaged with both long-term and short-term creative projects most of my adult life, but I didn’t think much about their psychological benefits until I had a near-death experience while a PhD student in English in the early 1990s. I struggled with the meaning of the NDE and was prompted by a professor to write about it.

By creating a narrator, a story I was telling, and an imagined audience, I was able to examine the experience – which was both shattering and transformative – differently than I did in my day-to-day coping, in therapy, or in a support group I belonged to that focused on healing from trauma.

The psychological changes I experienced and the reintegration that took place while I was writing felt connected with the healing process I was undergoing in therapy. Sometimes the two intersected and sometimes they ran in parallel, but inevitably they intersected again in important ways. The image of the double helix seemed to best describe that relationship.

One of the most profound outcomes of this double-helix exploration of the near-death experience and its aftermath was that I abandoned my English PhD and returned to grad school to become a psychotherapist. (It was during my therapist training program that I first heard about the Creativity & Madness conference.)

People often make deep and long-lasting life changes when they work on creative projects. For my presentation in Santa Fe, I interviewed several artists about these changes, and I wanted to share some of their observations with you.

Meditative. “There’s a meditative aspect to having a practice, in my case painting. It allows me to be in the moment. It’s complex, but in a way that energizes. If I’m painting, I’m sane. If I’m not painting, I’m insane.”

Touchstone. “I like the touchstone effect. It’s something to go back to, to keep involved with the creative process. Without that, it’s too easy to get involved with the demands and responsibilities of my day job and how exhausting that can be.”

Nourishing. “I find a long-term project a source of nourishment I can go back to and reinvigorate myself. To see that portion of the journey and think, “Oh, wow, that’s great! I really did that? That came out really well.” Or to go back to another part and think, “I really struggled with that.” There are parts of this story I’ve worked on for well over a year, and I’ve taken leaps and leaps and leaps. And I’ve come back to it and I say, I didn’t really have a clue how I was going to do that, and it worked out well, and now it fits in here. I get nourishment from what I’ve completed, not only to complete what I’m doing, but also to push me to the next one. So, I find the journey is important, I agree, but I find going back to it keeps on giving back.”

Calming. I don’t know if this would be called self-hypnosis or not, but for me, writing fiction has a great calming effect. I forget time and hunger and fatigue and enter another, rejuvenating world.

Evolving. “A longer-term project is a process of becoming. The artwork evolves, but you evolve, too.”

Spiritual. “When you start a long-term project, there’s a lot of planning, and the goal is far away. It can be a spiritual journey, going from point A to point B. Just whipping something out in a day doesn’t have the same feeling.”

Transformative. “I think that the nature of making art – good art – requires going deeply within and getting in touch with your deepest feelings. This can be difficult – you might revisit past trauma or unpleasant situations. But it can also connect you with exalting joy and even bring on an extreme or altered state of consciousness.”

Sustaining. “With a long-term project, you create a companion within your own space that sustains you. If you have a project you’re working on, you’re not alone and you don’t feel lonely. I think there’s great solace in that. It’s a very deep relationship – like the relationship some people have with God.”

For more on the benefits of creative projects, you can download a PDF of the slides from my presentation here: http://ift.tt/2uT3rMB

I’m interested in your own experiences with art and transformation and hope to hear from you in the comments of this post.

More anon, David

P.S. If you find what you read here helpful, please forward it to others who might, too. Or click one of the buttons below.

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from How Art Makes You Stronger: Creativity and Madness

[guildofbookworkers-blog]

Review of My First Time at Standards

By Jackie Scott 

The Standards of Excellence Seminar took place in Las Vegas this year, from October 9-11. It was my first time attending, and as a second year student at the North Bennet Street School, it was an invaluable opportunity to network and absorb inspiration to take back with me to my last year of school.

I arrived to the Excalibur hotel, where the conference was held, on Thursday afternoon. The vendor room was open when I arrived, so after registering I headed over to check out the many treasures that were for sale. In addition to the leather vendors (Hewit, Harmatan, Pergamena, and Steve Siegel), there were tools and papers for sale from vendors such as Talas, the Japanese Paper Place, and Jim Croft, among many others. The American Academy of Bookbinding and the North Bennet Street School were also represented. I took a quick stock of the items I was most excited about and made a mental note of what to buy the next day.

On Thursday evening, a reception was held at University of Las Vegas. It was a great opportunity to see some old friends and meet new ones. I’m constantly amazed by how well connected the bookbinding community is, and how much everyone seems to enjoy reconnecting. As far as professional conferences go, Standards must be among one of the friendliest.  

My Friday morning began with a real shopping trip to the vendor room. Armed with my mental list from the day before, I hit up various vendors and purchased many wonderful bookbinding materials including leather, a miniature book in sheets from Rebecca Press, and some small tools. I tried hard to remember that both my pocketbook and luggage were limited, but with so many wonderful papers and the ability to see skins of leather in person, it was difficult to hold back.

The first session of the day was led by Emily Martin, proprietor of Naughty Dog Press and teacher at the University of Iowa Center for the Book. She demonstrated how to construct a carousel book using an abbreviated version of her artist book The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet as a model. I was particularly interested in this demo, as I have wanted to make a carousel book for a long time. Emily’s demonstration was very clear, and even included instruction on how to use the ink transfer mono-printing technique that she used to create the images in Romeo and Juliet. As a former printmaker, this was particularly interesting! For those who were unable to attend the conference but are interested in more in-depth overviews of the four sessions, keep an eye out for the next Guild newsletter. Write-ups of each of the sessions will be included!

After a mid-day snack of cookies and tea and some light bookish conversation, the day continued with Peter Geraty’s demonstration of the parchment over boards binding. Peter is the owner of Praxis Bindery in Westhampton, MA and has had a long career working for various binders and conservation labs in MA. An impressive undertaking for the allotted 90 minutes, Peter masterfully demonstrated how to work with a material that usually makes many bookbinders’ palms sweat.

While he wasn’t able to finish the binding for us, he was determined that the audience leave with a solid understanding of the structure, working untiringly past the 5:00 end time in order to take the book through the most crucial stages. The finished books he had on display were stunning, and I left the demonstration with lofty goal of using the parchment under my bench to attempt my own model.

Following the final session was a meet and greet, where attendees were encouraged to bring examples of their work. There was a huge range of books on show, from miniatures to fine bindings to big fat gothic and Coptic bindings.

My second night in Vegas consisted of what seemed like a ten-mile walk down the strip to the Bellagio (someone said during the trip that there is probably a circle of Hell where you are forced to do nothing but walk the Vegas strip forever), where we were greeted by one of the most ornate lobbies I’ve ever seen, complete with Chihuly sculptures and talking trees. The famous water fountain show was beautiful, but completely out-done by the fire show we saw the next night at the Mirage. I will spare you all the finer details of the rest of my walk down the strip. In short: lights, dance tunes, and scantily clad ladies wherever we turned. It was a truly strange and entertaining place for the Guild of Book Workers’ conference to be held.

Saturday morning’s session was given by Jana D'ambrogio, the Thomas F. Peterson Conservator for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries. Jana presented on historical letterlocking, a passion project of hers that has taken her as far as the Vatican to study how human kind has tried to keep their correspondence secret throughout history. She showed us many different anti-tampering devices including wax balls and paper daggers, and provided her own letters for us to both unlock and lock. Her fondness for the subject was infectious and I am looking forward to educating my faraway friends with my next correspondence!

Our final session was on the medieval girdle book structure, given by Renate Mesmer, Head of Conservation at the Folger Shakespeare Library. An entertaining end to the day, we were treated to an opening trombone fanfare from Jim Croft, who was decked out in medieval-style garb. Renate and her assistant were also dressed appropriately for the subject matter.

The session began with a brief history of the structure and then Renate took us through the making of the book, with side notes on materials and working methods from Jim Croft throughout. I purchased a goat split from Pergamena and look forward to working on my own girdle book model back in Boston.

After a power nap Saturday afternoon (Vegas’s non-stop energy really took it’s toll on me!), I made my way back to the conference rooms for the closing banquet. Everyone was dressed to the nines in some sort of creative medieval-inspired costume. Chela Metzger’s hand crafted shield was a highlight, as were the knit crowns that Colin Urbina brought for the North Bennet Street School gang to wear (lovingly knitted by Caitlyn Thompson). The banquet was certainly a high point of the trip for me. It was a joy to see the American Academy of Bookbinding graduates honored, as well as the Sam Ellenport and Julia Miller for their dedication to the craft of bookbinding. The bookbinding world is full of smart, creative and hard-working people, and many of them were together in one room that night. After dinner and awards, the live auction began. As a scholarship recipient, I was required to act as one of the “Vanas,” trying my hardest to make each auction item look as tantalizing as possible. The job was not too difficult, because there were some amazing things up for bid including one of Renate’s girdle books, the abbreviated Romeo and Juliet carousel book from Emily Martin, and a book that opens up into a rechargeable LED lamp. It seems as though we did well with our Vana task, because the Guild raised a great amount of money for the Standards scholarship fund.  

All-in-all, my trip to Vegas for Standards was well worth it. I was able to re-connect with former colleagues and teachers, make many new connections, and left with inspiration and goals for the remainder of my time at the North Bennet Street School. I am thankful that I was able to attend during my last year as a student, and plan on returning to many more conferences in future years.

[lmrillustrations]

Evaluation

At the start of this collaborative project, I felt that this project was quite out there and not really my style. So I was quite hesitant to start the project and see what the project was about. After I meet up with the group for the first time I realised how different and such a varied style each person brought to the group.  

The first group collaborative process was to create a series of images in relation to a music video. We all decided to use the music video Flashing Lights by Kanye west. This video was quite an odd one for me and really difficult to create illustrations from. I decided to focus on the girl in the video and also the skyline and the mountains in the music video. At the start of this, I initially created three paintings in response to this music video. I was really happy with how the paintings turned out and feel it captured the music video well. After the initial music video responses we had a Lino print workshop, I create a series of different styles of prints varying from one layer of ink to three. My Lino prints were inspired my the sky and the mountains in the music video. I also stayed in a similar colour palette with blue, red and purple.I’m not 100 percent happy with how they turned out. I have rarely done Lino printing so I’m not very confident in the technique. But it was a good experience and I learning the technique for the future.  

At this point there was no theme, we were creating work that didn’t link together well; due to the various styles. So we decided to meet up as a group outside the university and talk about our ideas and also visit an art gallery for some inspiration.This exhibition was very interesting and unique. Combining old items and creating sculptures from them. Another form of recycling in a way. This was a great starting point for the group and heavily inspired the final outcome.  

The next part of the project was focusing on a website. My group decided on the web site cold void. Our website was like a spider web, each time you click on one of the sections of the web it would break away. We discussed what the website made us feel and I was mostly inspired and used the word broken. Instead of a web, I saw cracks like a broken doll. So I started sketching and painting different broken dolls and broken masks. Also making a  broken doll mask.I found this really interesting as people interpreted the website in different ways, for example, I thought of broken dolls and others thought of spider webs or cracks etc..  

The last collaborative project was focused around the film Kings of the road. At the start of the film, I found it quite challenging to come up with illustrations to relate back to the film. I used bullet points to create a system of different ideas. I created four initial ideas. I created paper boats out of newspaper, paintings inspired by the scene from the film with the paper boats and also various sketches of scenes from the film.  

After the Christmas break, we visited the Museum and Art gallery and looked at an exhibition by Ryan Gander. At this exhibition, we were asked to create a WhatsApp group and talk and take pictures of the exhibition in different filters. This was a really interesting experiment, allowing each person to relate it back to their previous work and put their opinion across. A lot of the work related back really nicely which was surprising. After that, we had to create a short presentation about what we have discovered. Our presentation was a mix of collages of the photos we took and our work. I was really happy with our presentation and how we worked together in such little time to create an interesting few images. This presentation really helped our group decide on a theme for the book, It allowed the group to see what our work looks like together and how we can use a mixture of different styles and work to create a book.  

The next stage was all about what we want our book to be and also what it will look like. We first started looking how we will bind the book. Each person in the group created different styles of binding from the traditional Japanese bookbinding method to different types of folding. We collaboratively decided to go for a Japanese book binding would be a good option. We also decided to make the book landscape.  In our group, we decided to have around 30 pages, concertina letterpress print front cover and use different materials inside the book such as acetate, cartridge paper, printer paper and tracing paper.  It took the group a while to finalise a book concept or theme. After looking into different ideas and our work the group and I came up with the idea of purposely using unconventional methods (not the “proper way” of creating) to reflect the quotes from the film “I left it out on purpose”, “shouldn’t your headline have an explanation mark?” With a messy unedited feel with off centred images printing on the wrong page. With bits of the film running throughout the book linking back to the film.

Also to run alongside the book we made a video and a soundtrack to combine the element of publishing in the modern world with the traditional method of publishing. We all made a variety of different styles of GIFS using each other’s works and pieced them together in the form of a music video. The soundtrack was a collaboration with a sound engineer student which combined different parts of the film and music video. I am really proud of the music video and feel its looks professional.  

At the end of this project,  I am surprised at how the projected went and how the book and music video turned out. The style is so different to my usual work and made me look at different ways of working. How not everything has to be perfect and finished. How things I would not use or be thrown away could be used in some way.The group worked really well together and created a strong concept and book. I am really happy with how the book looks and also the video sets the book perfectly.  

[spockandawe]

ok you may have already posted about this but do you happen to have any good tips, tutorials or resources for formatting the fic you bind?

Sure!! I will say that the best resource is @renegadepublishing, which maintains a resources link in their sidebar, which was absolutely invaluable to me when I was starting out figuring out my workflow. I don't follow that same process now, but it was a big help in figuring out a process that I can do by heart now.

As far as tips go, I think... your choice of formatting tool should STRONGLY be informed by your priorities, because a lot of the functionality overlaps, but it's the strengths of the tools and the bells and whistles included that really affect what will be best for you.

For me, my biggest, biggest priority was being able to handle SIZE. I wanted to do cnovels from the start, and those are Beasts of the highest degree. I also didn't want to slow down to learn new things and was impatient (and still am) to finish a project once I settled on it, without having to mess around with functionality and look up resources. I started in google docs, because it was convenient. I moved to libreoffice because it was affordable (and google docs isn't meant for very long files. it chokes). But then I didn't know libreoffice commands offhand, so I moved to word, which I've been using since I was a kid.

I technically have an Affinity license, which will be great if I ever have inspiration for fancy layouts or imaginative formatting. I hope I do, someday!! But I haven't. It would be great to have access to indesign, but I think their licenses are exorbitantly priced, and my focus is too erratic to justify the cost, so I haven't touched it.

And, one additional tip, the imposer I'm linking has a lot of awesome functionality, and is a relatively new creation, so it doesn't show up in older bookbinding resource rec lists. Imposing is how to get your pages to print in the right order so that page two ends up next to page three once printed pages are folded in half and nested. The tools mentioned above (except gdocs?) have a basic built-in imposition/booklet function, but this imposer is MUCH more flexible in terms of paper size, and in terms of doing little books and getting multiple pages per printed sheet. If you wanted to do quarter-fold books, for example, that's a good place to go.

What else do I have. Highly recommend a KEYBOARD keyboard and a mouse instead of just laptop interfaces, if you're working from a laptop. I'm a little distracted right now and already late in responding to this, so nothing else is coming to minddddd right now. I hope that helps!! The tumblr I linked above is a great place to keep an eye on, though