New Publications: Bibliomuse 1 & 2

I've been making books through Blurb Publishing for a number of years now. It is a great way to capture my art installations and my art series' on the printed page. My Blurb books are almost like little art exhibits that you can hold in your hands.

I just created two more Blurb books to get my last two series' on paper:

Bibliomuse 1 is a sub-series of KEEP: Modern Library. I created all of the pieces from 2016-2017 and they are entirely machine stitched. Obsessively machine stitched! You can read more about them here. Their creation culminated in an exhibit in Seager Gray Gallery in the Fall of 2017 (see images from that exhibit here). Seager Gray Gallery made a beautiful catalog and if you were lucky enough to get one then it will suffice. But, their distribution is limited so I decided to create a Blurb book in order to make the first Bibliomuse series more accessible.

Bibliomuse 2 is a series that I have just completed and that I've worked on in the last year, 2017-2018. In this sub-series of KEEP: Modern Library I return to hand stitching while continuing to look to discarded library books as inspiration. The new development in this series is that I'm dyeing/painting the linen with natural dyes such as woad, persimmon and walnut as well as india ink. This results is some more daring color juxtapositions with the cloth that I remove from the discarded library books. I had fun playing with color combinations in this series in addition to manipulating the size of imagery gleaned from the discarded library books. You can read more about Bibliomuse 2 in my last two posts here and here.

The Scandal of Silence, No. 1 - Bibliomuse 2 series

You can visit my Blurb page to see these two new publications as well as other books. 

In both my Bibliomuse 1 and Bibliomuse 2 Blurb books I include images of the discarded library books that act as my muses as well as all of the art pieces in each series, along with close ups so that you can see all that stitching! Both books also include statements about the sub-series'.

Theory of Collective Behavior, No. 1 - Bibliomuse 2 series

If you have ordered books through Blurb before you know that they are not inexpensive - this is the price to pay for on demand printing - they will print as many or as little as your want and if you only want one then the cost is higher than might be expected for a book of that size.

BUT, they have a product now that they call "magazine" quality and I love it! I was skeptical so I created a draft and ordered one and on receipt I was so very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the printing. The paper is thinner which results in a more casual feeling publication. Both the paper and cover are matte - which I really like. AND - my photographer was impressed and pleased with the printing - he has an eagle eye for color and often criticizes art books for poor color quality. The reason I'm explaining this is because the "magazine" quality has allowed me to keep the price down on these two new publications and I just wanted to be clear that they are a little different from my previous Blurb books. 
 

Genetics, Paleontology and Evolution, No. 1 - Bibliomuse series

 

I'm taking off for a trip to Tokyo in a few days and will have some copies of Bibliomuse 2 with me there at an event at Blue and White -  you can find me and the books there on January 12th. 

Everyone else can order copies at anytime from Blurb! 

I hope you enjoy them.

Bibliomuse 2: Books

In my last post I shared new work from my Bibliomuse 2 series - a subseries of KEEP: Modern Library.

 

At the end of the summer I had completed four wall pieces and now I have a mind to create artist's books to accompany each wall piece.

Here are the fruits of that labor:

 The Scandal of Silence, No. 2 

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 The Impact of the Social Science, No. 2

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Theory of Collective Behavior, No. 2

Accordion books are so versatile. I love how they can look similar to "regular" bound books.

Or, break into dance and become sculptural objects.

I'm on a roll with bookmaking lately and am enjoying the small scale.

I have been sharing my process over on Instagram so join me there on my instagram account if you'd like to follow along.

And, remember, I teach bookmaking and paper arts on-line on Creativebug.

There is a simple accordion book class as well as more complicated binding classes (Coptic and Japanese Side Sewn) - so check that out if you are getting the bookmaking bug like I have lately!

Bibliomuse 2 : a new phase

My Bibliomuse series is a sub-series of KEEP: Modern Library where I look to Japanese boro textiles and imagery from withdrawn library books for visual inspiration, and use old European linen and cloth from the covers of withdrawn library books as my materials. The image-making processes used are stenciling, block printing, image transfers, and occasionally graphite directly on the fabric.

You can see some images from the original KEEP: Modern Library series here and here; and the first Bibliomuse sub-series here; and by visiting my art website here.

Essential from KEEP: Modern Library series

Currently, I'm working on a new phase of the Bibliomuse series where I am experimenting with color combinations and dying the base-cloth, playing with the scale of imagery, and transferring images of woven cloth from the withdrawn library books on the fabric.

With the first Bibliomuse series I used the sewing machine and densely repeated back and forth stitching to create a unique texture on the base-cloth. 

Hemingway and the Art of Awareness 1-5 from the first Bibliomuse

In this new phase of the Bibliomuse series I'm hand stitching only.

Enough explanation! Here are the new pieces: 

Title: Theory of Collective Behavior, No. 1

Base cloth is lightly dyed with walnut dye.

Below is the withdrawn library book that is the muse for this piece, also entitled: Theory of Collective Behavior.

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Title: The Impact of the Social Sciences, No. 1

The base cloth of this piece is dyed with walnut and persimmon dye. The inspiration for this piece is the four dots that appear on the cover and the title page of the muse. I played around with blowing up the dots on the photocopier and then translating those images to block prints, stencils and image transfers.

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Title: Genetics, Paleontology and Evolution, No. 3

I used this book as my muse in the first Bibliomuse series and have returned to it here playing with the scale of the imagery and printing and drawing on old linen that is stained with india ink.

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I've resisted working with blue since my work is influenced by Japanese boro textiles: I want my work to reflect the lines, shapes, layering and textures of boro textiles but not look like boro textiles. However, after my trip to France this summer where I dyed old linen cloth in woad, I just couldn't resist working it into a new piece when I returned home.

Title: The Scandal of Silence, No. 1

Below is the muse. In addition to using the black bars as imagery in the piece I also referenced the faded squiggle mark on the cover of the book by making a stencil of the line and repeating it in the piece.

I'm currently working on making little fabric accordion books to match each of these pieces - things are getting really meta!

 While in France I acquired an old lab coat at a brocante and gave it a few dips in the woad vat while there and added imagery from The Scandal of Silence after returning to the studio. Maybe I'll make books and clothes to match each wall piece...

Bibliomuse at Seager Gray Gallery

Bibliomuse is a series of books, wall pieces and objects that are inspired by discarded/withdrawn library books.

Hemingway and the Art of Awareness, No. 2,3,4,5 & 6

Bibliomuse is a subseries of KEEP: Modern Library.

Genetics, Paleontology and Evolution, No. 1

In KEEP: Modern Library I looked to one withdrawn library book as my muse. That was: Records Management: A Collegiate Course in Filing Systems and Procedures. Imagery from that book floats through each piece in KEEP: Modern Library.

Genetics, Paleontology and Evolution, No. 2

In embarking upon the subseries Bibliomuse I looked to five additional books as my muses: How to Know the Mosses and Liverworts; Genetics Paleontology and Evolution; Incredible Truth; Manual of Scientific Russian; and The Art of Awareness.

How to Know the Mosses and Liverworts, No. 1 (detail)

 I have extracted, abstracted and repeated imagery from each of those titles throughout the new Bibliomuse series. The imagery is created with a mixture of stencils and image transfers.

Incredible Truth, No. 1 (detail)

The exhibit Bibliomuse is now up at Seager Gray Gallery in Mill Valley for the month of November, 2017.

Bibliomuse at Seager Gray Gallery

Each piece continues the exploration, started in my KEEP: Modern Library series, of what we keep, the different ways in which we keep things/thoughts/emotions, and when it is perhaps time to move those things along.

Manual of Scientific Russian, No. 1

Each piece utilizes bookcloth that is extracted from withdrawn library books. Wherever you see color in these pieces - it is old bookcloth. These pieces are all repeatedly, and rather excessively, machine stitched which creates a unique texture and a new textile. The base cloth is antique handspun/handwovern linen, backstrap woven cotton from Africa, and other reclaimed linen.

Bibliocubes, No. 1, 2 & 3

Seager Gray Gallery created a gorgeous catalog that is available by contacting the gallery. A digital version is also on the Issuu site here.

Bibliomuse at Seager Gray Gallery

If you are in the area I hope that you get a chance to stop by the gallery.

Summer Teaching 2017 - and a Spring Wrap Up

I pulled back from teaching this Spring so that I could dedicate as much time as possible to working in the studio on my Bibliomuse Series for an exhibit this Fall 2017 at Seager Gray Gallery.

It paid off since I was able to complete a few more pieces for the show - they are very labor intensive!

Incredible Truth

Above is a detail of a piece from the Bibliomuse Series called Incredible Truth.

I did teach a couple of workshops and thought I'd share some of the student work since I am teaching both workshops again this Summer at Cabrillo Arts and Handcraft Studio School.


In March, I taught a new class called Creative Textiles: Deconstruction, Reconstruction and Reuse at Cabrillo Arts (and will be teaching it again in July).

Essential - detail

This was a two-day workshop and was inspired by some of the processes I use in my own artwork. A couple of years ago I ran out of the old linen fabric that I use in my current work - but I did have an old farm dress hanging around that I had used in an installation. I realized that I probably was not going to use it as a dress anymore so made the move to cut it up and use the pieces in a wall piece. The first cuts were hard but then I was so glad that I did it. And, I discovered that the existing seams, hem, worn areas, and other elements inherent to the garment were a fabulous starting point for the piece. There were so many lines, curves and textures to react to. Below and above are details of the two pieces that I made out of that dress for my KEEP: Modern Library Series: Essential and Higbee.

Higbee - detial

For the Creative Textiles workshop I asked students to bring in old garments that were ready for re-purposing. We looked at images of Japanese boro textiles, Gee's Bend quilts, and artists that have worked with old clothes in their work, as inspiration. I taught some printing and image making techniques, some mending and embroidery stitches and then let the students fly! It was fun to see all of the different projects that emerged from the same points of inspiration.

student work - old waistband looking like shibori!

student work - reconstructed stripes

student work - men's shirt on delicates

student work - stitching on a t-shirt on a sweatshirt

Such creative work in that class and I'm teaching it again July 29th and 30th, 2017, at Cabrillo Arts.

The other workshop I taught was the tried and true Boro Sampler Book workshop but in a new location. My friend Rhiannon Alpers invited me to teach out of her studio space in San Francisco and it attracted some really talented students. They were artists, designers and creative business owners and needless to say their books were gorgeous.

I love how this student used Sally Fox fabric scraps as patches AND thread that she unraveled from the fabric:

student work - Sally Fox fabric and unraveled thread

And, more fabulous student work:

The next Boro Sampler Book workshop will be at Handcraft Studio School on July 15th, 2017. 

I'm traveling to Tennessee in a couple of weeks to teach at Arrowmont (class is waitlisted) and then to Shakerag to be a student! Really looking forward to both and will be sure to report back. 

Happy Summer of making to all and hope to see you in a workshop!

Spring Refresh

I thought it was about time for a visual refresh on the blog with a new banner. The previous banner had been on my blog since day one and was an image of a book underwater that I thought fit my studio name nicely. 

I took the picture many, many moons ago when I submerged a damaged library book, that had been in a flood, in a glass bowl filled with water in my backyard and walked around it snapping pics. Some very interesting images resulted from that little pre-iphone photo shoot and the images represented my studio for many years.

But, a change was long overdue. I replaced the banner with an image of a piece from my Bibliomuse Series: Genetics, Paleontology and Evolution, No. 1., that I felt reflected the artwork I was currently working on, as well as my related teachings.

Bibliomuse: Genetics, Paleontology and Evolution, No. 1

The Bibliomuse series is a sub-series of KEEP: Modern Library that I am currently working on. I will be having an exhibit entitled Bibliomuse at Seager Gray Gallery in November 2017.

Bibliomuse: Genetics, Paleontology and Evolution, No. 1 (detail)

The Bibliomuse series pieces are all machine stitched and they look to specific discarded library books as their muses. Imagery is extracted and abstracted from the literary muses and combined with various textiles and bookcloth that has been "skinned" from discarded library books.

 

Bibliomuse: Genetics, Paleontology and Evolution, No. 1 (detail)

I'll be sharing more about the Bibliomuse exhibit as that date approaches and I've been sharing snippets of works in progress on Instagram if you want to follow along.

Another addition to the blog is a sidebar image and link to my new book! Thank you to everyone who has purchased my book: The Boro Aesthetic: Books, Bags, Zakka and Zokin. I am so glad that people are enjoying and learning from it! It will continue to be available on Blurb and Amazon, and I will have copies with me at my in-person workshops.