It has been over a year since I have touched this blog, I know. Busy and Sloth won out over Good Intentions, but now that things have settled, I am back. Over the last year we have had births and deaths, new jobs and retirements, steep learning curves, computer messes and a bit of banging my head against the wall, but I have always managed to fit studio time in somewhere.
So...now we play catch-up. I'll start with most recent work, just finished and photographed and ready to submit for Puget Sound Book Artists' 2016 show next summer. It is called Red, for obvious reasons. It is a small book (about 3 7/8" square) long stitch binding over tapes. I made my own book cloth from antique kimono silk, and made the tapes from kimono silk as well. I confess I do not know what kind of paper the signatures are made from. The paper is a friend's left-overs, snatched up by me because of its lovely texture and "sew-ability."
I am really fascinated with the work of artist Junko Oki. These little
studies are not me trying to emulate her work-- which is beautiful and
mysterious and unique-- but more me thinking about mending and patching
and being inspired by this artist. It was also time for me to justify my
hoard of red silk by actually using it.
For the 24 pages, I cut eleven small printing blocks, and 24 random pieces of red kimono liner silk. I set the silk on the page and printed over it, then after the ink dried, sewed the silk down with white thread. The sewing was rhythmic, but not preplanned. I just started in and continued until I was happy. I reused several of the blocks, but every page is unique due to the different shape of the scraps and the sewing.
On impulse, I sewed three silver bells to the spine. I love the tiny sound they make whenever I open the book.
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