VT Book Arts Guild “MailB.A.G.” March 2020
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 11, 2020, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement. Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Welcome to According to Accordions!
Often underestimated, the accordion book has more to it than meets the eye. This structure provides endless possibilities for construction, and multiple options for display and presentation. In our March meeting, we will continue with our multi-meeting exploration of the accordion book structure.
Prepare to be inspired by the versatility and potential of accordions!
Program: According to Accordions, Part 3 – Flag Books with Marcia Vogler
At the next B.A.G. meeting, Marcia Vogler will be teaching us how to make Flag Books. This structure literally builds on the accordion fold.
Originally developed by Hedi Kyle for her work April Diary, the foundation of the deceptively simple Flag Book structure is an accordion folded spine. Rows of flags attached to opposing sides of each of the spine’s “mountain” folds allow the artist to fragment and layer a number of complementary or contrasting images and narratives.
When read page by page, the viewer sees disjointed fragments of image and text. When the spine is pulled fully open, these fragments assemble a panoramic spread. This transformation is accompanied by a delightful flapping sound. The spine and covers provide opportunities for additional imagery.
– Karen Hanmer
Please bring more samples of accordion books to share!
All materials will be provided but if you are able, please bring the following:
- Cutting mat
- Straight edge or ruler
- X-Acto knife or the like
- Bone folder
- PVA, Fast Tack or other white glue and/or a glue stick
- Scissors
- Double-sided tape
- Small stamps or images to attach to your flags (1″ high)
If you don’t have any of these things, don’t worry extras will be available.
February Meeting Reflections
It was a full house for our second installment of According to Accordions, which featured the Star/Carousel structure. Becky Boardman showed us models and examples, then led us through the steps to make this multi-layered structure.
May I say how much I loved this? And it was the perfect little Valentine’s gift for my Valentine! I will come back to this structure again and again.
Thanks, Becky, and thanks to everyone who showed up. You are all ‘stars’.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Announcement: Spring/Summer member exhibit, Page Turners: Artist’s Books by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont
Our spring/summer exhibit will take place in June at ArtHound Gallery in Essex, Vermont. The theme, Page Turners, is open-ended, allowing for unlimited interpretation. All members are invited and encouraged to contribute new or old work.
This new gallery offers a beautiful space for the exhibit, surrounded by work from artisans all over Vermont. All work must be FOR SALE.
Here are some important dates:
- Entry due date: May 27, 2020. No entries will be accepted after this date. Artists are encouraged to bring work and appropriate paperwork to the May 13th B.A.G. meeting.
- Exhibit dates: June 6 – 30, 2020
- Opening reception: June 6, 2020. Times to be determined.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching The Moving Book – Pop-Up Basics at the Bayside Activity Center in Colchester, VT on March 21st.
If you want to add more magic to your cards and artist books, then give pop-ups a try! Also known as paper engineering, pop-ups use cuts and folds to create motion and energy in paper structures.
Through the creation of a series of pop-up cards, you’ll learn the basics of three-dimensional construction, including box supports, props, and straddles. You’ll then bind these cards into a book, which will become a handy reference for future work.
Register online or print out the registration form and mail it in.
Book Arts News
*** On April 3rd, Dartmouth College‘s Baker-Berry Library presents Skins to Draw on: A Parchment Making Demonstration with Jesse Meyer from Pergamena Leathers.
Parchment is a material made from animal skin; often calfskin, sheepskin, or goatskin. Its most common use is as a material for writing on, drawing on, for documents, notes, or the pages of a book, codex or manuscript. Jesse will demonstrate the techniques involved in the production of parchment, with participants trying their hands in the process. He’ll have lots of samples of his work for you to peruse along the way.
No registration necessary. Feel free to stop by Book Arts Room 21 from 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. to check it out.
To learn more about Pergamena visit their website.
*** Dartmouth College is also hosting An Evening with Graham Patten and his Convolutingly Engineered Books on May 18th from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Come spend a bit of time with bookbinder and conservator Graham Patten as he shows us his work, including his invention, the Continuously Convoluting Carousel. This multiplex carousel structure is the first of its kind. It can be inverted on itself indefinitely, revealing a sequence of four different hidden openings or displays. A variation on the Jacob’s Ladder toy, the Continuously Convoluting Carousel employs the same double-action hinges that gave the original toy its characteristically illusive motion.
We will look at a number of Patten’s incredible design bindings, while he takes us through his design process and show us how to make a simplified version of the structure.
No registration necessary. The presentation is being held in Book Arts Room 21 of Baker-Berry Library.
Book Arts Classes
*** Juliayn Coleman is offering Hand Bookbinding from August 30 – September 5 at Sunset Lodge on Lake Damariscotta, ME.
In this hands-on workshop, you will create three non-adhesive books. The structures will range from the earliest binding styles to contemporary, and they are geared towards beginner through intermediate skill levels.
In addition to the binding, you will explore three different ways to decorate paper for the covers of your books: paste paper, suminagashi, and plant printing. The goal is to create a harmonious set of beautiful books, learn simple structures that you can take home and repeat on your own, and let your creative mind explore the medium of book binding.
For more information, please visit the Sunset Lodge Workshops website.
*** The North Bennet Street School in Boston is offering Sewn Board & Drumleaf Binding with Amy Lapidow on Sunday, March 22nd.
The sewn board binding, is a great structure that uses minimal tools and is infinitely adaptable. Dress it up or down, and it opens flat! Its sibling, the drum leaf binding is akin to a board book and is perfect for images. You will make both in this course.
For more information, please visit the NBSS website.