by Elissa | Jul 6, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 13, 2022, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
In continuing with our tradition of choosing a theme for our meetings every year, the B.A.G. Board has selected the theme of Woven for 2022.
Weaving is one of the oldest surviving crafts in history, and is an integral part of all of our lives. We wear woven clothing, we sit on woven seats, we use and admire woven baskets.
In the paper and book world, there are many examples of paper weaving, woven book covers, and woven structures. Here are a few resources to get your brain churning:
The possibilities are kind of endless!
During the meetings this year, guest presenters will guide you through techniques to get you started on your woven explorations. The simplest methods can produce exciting results and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Program: Weave a House with Helen Hiebert
Paper artist extraordinaire Helen Hiebert learned to weave paper strips in grade school, but it wasn’t until she was in her 20’s that she decided to make some deviations! She started out by cutting curved strips, and then she came up with a way of cutting windows to expose various parts of the paper that would otherwise be hidden. She hopes you’ll discover some new tricks as you make a woven paper house with her.
Supplies:
- 2 sheets of text weight (not too thin) 8-1/2” x 11” paper that look good together, one decorative, one plain
- Cutting mat
- X-Acto knife
- Ruler
- Glue stick or PVA glue + 1/8” – 1/4” glue brush
- Small (5” x 5”) piece of thin, flexible plastic – like a piece of a yogurt or laundry container, or a flexible kitchen cutting mat (this is optional and will be used for cutting windows in the weaving
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
June Meeting Reflections
We haven’t done a real hands-on meeting for a while, and so I was super excited to learn a new structure. Luckily, Elissa is a seasoned professional instructor and led us through the steps for the Crossed Structure Binding, making it doable and fun.
We didn’t get to the weaving part yet, but I’m looking forward to finishing it at the August meeting. In the meantime, I’m going to fancify my cover with some extra weaving or embroidery on it.
Thanks, Elissa, for the extra clear instructions that made the meeting fly by, and thanks to everyone who showed up for it.
B.A.G. Library Corner
We all know summer is busy, and it can be tough to find the space to create. But that means these summer months are a great time for using up scraps to create mini journals!
Find inspiration to use in your own stash from Tina Walker’s journals, showcased in the Somerset Studio November/December 2017 issue. Walker’s theme of “let there be love” is some added inspiration for these times.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a B.A.G. library book in your possession from which you’d like to share something, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the selection here.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont’s annual member show is open now at Grand Isle Art Works through July 31. Our opening reception will be on July 6 from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Ann Joppe-Mercure will be leading a free zine-making workshop during the reception.
B.A.G. member Susan Smereka is teaching an Upcycled Journal Making workshop on July 17, from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. For more information or to register, visit the GIAW website.
*** Artistree Gallery is hosting another show in conjunction with the UNBOUND: VOL X exhibit (see below) – Cover to Cover: Book Lab Explorations.
Book Lab is a group of nine Vermont-based women who specialize in book arts. They meet regularly to critique one another’s work, collaborate on projects, and provide support as they explore the many ways a book can be art.
Book Lab members exhibiting work include B.A.G. members Rebecca Boardman, Elissa Campbell, Dorsey Hogg, Marilyn Gillis, Debra Kraemer, Ann Joppe-Mercure, Vera Ryerbach, Penne Tompkins, and Marcia Vogler. Each artist is exhibiting her own work, along with collaborative pieces they have co-created.
For more information, visit the Artistree website.
*** Vermont book artists and the Book Arts Guild of Vermont are well represented at Art of the Book at the Rochester Public Library this year. This international juried show runs from June 27 through November 1.
Dorsey Hogg took 1st place in the altered book category with her work titled Words are Unruly, Carolyn Shattuck‘s work Quilters received an honorable mention in the book sculpture category, and Marcia Vogler received an honorable mention for Bird Totem in the artist’s book category. Congratulations!
Book Arts News
*** Now through July 16, Artistree Gallery is hosting their 10th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL X. This exhibit includes work by artists from the northeast looking to explore “the book” as concept, object, and format.
The broad theme of the exhibit encompasses all of the possibilities of what we may think or may not think a “book” is. Is it story? An entry to another world? An exploration? What does it indicate? This show looks to explore this idea of “the book” and all the ways artists use that format as a stepping-off point or as material to explore new ideas.
For more information, please visit the Artistree website.
*** North Country Studio Workshops in Bennington, VT is offering their next five-day intensive from January 24 -29, 2023 for artists and craftspeople in an atmosphere of discovery, energy, collaboration, and inspiration. There is a book artsy workshop that still has openings and may be of interest to you – The Artful Box with Mary Uthuppuru. Here’s the workshop description:
Construct a modified clamshell box. A box can enhance its contents or become an art piece of its own. Learn how to build a specific structure using a variety of decorative and assembly techniques. You will be encouraged to experiment and create components of the project drawing from personal inspiration. No special skills are required, just patience with a few techniques that require accuracy.
Registration is open now and historically, these workshops fill up fast. If you know that you want to take the workshop, don’t wait to enroll.
*** The Are You Book Enough theme for June was Weave, which worked out well with our theme for this year.
Whether you participated in last month’s challenge or not, it’s still worth checking out the submissions for some woven inspiration.
Check out hashtags #areyoubookenough and #areyoubookenough_weave to see the wonderful work that was created. The approaches are so varied!
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering the Rough & Tumble Ergonomic Notebook with Karen Hanmer on July 16 & 17.
More traditionally called a “limp paper case,” this binding has its origins in the limp parchment cases of antiquity. This update is flexible enough to read on the beach, yet sturdy enough to throw in a backpack. The rounded, breakaway spine feels great in the hand, keeps its shape with repeated use, and ensures the book will open fully. The folded “yapp” fore edge protects the pages at the open edge of the book.
Sewing on tapes keeps the text block square and organized while it is being constructed, and later fortifies the attachment of the text block to the case. The hooked endsheets allow complete opening at the title page.
Best of all, the book can be made in a sparsely-equipped home studio. You’ll have so much fun making and using this book you’ll forget you are learning foundational bookbinding skills. This workshop is appropriate for intermediate binders, beginners who are ready for a fast-paced workout, and anyone who wants to add another quick and sturdy binding to their repertoire.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** The San Francisco Center for the Book is offering The Magic of Sewing Cards with Rosae Reeder on July 22 & 27.
The sewing card is a wonderful aid in learning how to master a simple to difficult sewing. Practicing the mechanics of any sewing on a piece of two-dimensional card is tantamount to working on an actual book.
Learn how to prepare and make sewing cards for a few different types of book structures in the first session. Take what you have learned and apply it to making an actual book in the second session. Students will choose which book to make once we have completed several types of sewing cards.
For more information or to register please visit the SFCB website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Pop-Up Curious? Explore Dimension! with Shawn Sheehy on July 26.
Do you look at pop-up books and wonder how they are engineered? Do you make greeting cards and harbor the desire to make your cards more spectacular? Do you make artist’s books and yearn to introduce dimension and animation? Even if you are simply compelled to read this description, you might be POP-UP CURIOUS.
This class—with a focus on dimension—will explore the fundamentals of paper engineering that address pop-ups. You’ll build a series of simple models using the tools, techniques, and materials of the trade. You’ll examine trade pop-up books that show how the structures have been used. When finished, you’ll bind your models into a simple case. This quick beginner class is an entertaining gateway into more advanced study. All are welcome!
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
by Elissa | Jun 2, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 8, 2022, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
In continuing with our tradition of choosing a theme for our meetings every year, the B.A.G. Board has selected the theme of Woven for 2022.
Weaving is one of the oldest surviving crafts in history, and is an integral part of all of our lives. We wear woven clothing, we sit on woven seats, we use and admire woven baskets.
In the paper and book world, there are many examples of paper weaving, woven book covers, and woven structures. Here are a few resources to get your brain churning:
The possibilities are kind of endless!
During the meetings this year, guest presenters will guide you through techniques to get you started on your woven explorations. The simplest methods can produce exciting results and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Program: Crossed Structure Binding – Linked Variation with Elissa Campbell
The Crossed Structure binding is intriguing in that the sewing is done directly onto back cover straps that integrate into the front cover. This non-adhesive variation on the long stitch was developed by book artist Carmencho Arregui after studying pre-16th century bindings.
In June’s meeting, Elissa Campbell will teach you a variation of this binding. As time allows, you’ll add stitching to the covers to both reinforce the structure and add a decorative touch.
Supplies:
- 4 pieces of text weight paper: 4.75″ x 6.25″
- 2 pieces cover material (leather, heavy fabric, vinyl): 8″ x 4.75″
- 3 pieces sewing thread in the following lengths: 62″, 6″, 25″
- 1 piece cover weight paper: 4.75″ x 8″
- 1 piece cover weight paper: 1.5″ x 4.75″
- 1 piece cover weight paper: 1″ x 2″
Tools:
- Bone folder
- Scissors
- X-Acto knife
- Metal ruler Awl
- Cutting mat
- Bookbinding or tapestry needle
- Japanese screw punch or other leather punch (optional)
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
May Meeting Reflections
I was very inspired by our meeting’s presenter, paper artist Karen Kreiger. As she pulled out beautiful work to show us, I really got a sense of how she arranged images in and around her weaving. And then, oh my, she added stitching! Could the work speak to me any more personally? A woven, stitched rolling pin! As a former baker, I need one of my own.
Here are my favorite take-aways:
- A dot of red fixes everything
- Dots make me happy
- Insert scraps into cut out windows
- Cut patterns into the ‘weft’
- Stitch on top of weaving
- And finally, organize your scraps (no matter how small) by color in small boxes.
Believe me, I have tried organizing my scraps, but somehow serendipity helps me to find the right one, even if they’re not so organized.
Thanks to all who showed up on screen, and thanks especially to Karen for a totally enjoyable and inspirational evening.
B.A.G. Library Corner
This month we’re taking a step back from how-to’s and looking at the conceptual process involved in bookmaking, or any art. In his introduction to Structure of the Visual Book, the illustrious Keith Smith takes us through his thought process and approach to making artist books.
Written as ponderously as his process, he describes his first foray into bookmaking and how he learned to see his subject matter.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a library book in your possession you’d like to share something from, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the selection here.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is pleased to announce our annual member show at Grand Isle Art Works! The dates of the exhibit are July 1 – July 30 and our opening reception will be on July 6.
The submission deadline is June 17 and B.A.G. members can submit up to two pieces for the show. We’ll have a space devoted to zines, and you can submit zines in addition to the two pieces, without any limit.
Ann Joppe-Mercure will be doing a workshop at GIAW in conjunction with the show. If you’re interested in doing something similar, please contact Ann at joppemercure@gmail.com.
The submission form can be downloaded here.
We’d love to have your work in the show!
*** On June 10, Writers as Artists will showcase the work of award winning book artists/writers Beth Kephart and B.A.G. member Nina Gaby and award winning writer/sculptor Abigail Thomas.
The event will be held at Nancy’s Artisanal Creamery and Coffee House at 297 Tinker Street in Woodstock, NY.
Book Arts News
*** Artistree Gallery is accepting submissions for their 10th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL X. The theme of the show is simple – art using books as a material or a format. Visitors will have an opportunity to examine curious folios, recent grimoires, tomes turned to sculpture and some works having a relation to “books” in concept only.
This exhibition is for artists working in all traditional and non-traditional 2D (wall mounted) and 3D media, who are working in Vermont or New Hampshire and are 18 years of age or older. All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution.
The deadline for submission is June 4, 2022. All submissions must be made through their online entry form.
For more information, please visit the Artistree website. Please contact exhibits@artistreevt.org with any questions.
*** North Country Studio Workshops in Bennington, VT is offering their next five-day intensive from January 24 -29, 2023 for artists and craftspeople in an atmosphere of discovery, energy, collaboration, and inspiration. There are two book artsy workshops that may be of interest to you:
The first is North Country Shifu with Velma Bolyard. Here’s the workshop description:
Experience the Japanese craft tradition of spun and woven paper textile called shifu. Make deep connections to place through text, textile (shifu), book, and paper. Haptic experiences will include experimental mark making, hand spinning, loom building, weaving, book construction, papermaking, dyeing, and stitching. You will leave with a wonderful book and a passel of techniques that you can add to your paper and fiber toolkit.
The next is The Artful Box with Mary Uthuppuru. Here’s the workshop description:
Construct a modified clamshell box. A box can enhance its contents or become an art piece of its own. Learn how to build a specific structure using a variety of decorative and assembly techniques. You will be encouraged to experiment and create components of the project drawing from personal inspiration. No special skills are required, just patience with a few techniques that require accuracy.
Registration opens on June 15 and historically, these workshops fill up fast. If you know that you want to take either of these workshops, don’t wait to enroll. There are a number of scholarships available if you need financial assistance. Applications are being accepted now through June 6.
*** The Are You Book Enough theme for June happens to be Weave, which works out well with our theme for this year. If you’re working on a book that has a woven element, then this is your month to submit to the Instagram challenge.
Use hashtag #areyoubookenough_weave if you participate. It most certainly will be inspirational to look at the work submitted using this theme. You can also check out past work by using the hashtag #areyoubookenough.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering the Dove Dale Limp Case: A Sympathetic Update of an 1884 Binding with Karen Hanmer on June 11.
Edward Marston’s 1884 An Amateur Angler’s Days in Dove Dale: Or, How I Spent My Three Weeks’ Holiday was issued in a simple folded limp vellum case printed in two colors. We will examine two examples from this edition of 100 before creating a low-adhesive, facsimile-ish version in a limp paper case. This case can be made of any decorative text-weight paper.
The resulting book is lightweight, elegant, opens well, and can be made quickly and easily with no specialized tools or materials. This workshop is appropriate for intermediate binders, beginners who are ready for a fast-paced workout, and anyone who wants to add another limp case to their repertoire.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** The Frederick Book Arts Center is offering Islamic Bookbinding with Nic Heersema on June 16, 21, 23, 28, 30, and July 5 & 7.
Islamic bookbinding is one of the styles that developed in the Middle East before the 17th century. Used for everything from richly-decorated Qur’ans to scientific treatises, this style of bookbinding is recognizable by the pentagonal envelope flap.
This style of bookbinding is recommended for advanced beginners or intermediate/advanced bookbinders who have some experience with kettle stitches, endband sewing, and general bookbinding techniques.
This seven-class workshop series walks through all the stages of making a book in the Islamic style. Due to the nature of these classes some are planned to have longer slots of time then others to accommodate drying times and other waiting times.
For more information or to register, please visit the FBAC website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Drum Leaf Binding with Karen Hanmer on June 29.
Developed by Tim Ely, the drum leaf binding has features in common with multiple preexisting Eastern and Western book structures. This adhesive binding is a perfect structure for printmakers, photographers, or anyone who desires to present visual narratives with no sewing thread to interrupt the flow of imagery. Because a drum leaf book is not laid out in signatures but made of single-sided folios, the complexities of imposition are not encountered when laying out text.
The binding opens flat and can be dressed up or down with a variety of spine treatments, board-covering materials, and edge decoration techniques. It can be constructed quickly, lends itself to edition work, and can be made in a sparsely equipped home studio.
In this virtual workshop, build skills working with common bookbinding tools, materials, techniques, and principles such as grain direction, folding signatures, tidy application of adhesive, and measuring one component of the book to fit another. This fast-paced workshop is appropriate for intermediate binders and beginners who are ready for their next challenge.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
by Elissa | Apr 6, 2020 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
We hope that you’re managing to hang in there during these crazy times. Please let us know how you’re doing and what you’re up to – we can share your messages with other members to help us stay connected.
In order to secure the health of our members and the community, the B.A.G. Board has decided to cancel the April meeting. As of now, we don’t know if there will be a May meeting.
We’ll be watching how things progress over the coming weeks and determine when it’s safe to resume our meetings. We’ll stay in touch with updates.
Stay safe and sane!
The B.A.G. Board
Looking for book artsy things to do while stuck at home?
*** From April 15 – May 20, Helen Hiebert is teaching an online class, Flexible Book Structures. Join Helen in creating a series of flexible book structures that fold and unfold, collapse and expand, and feature innovative attachments and connections.
You’ll create six book objects, the equivalent of a weeklong workshop during this 6-week class. A new lesson will be in the classroom each Wednesday, and you can work from the comfort of your own home or studio at any time throughout the week. Hop into the online classroom anytime to ask questions and share your projects and ideas in a supportive and creative on-line community.
For more information or to register, visit Helen’s website.
*** The Center for Book Arts also has a selection of online classes throughout the month of April. These classes are offered with a suggested donation, which will be used to pay the instructor and to cover the class expenses.
Here are two that might be of interest:
April 14, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: During the Quarantine Book class with Johanna Maierski, you will learn how to make your own handmade quarantine book using found materials.
Students are encouraged to use found materials in their home: invoices they don’t want to pay, scrap paper, love letters, old leaves from their Monstera plants, fabric, plastic foil, yarn, needles, hammers, clips, etc.
The class will also serve as a space for seeking advice on bookmaking techniques and learning the different kind of zines formations to produce their own quarantine book. The class also includes a discussion of the materials gathered by the class, to collaboratively find a solution for binding for each individual project.
For more information or to register, click here.
April 14 & 21, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: In Artist Books & The Everyday with Ben Denzer, students will conceive and create their own artist books using the everyday materials they are currently quarantined with.
In the first session, Ben will introduce a working definition of the term “Artist Book,” share a survey of historical examples, and detail basic bookmaking techniques. A discussion will follow, along with each student describing their initial ideas and available materials.
Between sessions, Ben will be available for one-on-one conversations to give feedback and construction advice.
In the second session, each student will share their completed artist book in a group critique.
For more information or to register, click here.
*** The Guild of Book Workers‘ Board of Directors has generously decided to make all videos on the Guild of Book Workers’ Vimeo page available to rent, FREE of charge for the next month. This offer is open to everyone, regardless of membership status.
Enter the code GBW4FREE during checkout to reduce the cost of the rental to $0.00. Rentals are available as streaming content for 7 days. This code will expire on April 17, 2020.
If you have any difficulty using this promo code, please contact GBW President Bexx Caswell-Olson.Technical questions relating to the Vimeo website should be directed to Vimeo.
*** Check out the monthly Are You Book Enough challenge on Instagram. The rules are simple – create a book based on the monthly theme and post it on Instagram using the assigned tags. This month’s theme is Machine and you’ve got the whole month to work on something!
The project has been going on for over 3 years and even if you’re not going to participate, there are wonderful books to look at if you search for #areyoubookenough.
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.
Now is a great time to get to work on a piece! Don’t you have more time on your hands?
