by Elissa | Nov 3, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 9, 2016, 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.
Program: Card Tricks and Book Blitz: Mini Workshops in Cool Techniques
Join us for our always-popular annual November tradition: Member-led mini hands-on workshops in the form of a card or mini-book exchange that we call Book Blitz and Card Tricks. Get prepared now and join the fun!
Design a card or small/simple book structure that has a trick or two; maybe a pop-up, French doors or a window. Bring your completed card or mini-book, along with materials for six undecorated cards or mini-book structures to share. We will have an exchange and then engage in some decorating fun.
Please feel free to join in the fun even if you don’t have time to prepare cards or mini-books to bring. We do a similar program every November and there is always more than enough to go around. As in years past, expect to go home with some great new ideas, several new tricks up your sleeve, and a few new cards for the season.
- Things to bring:
- A decorated card/mini-book with a “trick” (optional)
- 6 card structures of your card/mini-book “trick” to exchange (optional)
- Glue
- Scissors
- X-Acto knife
- Cutting mat
- Ruler
- Bone folder
- Awl or needle tool
- Decorative punches
- Stamps and ink pads
- Pens, pencils, markers
- Decorative papers
- Fun stuff!
October Meeting Reflections
Elissa Campbell once again delighted us with the opportunity to learn a new three-section sewing pattern while crafting a beautiful little journal with leather covers and a sturdy strap closure.
Using a sewing method from Keith Smith‘s book, 1-, 2- and 3-Section Sewings: Non-Adhesive Binding Volume II, Elissa led us through the process of creating templates, punching patterns and attaching signatures to produce a stylish little book with a decorative, sewn design on the spine. As icing on the cake, she taught us how to fashion one of the many elegant leather strap closures that grace her own finely crafted books.
An exciting note to anyone who missed this wonderful presentation, or would like to delve deeper into the world of leather mini-journals: Elissa will be teaching a Mini Leather Journal Workshop at the Focus on Book Arts conference in 2017!
Thanks to all who attended, and extra special thanks to Elissa for her patience, preparation, and presentation skills.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** On September 17, 2016, the Book Arts Guild of Vermont proudly participated in the 2016 Burlington Book Festival at UVM’s Davis Center.
The annual event, which traditionally celebrates the book with readings, book signings, panels, and other activities, provided a wonderful venue for exhibiting works from our members and introducing the community to an expanded idea of what a book can be. Judging from the interest and excitement our exhibit generated, we certainly succeeded in our mission to increase awareness of book arts and our guild.
Many thanks to everyone who contributed work to display, to the volunteers who helped with set-up and took shifts at the exhibit, to Burlington Book Festival Founding Director Rick Kisonak for both inviting us and enthusiastically promoting our presence, and to B.A.G. member Nina Gaby for connecting us with the festival and encouraging us to participate!
You can view images from the festival on the B.A.G. blog.
Book Arts News
*** On November 10th, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is presenting the gallery talk Beyond Words with Valentine Talland, Senior Objects Conservator at the museum. The talk is being held in conjunction with the museum’s current exhibit Beyond Words: Italian Renaissance Books, open now through January 16, 2017.
The exhibition visits the studies of scholars, princely libraries, places of worship, and printing presses of Renaissance Italy to explore how the ancestor of the modern book was perfected around 1500, thanks to innovations of the previous century. These developments arose from the efforts of Italian humanists, scholars who found inspiration in ancient Rome to create a new book for a brighter future.
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is located at 25 Evans Way in Boston, MA.
Admission to the talk is limited to 15 registrants. Click here to register.
*** On November 11th from 10:00 p.m. – 12:00 p.m., the Special Collections Department of the Bailey/Howe Library at UVM will be hosting a show and tell session with Vamp & Tramp Booksellers. Vamp & Tramp, which is based in Birmingham, AL, represents over 400 makers of contemporary fine press and artists’ books.
Come by for this rare chance to look at and handle the best of today’s melding of art and books. NO GLOVES ALLOWED.
The event is free and open to the public. UVM Special Collections is located in Burlington VT. Click here to download a pdf of the directions.
*** On December 2-3, the second annual Northampton Book and Book Arts Fair will take place at the Smith College Campus Center in Northampton, MA.
The event includes exhibits, sales, book signings, demonstrations, lectures and features the leading antiquarian booksellers from the region and book artists, letter press printers, book binders, paper makers, wood engravers, stone cutters, and book designers.
The keynote speaker is Ruth R. Rogers, curator of Special Collections in the Wellesley College Library where she develops the collection and lectures on the evolution of the book as material culture, visual communication, and artistic form. Her talk, Layers of Perception: The Unwritten Language of Artists’ Books, will focus on how we “read” artists’ books by deconstructing them to understand how they affect our perception.
For more information, please visit the event website.
*** Chena River Marblers is holding an open studio on December 10 & 11 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. There will be marbling and bookbinding demonstrations, along with an end-of-year overstock and seconds sale.
The studio is located at 70 Justice Drive in Amherst, MA. For more information, please call (413) 253-2835.
Book Arts Classes
*** On November 12th, the New City Galerie in Burlington is hosting an Upcycle Journal Workshop with Susan Smereka. Susan is currently working as an artist in residence at the gallery.
This workshop begins with disassembling an old hardcover book while learning the intricacies of how books are put together. Then you will rebuild the signatures with pages of the original book, pages from other books and blank journal pages. With waxed linen thread you will be guided through a step-by-step process of binding your new journal together.
No experience is necessary and all supplies will be provided. Beverages and a vegetarian lunch are included. Please register by November 8.
For more information or to register, please contact Susan.
*** On December 3-4, the North Bennet Street School is offering Enclosures for Preservation and Beyond with Bill Hanscom.
Boxes, wrappers, and slipcases are widely used to house and protect library and archival collections, but they also offer terrific opportunities for artistic exploration. Beyond the protective housing of original works such as books or print portfolios, enclosures can be altered and embellished to complement, enhance, and conspire with their contents. Over the course of this workshop students work to create a reference set of enclosures which neatly nest together.
Students are responsible for bringing the following tools: 12 x 18″ self-healing cutting mat, drafting triangle, and a pencil.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** The Eliot School is offering Magic Books & Paper Toys with Annie Silverman on December 17, 2016.
Using innovative forms from Esther Smith of Purgatory Pie Press, make paper objects like: the Swiss Cross Flexagon, the Snake or Tumble book, the Rolling Ball book, Jacob’s Ladder Flexagon and more. Part book, part toy, these objects make great gifts, invitations or cards.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
by Elissa | Jan 8, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 13, 2016, 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.
Program: Build-a-Book Round Robin
To get the new year off to a creative start, come join us in January for the fun and collaborative magic of a Build-a-Book Round Robin, where you bring in some basic materials and go home with a unique, artistic journal that reflects the combined talents and imagination of several people.
In a traditional Art Journal Round Robin, a group of participants each start a book with a theme. The books gets passed around – usually by mail over the course of several weeks – to the other participants, who typically add a page of artwork reflecting the book’s theme.
Designed to be completed in one evening, our Build-a-Book Round Robin will focus on creating, modifying and embellishing basic book structures, using a combination of pamphlet-stitch sewing and/or accordion folds. There will be more than a dozen models of books for inspiration, as well as a short tutorial on the pamphlet stitch and accordion folding.
Before the meeting, simply assemble some basic materials and place them in a folder or envelope (see below). At the start of the meeting, you will hand your envelope to the person sitting to your left, who will choose a design and begin making a book with your materials (adding embellishments of their own, if they choose). After 20 minutes, they will place everything in the original envelope and pass it along to the person on their left. This will continue two or three more times (as time permits). At the end of the evening, the book and any remaining materials are packed up and returned to the original person.
Remember, many hands make unique books!
Please bring the following to the meeting:
Tools:
- Bone folder
- Scissors
- X-Acto Knife
- Ruler
- Cutting Mat
- Glue
- Awl or needle tool
- Needles (bookbinding or crewel)
Materials:
- Linen (waxed or unwaxed) or embroidery thread
- A few sheets of 12″ x 12″ (scrapbook paper size) decorative cardstock for the cover and/or spine of your book
- Several sheets of text-weight paper for pages. Light-weight paper from a large (at least 9″ x 12″) drawing or sketch pad is preferable to copier paper, although copier paper is acceptable if no other is available.
- Large folder or Tyvek envelope labeled with your name.
Optional supplies for decoration/embellishment:
- Decorative punches
- Stamps
- Pens
- Colored pencils, crayons, water colors
- Decorative paper
- Large-hole beads
- Other Fun stuff!
December Meeting Reflections
So many things going on at our meeting last month!
First off, a grand buffet to celebrate the New Year. Thanks to everyone who contributed and helped consume it.
Next, encouragement from Becky to submit individual pieces to be included in the Exquisite Corpse collaborative book project. We had a chance to revisit the book Becky made from the initial exercise done in a previous meeting, and get some inspiration for submissions due at the January meeting (that’s this month, people). It will be exciting to have a piece in which all members can be represented at the Book Arts show.
Finally, another collaborative project, led by Jill. Jill gave us instruction to make origami cubes, which will be submitted to the Genesis Project, a crowd-sourced art installation led by artist Valerie Hird. We have committed to submitting 100 cubes, and I believe we got a huge start on that number at the meeting. Plus it was super fun to chat while folding, once we all got the hang of it.
It was great to see so many familiar faces as well as some new ones at the meeting. I know I look forward to the new year with excitement about new projects and learning opportunities, as well as greeting old and new friends. Thanks to all who attended and participated!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
Spring Exhibit at UVM Living/Learning Gallery
Our Spring 2016 exhibit Book Works: Artists’ Books by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont will take place at the Living/Learning Center gallery on the UVM campus from February 15 – March 18, 2016.
We encourage all members and friends to participate in this broadly themed show. Work can include new or time honored techniques, book-related pieces and sculpture, and generally any work that can be ‘read’.
The gallery is in a unique spot that serves UVM students as well as the public, offering exposure to a variety of artistic media in a creative setting. It is a perfect venue to exhibit all styles and levels of work.
After such a fantastic show last year at SEABA, we’re excited to see what comes next for everyone!
Important Dates:
- Deadline for submissions: January 15, 2016. Please bring your work along with the entry form to the January meeting. Work can also be mailed to Marcia. For special arrangements, please contact Marcia. Address and contact info are on the entry form.
- Set up: February 15, 2016. If you would like to help hang the show to see what goes on pre-show, please let me know.
- Opening reception and artists’ talk: February 18, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. This will be in place of our usual February meeting.
The exhibit entry form and additional information can be downloaded here.
The Book Arts Guild of Vermont’s
annual membership begins this month!
The primary mission of the Book Arts Guild of Vermont is to act as both an educational and creative resource in the field of book arts. Our monthly meetings are $5.00 an evening or free with a $35.00 annual membership. Your membership supports the mission of the Book Arts Guild, pays for our rented space, provides opportunities to exhibit and supports honorariums to presenters.
In addition to the benefits you receive (outlined in the sidebar of this newsletter), your paid membership also enables us to cover expenses such our website and email newsletter – key tools for keeping our book arts community in touch and informed. In addition, you don’t have to pay to submit work to our annual, non-juried book arts exhibition. You’ll also receive a personal thank you from Ann Joppe-Mercure (priceless).
If you have a skill, a passion, a favorite technique or a body of work that others would love to learn about, and then take the leap and volunteer to share it with us as a presenter. If you present at a B.A.G. meeting, you receive free membership for the year. Think about it – we know you have something to share!
If you would like to become a supporting B.A.G. member, click here to download our membership form.
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Save the date!
On March 26th, the Book Arts Guild of Vermont will present a workshop with the awesome Erin Sweeney – the Chinese Sewing Box Book.
This book structure was created by the amazing Hedi Kyle – it’s made entirely of folded boxes and enclosures based on paper wallets, and used to store sewing supplies – an origami lovers’ dream!
More details are coming, but mark your calendar now!
- Date: Saturday, March 26, 2016
- Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Location: Ridgewood Clubhouse, South Burlington
Book Arts News
*** Now through January 26th, the New City Galerie is presenting BOOKBODY, a juried exhibition of art and books relating to book forms and the human body. Artists and authors are exploring the intimate relationship between the human body and the physical book.
How do the tactile characteristics of the book impact how our bodies read? How does the body make books? What occurs between this give and take? What is the nature of this symbiosis?
The New City Galerie is located at 132 Church Street in Burlington, VT.
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is looking for volunteers for an upcoming Girl Scout event. They will be partnering with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts offering programs for Cadette scouts (age 11-14) to earn a Book Artist badge. In addition, they will run a program for younger scouts.
The event will be held on Saturday March 26, 2016 at Camp Maude Eaton in Andover, MA. They will run a 3-hour program for Cadettes in the morning from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and then have a 2-hour program for younger girls from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. You can volunteer for just one program or make a day out of it and do both!
There will be an introduction and then five stations that the girls will rotate through which may include printing, accordion folds, a pamphlet, origami book, a scroll, decorating paper or a collaborative book, depending on the interests of the volunteers. Each rotation will last for about 30 minutes. The younger girls will have similar programming in a shorter time frame with possibly only four rotations. If you have a book arts technique or project that you’d like to see done with the Girl Scouts please make some suggestions.
You do not need to be a member of the NEGBW to volunteer. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Todd Pattison at bookandtile@att.net.
Book Arts Classes
*** The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts has announced their 2016 summer workshop lineup. There are two book arts workshops of note:
- 6/26 – 7/8: Artist’s Books: The Balancing Act of Concept and Form with Rebecca Goodale. The rich complexity of the artist’s book involves rhythm, pace, and form and is driven by a desire to express an idea and/or narrative over and across the pages. In this workshop participants will develop a vocabulary of book structures and then consider appropriate concepts to use with those forms.
- 7/31 – 8/12: A Letterpress, an Artist’ Book, and some text walk into a bar… with Erin Sweeney. This intensive workshop will focus on the depth and breadth of the artists’ book. Participants will learn a variety of printmaking techniques using a Kelsey platen press and a Showcard proof press, experimenting with alternative materials, as well as type, to create imagery.
If you would like to receive a course catalog or be added to their Email list, please contact them at haystack@haystack-mtn.org or (207) 348-2306. Haystack is in Deer Isle, ME.
*** On February 1 – 5, 2016, the North Bennet Street School is offering Introduction to Blind and Gold Tooling on Leather with Samuel Feinstein.
In this week-long intensive, students learn the fundamentals of blind tooling and gold tooling on leather, focusing on straight lines and using BS Glaire to affix the gold. Line-work is one of the most important, fundamental, and versatile decorative techniques used on tooled bindings, and it is used in both traditional and contemporary designs. Students also have time to explore the use of curved lines and small decorative tools within a limited scope. A final plaquette will be completed using the techniques covered.
This is an introduction for beginners as well as a step forward for those who would like to build on their existing knowledge. The goal of this workshop is to familiarize you with the processes involved and prepare you for further practice.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** On Saturdays from January 16 – February 13, 2016, the North Bennet Street School is also offering Fundamentals of Bookbinding I with Amy Lapidow.
Students learn the foundations of bookbinding through hands-on experience and discussion. Learn structural elements, sewing variations, covering and cutting techniques using various materials, in addition to proper use of tools and equipment. Discussions throughout the course cover terminology, paper grain and folding, selecting proper materials and tools, and adhesives and their properties. The focus is on non-adhesive structures such as coptic, historical long stitch and case bindings such as flat back, rounded back.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Case Binding: Flatback Journal with Joshua Crotty on February 20 & 21, 2016 from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Learn the fundamentals of basic case binding, including signature construction, a common sewing structure, lining up, case making with cloth and decorative paper and casing in. Go home with a small journal and the skills to produce your own case-bound books using a basic set of tools.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
by Elissa | Sep 3, 2015 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 9, 2015, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The September meeting will be held at UVM’s Special Collections in the basement of Bailey Howe Library. Click here to download a pdf of the directions to Special Collections.
Please note that in September we will not be meeting as usual on the second Wednesday at the Unitarian Church in Burlington.
Program: Visit to UVM Special Collections
Librarian Prudence Doherty will guide us through some of the amazing artists’ books held in the Special Collections Department at UVM. Not everyone knows that we have one of the finest collections of artists’ books in the nation, right here in Burlington.
Join us in a hands-on exploration that will stimulate your imagination and spark your creativity!
* Please bring a pencil, not a pen, if you plan to take notes.
August Meeting Reflections
The small but committed group of book arts enthusiasts who met in August had the great fortune to see some of the beautiful work that two of our members have done at conferences over the last several months. Elissa Campbell impressed us with the medieval girdle book she made in Karen Hanmer‘s four-day workshop at the 2015 Focus on Book Arts Conference, which took place in June. Penne Tompkins then delighted us with some of the beautiful calligraphic artist books she made in Marina Soria’s four-day Calligraphy in Blossom workshop at The Passionate Pen Calligraphy Conference in July.
We then moved on to creative work time. Jill Abilock shared supplies from her July Miniature Books presentation for people to try their hand at making a tiny accordion book, others worked on personal projects and shared ideas, and everyone enjoyed each other’s company! Whether we actually got something done or just enjoyed the spirit of the meeting, the time passed quickly.
Studio Support and Workshop Time is a new meeting format introduced this year. We would love your feedback on meetings held so far, as well as any ideas you might have on ways to make this format even more useful and inviting.
Book Arts News
*** New City Galerie in Burlington is accepting submissions for BOOKBODY, a juried exhibition of art and books relating to book forms and the human body. There are two sections for consideration: books that consider or reference the human body (preferably small press); and unique book objects or sculptures that relate to the forms and structures of both the human body and the book. The show is November 6, 2015 to January 26, 2016.
The submission deadline is September 15th. Please send submissions to newcitygalerie@gmail.com.
*** On Thursday, October 22nd at 6:30 p.m., there will be an illustrated talk sponsored by The New England Chapter of The Guild of Book Workers and The Ticknor Society. Historical Bookbinding in the British Isles 1660-1800 will be presented by Stuart Bennett.
Bennett’s 2004 publication, Trade Bookbinding in the British Isles 1660-1800, examined booksellers’ and bookbinders’ records as well as thousands of historical bindings to offer a new analysis of how books came to be bound in early modern Britain. One reviewer called the study “a tool for the discerning book connoisseur [which] fills a long-standing gap in the bookbinding literature that, in retrospect, is as self-evident as a missing front tooth.”
The lecture is being held at the North Bennet Street School in Boston.
Book Arts Classes
*** Valerie Carrigan will be teaching Handmade Books: Painted and Sewn at the Messenger Press Studio at the Beaver Mill in North Adams, MA. The workshop will be on Saturday September 26, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
In this workshop, you will construct a series of handmade books with watercolor covers and a variety of decorative sewing patterns. You will spend the first hour of our workshop making experimental watercolors – with pigment, salt and stencils – to be used as creative covers for our structures. Using these covers, you will learn how to create decorative sewing patterns exposed on the spines of your books. You will leave this workshop with a set of colorful and uniquely bound books and the knowledge of how to make more! No experience necessary.
The workshop is sponsored by is 183 Art School of the Berkshires. To register, please call them directly at (413) 298-5252.
*** Masscribes is hosting a workshop with Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord on Saturday November 7th, at the Sportsman’s Club in Norwood, MA.
Book Play is an introduction to simple bookmaking and its possibilities for creative exploration. It is bookmaking at its most friendly and accessible – no rulers or precious papers, no designing or planning ahead. The emphasis is on freedom and possibility – how the simplest forms can be adapted, varied, and combined to unlock our creative juices. Using mostly recycled materials, we’ll make intimate books that fold and fan, hang and stand. Most of the time will be spent making books but there will be opportunities to add calligraphy.
For more information, please contact Nita Padamsee at padamseedesigns@verizon.net or Elissa Barr at penpusherink@gmail.com.
*** From September 12 – October 5, the North Bennet Street School in Boston is offering Fundamentals of Bookbinding I with Amy Lapidow.
Students learn the foundations of bookbinding with hands-on experience and discussion. The course covers non-adhesive structures and case bindings, students learn about structural elements, sewing variations, covering and cutting techniques using various materials, and tools and equipment. Discussions throughout the course cover terminology, paper grain and folding, selecting proper materials and tools, and adhesives and their properties. The focus is on non-adhesive structures such as coptic, historical long stitch and case bindings such as flat back, rounded back.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** From January 26 – 31, 2016, Daniel Essig will be teaching Wooden Books – Greek & Centipede Binding at the North Country Studio Workshops in Bennington, VT.
Easily master the centipede stitch by first understanding the structure and workings of this ornate 7th century Greek binding. Using simple hand tools to begin, we will drill, shape, and smooth our wooden book covers. Sealing the covers with milk paint will create a leathery appearance. We will adorn our books with the centipede stitch using two different colors of thread. This elegant sewing structure, combined with wooden covers, opens a wide range of possibilities for both the beginner and the advanced bookbinder.
Applications are now available and the review process begins June 1st. For more information or if you have any questions, please visit the NCSW website.
by Elissa | Aug 6, 2015 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 12, 2015, 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.
Program: Studio Support and Workshop Time
Studio Support and Workshop Time is two hours that you give yourself, in the company of fellow book- and paper-arts lovers, to learn, share and create in a supportive and encouraging environment.
The meeting will begin with some group time, both for sharing – something you’ve made, a great resource or tool you’ve found, a source of inspiration – and for asking questions or puzzling out challenges you may be having with a project or particular technique.
The remainder of the time will be devoted to creative work. Bring along a project or model from a previous meeting that you’d like to continue working on or develop further, or bring a project of your own to simply continue working on in the company of others.
Not sure of what to bring? No worries! Every Studio Support and Workshop Time session will have suggestions, resources or materials for a project. This session will offer the opportunity to continue exploring (or discover the pleasure of making) miniature books as presented by Jill Abilock in July. Jill will be on hand with samples and suggestions for miniaturizing a variety of book structures, and will also bring supplies (book board and paper) for anyone who would like to try their hand at creating a tiny accordion book.
You can also continue exploring the fun and fascinating possibilities: Folded Page Book Sculptures (as presented by Marilyn Gillis in January), of Exquisite Corpse Books (as presented by Rebecca Boardman in May), or rev up your creative juices and delight your friends by making collaged postcards (presented by Marcia Vogler in March). You can even combine techniques and collage a series of Exquisite Corpse images!
In addition to drawing paper, you might want to bring drawing tools (for Exquisite Corpse images) such as:
- Pens
- Pencils
- Colored pencils
- Markers, Sharpies, Gel pens, etc.
If you plan to collage or would like to make and decorate a mini accordion book, you might also want to bring:
- Glue stick
- X-Acto knife
- Scissors
- Cutting mat
- Bone folder
- Ruler
- Magazine, calendar, catalog and other collage materials you like to work with
- Paints, inks, and rubber stamps and anything else you enjoy using for decoration or embellishment
July Meeting Reflections
Our July meeting was full of little pleasures with the Miniature Book workshop lead by our own Jill Abilock. Jill has always loved small treasures and graciously shared her enthusiasm, tips and tricks for creating miniature books.
After marveling over examples of Jill’s small books we each created our own book measuring only 1.5 inches tall. Jill had all of our materials precut and lead us step by step in the process. We left with our miniature books safely tucked into pockets, bags or the palm of our hands.
Thank you Jill for sharing your wealth of knowledge and miniature bits of wisdom.
Book Arts News
*** New City Galerie in Burlington is accepting submissions for BOOKBODY, a juried exhibition of art and books relating to book forms and the human body. There are two sections for consideration: books that consider or reference the human body (preferably small press); and unique book objects or sculptures that relate to the forms and structures of both the human body and the book. The show is November 6, 2015 to January 26, 2016.
The submission deadline is September 15th. Please send submissions to newcitygalerie@gmail.com.
*** Geographies: New England Book Work, the New England Chapter of The Guild of Book Workers exhibition, is now on view at the Dartmouth College Library in Hanover, New Hampshire through August 21, 2015.
Geographies: New England Book Work includes bookbindings and artist’s books that relate to the theme of New England created by 26 of their members. Included are classic regional texts, books that make personal connections to the region, and New England history from a variety of perspectives, among other topics.
For more information on the exhibition and the complete schedule please read the post on the chapter blog.
*** The exhibit UNBOUND VOL. V is open now through August 22, 2015 at the Artistree Gallery in Woodstock, VT. This juried 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.
Book Arts Classes
*** Susan Bonthron of Otter Pond Bindery in Guilford, VT is offering Image & Word: Developing an Interactive Practice in collaboration with poet and writer Christian McEwen. The workshop will take place on August 29, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
In this workshop participants will explore a thoughtful, generative way to develop poems inspired by images and collect them in an unusual and simple book format. No bookbinding or poetry experience necessary.
For more information about the workshops, please contact Susan at susan.bonthron@gmail.com.
*** From January 26 – 31, 2016, Daniel Essig will be teaching Wooden Books – Greek & Centipede Binding at the North Country Studio Workshops in Bennington, VT.
Easily master the centipede stitch by first understanding the structure and workings of this ornate 7th century Greek binding. Using simple hand tools to begin, we will drill, shape, and smooth our wooden book covers. Sealing the covers with milk paint will create a leathery appearance. We will adorn our books with the centipede stitch using two different colors of thread. This elegant sewing structure, combined with wooden covers, opens a wide range of possibilities for both the beginner and the advanced bookbinder.
Applications are now available and the review process begins June 1st. For more information or if you have any questions, please visit the NCSW website.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Artists’ Book Boot Camp with Annie Silverman on August 24 – 28, from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Present your photographs, prints, collages or paintings in book form. Bring 2-D imagery you have generated to incorporate into your books. Learn basic folded and sewn bindings, discover a range of hard and soft cover options, and explore how to sequence your content. Forms will include pamphlets, multiple signatures, accordions, composites, dos-a-dos and French doors.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
