Making tiny pamphlet books of my recent typewriter patterns for the Bristol Artists’ Book Event (BABE) at the Arnolfini on 30/31 March…
Bits and bobs
Collaged bits and bobs from my typing experiments... they remind me of high-rise buildings... now thinking of a typed cityscape concertina book. . .
Step away from the typewriter
Typewriter patterns - becomes quite addictive once you get into the swing of it. . .
Olivetti patterns
Inspired by the wonderful typed patterns in the sketchbooks of Anni Albers at the recent Tate exhibition, I decided to have a dabble myself. Hoping to make a small pamphlet book of the patterns (if my concentration span extends to 16 of them!)
What a star
Making tiny star books for Bristol Artists Book Event (BABE) - running out of weeks so need to ramp up into production line mode. It’ll be at the Arnolfini in Bristol on the weekend of 30/31 March. . . .
Crown binding workshop
I ran a really fun crown binding workshop at the Artists’ Book Club at UWE last week. It’s a Hedi Kyle structure – based on her famous blizzard book folds – although this workshop was based on a simplified version developed by Alisa Golden which is just the spine structure. Thanks to everyone who came along... lots of lovely books made in super-fast time!
W is for...
W is for waftage, meaning transportation through air or water. The latest rubber stamp illustration in my Anglo-Swedish exchange of words collaboration with Eva Hejdstrom.
Frankenstein is on the move...
The exhibition curated by Simon Ryder of Liverpool Book Art is moving this week from Liverpool down to Bristol. Work by 50 artists all created in response to Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ will be on display at Bower Ashton Library at UWE from 1-28 February. I’m gathering together some of my preparatory materials for my embroidered book to take along to a Show & Tell event at the library on Saturday 2 February, 11am - 12.30pm. I’m really looking forward to seeing all the books and hearing more about the exhibitions in Liverpool.
Dwelling
The original package of letrafilm from Sweden
Tiny collages using the stash of letrafilm kindly gifted by Eva Hejdstrom. I’m enjoying working quickly and intuitively at this small scale.
V is for...
A new year, a new letter in my exchange of words with Eva Hejdstrōm. V is for vågig, a Swedish word meaning wavy. . .
Exchange of Words in Uppercase
Lovely end to the year to return home from Christmas travels to find the new edition of Uppercase magazine waiting. Thrilled to bits that my Anglo-Swedish exchange of words collaboration with Eva Hejdstrōm is featured in this tenth anniversary issue. We’re currently up to V in the alphabet, so on the home strait now. It’s been such a fun project to work on together... the pure opposite of the absolute nonsense of Brexit. Here’s wishing everyone a very happy and creative 2019!
Season's greetings
Winding down for a festive break at last. Thought I’d end the year as I started it with a final collage from the mouse-chewed magazine I found in my garage. Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas!
U is for...
Umbratic, meaning shadowy. The latest rubber stamp illustration in my Anglo-Swedish exchange of Words with Eva Hejdstrom.
Star book
Another great Artist’s Book Club (ABC) at UWE yesterday. Many thanks to Alyn and Csilla for teaching the rather festive star book structure – deceptively simple once all the folding is complete. Looking forward to making a few more of these to get the hang of it properly. . .
Sneak peek
Rarely this tidy…
… usually this cluttered
I’ve been interviewed by Bryony Morgan for the Made in Bristol blog ahead of the Gift Fair at the Colston Hall this weekend. See here for more photos and my pontifications on the delights of making books. Full disclosure: my studio is rarely as tidy as shown in the top photo, but nice to capture a moment in time when I actually had some clear space to work! Didn’t last long.
Book trees
I’ve turned a small stack of 1960’s Pelican paperbacks into folded Christmas trees, topped with origami gold stars. The books were being thrown out by my Dad and are all on social work theory - a mighty festive subject matter. Ho ho ho. These will be on sale at the Made in Bristol gift fair at the Colston Hall on Saturday 8 December. Do come along and say hello if you’re in Bristol this weekend…
This way up
Starting work on a new book… inspired by the amazing Franklin fold in ‘The Art of the Fold’ (by Hedi Kyle and Ulla Warchol). It’s a 16-page small book folded from one sheet. I’ve wanted to make something based around arrows on packaging for longer than I care to admit (it’s decades, not just years!) and this is finally it. The aim is that the book can be read in either directions - This Way Up or This Way Down depending on which way round you’re looking at it. I’ve had some flat sheets printed up onto Kraft paper to make some prototypes, and it’s shaping up well. Some minor tweaks needed, and there’s a secret fold-out section in the centre section that I’ve only just found, so room for a few more cheeky arrows. This is one of a number of new books I’m hoping to have ready for BABE (Bristol Artist’s Book Event) next Spring… date for your diary - 30/31 March 2019 at the Arnolfini in Bristol.
Way out in production-linesville
Running out of space in my studio right now…
Getting inky… rollering paper for wrappers for my ‘Fiery Words’ matchbox books.
An oldie but goodie - more ‘Pot Plants’ taking shape
A new batch of my double concertina book ‘Forest’ - now reproduced at the same size as the original, and printed onto gesso paper (more texture and less shiny than the original print run)
With the Made in Bristol Christmas Fair coming up on 8 December, I’m in full-on production line mode, making new batches of many of my books. It’s a little chaotic at the moment, but I love that tipping point when it moves from lots of component parts to neat piles of finished books.
to and fro
Two collections of books - the first is a box of my small books headed to the Small Publishers Fair in London earlier this month (many thanks to Sarah Bodman at UWE for chaperoning them). For the first time I went along to the fair, and spent a wonderful few hours perusing and talking about books with lots of interesting similarly biblio-minded folk. The second photo is my modest haul of new books photographed on the train table on the way home (any colour coordination is purely coincidental!) Beautiful publications by Anwyl Cooper-Willis, Daniel Lehan, Philippa Wood of Caseroom Press and Lee Shearman of Micro Library Books.
Spreading the book-ish word
Some lovely photos from artist Carmen Garaghon’s residency trip to Rajasthan in India. She came along to the folded book workshop Cathey Webb and I ran at the MakeSpace at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery back in August, and now has been teaching the trouser book (with folded cover) format to people she’s met out in India. She’s planning on leaving behind her stamps and rollers in the hope that they can set up their own book making collective. Very exciting! You can find out more about Carmen’s travels on Instagram (@carmengaraghon)