Vamp and Tramp and Vespertine

A couple of quick mercantile notes:

• Vamp and Tramp Booksellers -- artists' book vendors extraordinaires -- are carrying the editioned artists' book I'm producing with Stephen Addiss, stitching speechless.  It has been a while since I posted about it, but you can see my earlier posts here and here.  Stitching speechless is currently featured on Vamp and Tramp's New Arrivals page.  If you're not already familiar with their offerings, spend some time browsing the Vamp and Tramp site.  They have truly the finest treasure trove of book art around.
• Last week I took a new batch of small blank books to Vespertine in Carrboro.  I foolishly didn't take any photos because I was in a hurry to get them out into the world, so if you're in the area you'll just have to stop by the shop to have a look at them!

More news soon, next time with pretty pictures, I promise.

An angular blank book + Surf Book #1

The studio projects I'm working on continue to be pretty varied. Above is a blank book I was commissioned to make for a co-worker at the library.  The signatures are cut at progressive angles to create the effect.  I made some books in this shape about 10 years ago -- one of my first adventures away from standard book forms -- and it was a pleasure to re-visit it.  This one is 6" x 6" (if it were square), and about 3/4" thick -- a very satisfying, chunky little guy.

Here are two more looks:

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I'm also continuing to make progress on a new one-of-a-kind artist's book that I'm calling Surf Book #1, for lack of a better title so far.

On a recent trip to Topsail Beach, NC, I was reminded of how much I love the smells of surfing -- not just the ocean and salt air smells, but wet neoprene and sunscreen and surf wax.  More importantly, it was an example of just how powerfully smells can evoke our memories.  One whiff and I was a teenager again on surfari with my brother -- sense-memories that are especially powerful now that he's been gone for almost 20 years.

When Margarite and I got back home to Pittsboro, I started making this book out of an old wetsuit, writing the text with surf wax and magic marker.  Below you can see the first page (I don't want to give away too much yet!) and the spine, which includes the original zipper from the wetsuit.  Still a ways to go, but it's shaping up: 

 

 

Odds and Ends

Long absence from the blogosphere, but a lot of action in the studio in recent months.  First, though, check this out!  I've had aloe plants in one form or another for years and years and never seen one bloom.  This guy caught us by surprise, and has been blooming like this for about a week now...

In studio news, I've been working lately on an exciting, semi-clandestine project.  I've been working with a friend's photography company to develop a new line of photo albums.  It's been an interesting experience -- developing prototype books that will be "mass"-produced (still handmade, but on a larger production scale than I can pull off on my own) -- rather than the one-of-a-kind or very small editions I normally do.  One day soon I'll share photos of what we came up with, but for now I'm keeping the designs under wraps until they actually release them.

At the polar opposite end of the spectrum, I've started on a new series of one-of-a-kind artists' books inspired by a recent trip to the beach.  More details soon to follow as it comes together.  For now, some photos of the work-in-progress (Surf book #1) in the studio...