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:
