Making books - different approaches

Yesterday I went to the State Library in Adelaide to view the catalogue of an exhibition by local book artist Diane Longley.  Unfortunately I couldn't see the actual books but the catalogue was quite descriptive and although my own work tends to the raggy edge look, I did admire the skill she showed, and the write-ups inspired me to think about my own approach to making books.  My approach is experimental - having arrived at book making later in life, every book is a new experience.  In my approach, I try to incorporate what Keith Smith calls “the whole-book experience”, giving content and form equally serious consideration.  So I might interpret the same concept with different formats until I find the one best suited.

I don’t start a book until I have an overall concept.  I don’t like making a book that doesn’t have a purpose behind it, a starting point.  Often I symbolise the concept rather than realistically represent it, for example, using gentle colours and soft shapes o show peacefulness rather than draw or stitch a sleeping cat.  Such as this:  (scroll down to the second book shown on my web page).

My meditation book - dyed papers, stitching

Inspiration – it always comes back to Nature.  Nature fulfils me, satisfies my soul.

Chookys and thread waste

After looking at the bag of thread waste hanging off my sewing table, seeing it get so full and I have another full bag in the drawer - decided to use it in a pic.  I've been sketching my Chookys again and have just sketched Singing Chooks - see below.

I traced this sketch onto tracing paper as a pattern and free machined it onto some tea-dyed calico.  Two layers for stability.  I used various colours of thread to match my sketch.  I always draw my Chookys in different colours each time; partly to give them all individual characters but also because I want to.  The last 2 years that I have spent studying Visual Arts at Marden have freed me up from artistic constraints.  This is the Singing Chookys in free-machining and waste thread.  I like the way they dance and the thread waste gives them movement, looks like it's flying around.

I have already made one book of Chookys, which you can't see until the Marden Cert 4 Exhibition next April at Pepper Street Gallery, but I am thinking of making a textile version now.

Browsing through some lovely hand-made artist book sites - love this:
http://www.cecilia-letteringart.com/artistbooks/dineke_basscoastdog.htm