I love everything about books.

I savor the tactile feel of the paper, sewn binding, the smell of paper and ink deep in the pages. I escape to other realms, and once immersed, I am oblivious to the outside world.

One of my most vivid memories is of my mom and I… having returned from the cool, dim, hushed interior of a library on a hot summer day… sitting in companionable silence with freshly made egg salad sandwiches on green glass plates, tall glasses of iced tea and lemon… each deeply lost in our respective books.

I’ve been obsessed with books my entire life.

I can remember searching for any light source I could find in the bedroom I shared with my younger sister — the night-light, a flashlight under the covers, the hall light through the cracked bedroom door — to continue to read when I was supposed to be sleeping. In order to get away from a family party, I once crawled into a closet with a flashlight to continue my reading without interruption. I propped books behind faucets so I could read when brushing my teeth. One of my favorite gifts was a foldable book holder so that I could read even while my hands were busy.

I can't go to a museum, new city or town without checking out the nearest bookstores. On a trip to London several years ago, my husband, daughter and I established a routine. Mornings were for museums, local sights, churches and parks. But every afternoon, my daughter and I, giddy with anticipation, headed out to bury ourselves in a local bookstore, followed by afternoon tea and sharing our treasure trove. We bought so many books that we had fears we would have to pay extra for overweight bags upon our return home. (Luckily we didn’t have to!)

A New Awareness

When I saw a bookbinding class online, kept hearing about an online bookmaking group, and learned of a free bookmaking conference all within a few months I felt a confluence of forces nudging me to awareness. The universe has a way of bringing things to me when I am most open and ready for them. I am sure these kinds of classes have been offered before but I was not in a place to thirst for them.

My recent return to writing has piqued my interest in and curiosity about how I can combine my love of words and books with my artwork. I dove into the generous free content in the incredible Book Paper Thread Conference, reveled in a bookmaking class with Beth Sheehan through the Center for Contemporary Printmaking, and then signed up to be part of Ali Manning’s online bookmaking group. In addition to massive amounts of resources, helpful hints and information, there were step-by-step tutorials which I used to create my own sample books. It was thrilling to see form emerge before me, to understand the methods and logistics of creating these beloved objects.

The Possibilities

As often is the case with art, the act of making sets off a cascade of creative impulses. My mind starts to picture possibilities. I envision an elegant presentation of miniature monotypes in a drum leaf book, my favorite form so far. Or cyanotype celestial maps in atlas form with stitched bindings. Other possibilities jostle for attention. Using books as material. Creating books containing art and text. Using the book form to better express other artistic concepts whether I create the books myself or not. I am excited to incorporate this lifelong love of books into my studio process. Let’s see where these new paths lead!

Read more about my exploration of Cyanotype here.

Subscribe to receive email updates for new blog posts