Re-making Books
I love paper - especially old papers! And I love writing and books and all kinds of fibers, lace and ribbons and bits. So it’s natural for me to combine all my loves into making books and then share them here with you.
My mother told me that I created my first collage with a whole box of bandaids when I was just a little girl and I have been seeing the beauty in commonplace things ever since. I adore mixed media art from grungy to shabby chic to classic and especially vintage-inspired styles. Collage, assemblage, printing, dyeing and especially altered books are just a joy to me.
I treasure all kinds of papers, especially old papers like letters and interesting ephemera. The scent of old paper and books is both calming and inspiring to me! Sourcing lovely designer papers and turning up artist-produced papers is another aspect of my work. Creating this handmade or hand-dyed paper myself is also a joyful process. I am partial to vintage fabrics, buttons, beads, charms and other sparkly bits and pieces. Wrinkles, folds, rips and stains tell a story of a long and interesting life and make these even more fascinating to me. Weedy barnyards, farmhouse attics and urban thrift shops are my favorite places, especially when I can carry home a little treasure of paper and lace.
I am especially passionate about the burden borne by our precious earth and find deep satisfaction in recycling all kinds of common materials and creating anew something as wonderful as a book. I use as many recycled papers and items as possible - things that other people might consider trash! In order to make the book sturdy and useful, and to provide support to the vintage papers, I also need to include new papers. Discovering and curating both unique and quite commonplace papers and other materials is a most enjoyable aspect of my work. I make a point of pairing new and old, shabby with vibrant and I love imperfections, stains and things that are distressed. As I incorporate all of this together, the collected whole is beautiful to me.
Each of my projects is unique and utterly special. Once I have used up a limited supply of vintage paper or a length of antique lace, there is no more, and it is sometimes hard to let these lovely things go. I also relish the challenge of creating artistically "old" looking items and elements for my projects. Facsimiles can also be fun! By using singular materials and challenging myself artistically, I hope to create something that is as far from mass-produced as is possible; something that is still good and useful and beautiful.