A Beginning... Again

    A new year rings in and one cycle of time passes to reveal an open path. 2024 is here! I have been thinking about paths lately.. About the archetypical heroes journey, and where each of us stand on that path. As one chapter ends it's common to think back to all that has happened. 2023 was a year of great change for this artist. Significant loss.. with the passing of many dear friends. How does an artist (or anyone) deal with that? It's different for everyone. For my friend Alice (who supported my first teaching gigs and so many others in a thousand ways) we had a gathering under a shelter at a local park where 100 of us made handmade pamphlet books, collaged cards and tiny boxes, while listening to a mix her favorite (cool) music, watching a slideshow of photos of her 75 years on this earth,  and sharing our own Alice Stories.. To each who have lost someone this past year, may your memories be sweet and comforting with many of your own loved one's stories.

Paper flowers made for Alice's Celebration of Life, May 2023

   As the new year rings in, new book classes are on the slate at Blam! studio here in Raleigh. We've already spent 2 weeks immersed in the marbling baths (in some cases...literally!), moved the furniture all around, spread out plastic drop cloths, strung lines all across the studio... since warm but windy North Carolina didn't make it possible to hang our newly marbled papers outside... Frankly, this 7-person shared artist space was ALL ABOUT THE MARBLING for 2 weeks and I am grateful to my fellow studio mates (photographers, printers, painters, glass artists, and writers...) for their generosity and patience...

The walls at Blam during a marbling class this January 

What's coming up in the next few months?? As I explore the theme of journey I will have a series of classes based on the structure of a door titled the Double Door Series. The first class will be making Tunnel books with a double door on the front of the case. 

'The Art of Living' birthday card tunnel book... for Cynthia, March '23

"The Doors of the Castle" tunnel book, June '23

The next in the series will be 'The Book of Doors' class. Where students will include imagery and text in a stiff leaf book with double door fold-outs on each page.. Tranfers, collage, sketching, stamping, and paints will be included in the creativity for this class, but imagine the fun in viewing the final results!

page from "A Poem" using letterpress, acrylic paints, Citrisolve® transfers... as specified by the drawing of Julie Chen and Barbra Tetenbaum Book Artists Ideation Cards

The next in the series will be 'A Double Gatefold Book'. This delightful folded structure was shown to me by a fellow book artist who had received one with her grandson's burger meal at a certain fast food restaurant several years ago. We took it apart to see how we could make it as a book, and Voila! it became a new favorite book structure. The transformation aspect of this book is perfect for what happens in all heroes' journeys. The example below is a silly ditty that goes around and around, with a never ending quest: 

"Welcome to the City!

Have you lost your way? 

This Way! That Way!

Don't ever give up! Just Follow the signs!

Go Right Go Left

Welcome to the City!   

Have you lost your way?...."

Fold down, fold up...

rotate and fold in... 

rotate and fold again.... and repeat.. and repeat...
Letterpress, stamps, and a map were used to create the story about being lost...

    The last class in the series is a box structure based on a cigar box I had for years and was using as my traveling bookmaking tool box. The box had a unique locking board clasp which my teacher Julie Chen noticed and brought to my attention. Eventually I took the cigar box apart to figure out how to make the unusual clasp. Now it is a favorite box structure ..and many boxes later has also become a favorite class too.

The Double-Door box with a board clasp (silk book cloth & Kathy's marbled paper)

Peeking in...

In every heroes' journey there is always some unexpected surprise, some pot of gold that was hidden until just the right moment. Despite the work and struggles along the way, it's these unexpected treasures that always make me love this style of story.

I hope your year is full of a thousand unexpected treasures!