BOOK ART EXCAVATIONS

Our October meeting will not be a workshop, but instead we will have a PowerPoint presentation by our member Cindy Luxhoj. Cindy will lead us on a journey into the world of book art excavation. She was first intrigued by this art form when she saw a piece by James Allen, a master excavator, at the Sitka Art Invitational in Portland, Oregon in 2018. Fast forward to 2023, when Cindy reached out to James to inquire if he was willing to share his technique with her. A private virtual lesson for a nominal fee was arranged and Cindy has been excavating and adapting the method ever since. A book excavation requires patience, creative thought, and countless X-acto blades, but is well worth the effort. Cindy is proud of her work and eager to share her journey with fellow book artists at NORBAG.

Cindy's childhood love of books has transformed in recent years to an obsession with hand bookbinding and book arts. Excavations are but one of her many explorations. Book making combines technical precision with creative freedom, exercising both brain hemispheres in a delightful way. What is hidden between two covers or encased in an outer shell expands to reveal, yet collapses into a neat package to be rediscovered anew. Cindy never tires of the wonder of a book in its many forms and welcomes ideas for commissions or custom projects to create with like-minded book art enthusiasts.

Because this will be more of a Show & Tell than a workshop, no supplies or materials are needed. You might want to have a notebook and pen handy to write down any special tips or information even though the meeting will be recorded.

When?   Saturday October 12 at 10 a.m. PDT

Where?   On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:     Dolores Guffey by October 7 to receive the password

Workshop Questions?  Cindy Luxhoj CLH595@gmail.com

Zoom Questions?  Bobbie Hayes

Contact information is in the newsletter

COLLAGE

Our September workshop was all about collage. Dena Bliss, our instructor, shared some of her techniques so that we could create four different collages. These were basic designs that could be embellished further and turned into unique cards or used in journals or books. This was a very popular workshop and we thank Dena for sharing her ideas with us. Here are some examples of our collages...all made on 4" x 6" cards.

Four separate collages from Stephanie Weigel

Four collages from Betty Steckman

Jennifer Rothrock

Jennifer Rothrock

Jennifer Rothrock

Jennifer Rothrock

Kenzie Mullen

Kenzie Mullen

Kenzie Mullen

Kenzie Mullen

Sherrill Story

Sherrill Story

COLLAGE EXERCISES

 The September workshop will feature several exercises in collage. Dena Bliss, our member who founded the Sonoma County Book Arts Guild 16 years ago will be our instructor. Dena has been teaching collage and gel printing for the past 10 years and has been a member of NORBAG since 2009. 

According to Wikipedia, Collage is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole. Collages are a great way to use scraps of paper that can then be embellished with rubber stamps, calligraphy, or stitching to name a few ideas. Collages can fill the pages of books and be used as décor for the covers of books.

Here are a few examples of Dena's collages.

Materials Needed:

• Five to eight pieces of Cardstock sized 4" x 6"
• Two glossy magazines such as Fashion and Home Dec (they do not need to be current). We will be tearing the pages for swatches of color.
• Glue Stick
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Wax paper
• Weights, such as acrylic blocks, heavy books, or a brick.
• Something round (jar, jar lid) to trace for approximate 3" circle (if you have a compass, you can draw a 3" circle to use as a template).
• Circle compass (if you have one, but not necessary)
• Color Wheel

When:    Saturday, September 14, at 10 a.m. PDT

Where:   On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:    To Dolores Guffey by September 9 to receive the password

Workshop Questions: Dena Bliss, dbliss@sonic.net

Zoom Questions: Bobbie Hayes

Contact information is in the newsletter.

CALL FOR NPBAF WORKSHOP PROPOSALS

DEADLINE: October 04, 2024

 The Oregon Coast Council for the Arts is accepting proposals for the annual Newport Paper & Book Arts Festival. The 2025 festival dates are April 10th, 11th & 12th 2025. The workshops will be held at the Newport Visual Arts Center as well as other classroom spaces in the area. We welcome new and innovative techniques as well as traditional processes, including but not limited to: Assemblage, Book Arts, Collage, Dyeing, Mixed Media, Paper Making, Paper Manipulation, Printing, Specialty Binding Techniques and Surface Design. We encourage you to submit multiple workshop proposals for consideration. The deadline for submitting proposals is October 4, 2024. For more information go to https://coastarts.org/newport-paper-book-arts-festival/submit-a-proposal/ or contact Christina Carlsen  ccarlsen@coastarts.org or call her at 541.574.3364.

MEMBER PROJECTS

 It's no secret that our members are multi-talented. They often delve into different art mediums such as sewing, painting, and dyeing to name a few. Our member from Eureka, California, Lynne Gurnee, is one of these artists. She recently shared some of her latest projects that I thought would interest our blog readers.

Slow-stitch stitchery has become popular on YouTube with some instructors running weekly challenges. Here is some of Lynne's work done with k3n (Kathryn) at https://www.youtube.com/@k3n.clothtales

This photo shows Lynne's embroidery around one of Michele Kamprath's eco-dyed "blankets". Michele had given away a bunch of the fabrics that she uses to wrap around her ecodyed papers. This piece has a forest theme giving impressions of fungi, spores, and slim molds.

This project from k3n was to make a crazy quilt, but Lynne changed it up a bit to make a right-angle version.

The Mandala project was another one from k3n, but Lynne did not want to make a traditional one. This is her version of a leaf-flower that she had seen on Pinterest. These projects are all made in the 5-7" size. The button in the middle is made from an avocado pit.

Have you ever thought of making buttons from avocado seeds? I love this idea and have a seed drying right now to work on. This is another YouTube project at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORUNwbKx91E. The written instructions are in the "more" section of the video.

The two on the left are finished and the other two are still in the process.

Weathergrams are fun things to make with leftover scraps of paper. Lynne takes them on her walks to leave on trees or bushes in the forest.

This weathergram has been hanging in the forest for a few months.

Mail art has become quite popular with many different groups that you can join or just branch out on your own.

Lynne used her carved rubber stamps and made a collage with fabric scraps.

Another technique Lynne has tried is Shibori, a traditional Japanese tie-dye. With this method you clamp, bind, fold or wrap fabric to achieve an endless number of pattern variations.

Lynne already had this RIT dye called Eggplant, but next time she wants to use RIT dark blue to imitate the more traditional indigo color.

Thank you Lynne for sharing photos of your wonderful projects. Hopefully they will inspire more of our members to branch out a bit from their usual work and try something new. If you do, please consider sending us photos and short descriptions that we can share on the blog.

CALL FOR NPBAF WORKSHOP PROPOSALS

DEADLINE: October 04, 2024

 The Oregon Coast Council for the Arts is accepting proposals for the annual Newport Paper & Book Arts Festival. The 2025 festival dates are April 10th, 11th & 12th 2025. The workshops will be held at the Newport Visual Arts Center as well as other classroom spaces in the area. We welcome new and innovative techniques as well as traditional processes, including but not limited to: Assemblage, Book Arts, Collage, Dyeing, Mixed Media, Paper Making, Paper Manipulation, Printing, Specialty Binding Techniques and Surface Design. We encourage you to submit multiple workshop proposals for consideration. The deadline for submitting proposals is October 4, 2024. For more information go to https://coastarts.org/newport-paper-book-arts-festival/submit-a-proposal/ or contact Christina Carlsen  ccarlsen@coastarts.org or call her at 541.574.3364.

SPIRAL BOOKS

 The August NORBAG workshop will be taught by Margaret Beech, our member from York, UK. The structure will be spiral books. Margaret says there is a certain magic in these surprising spiral books. If time allows, we will make two books that are cut from circles and one book from squares, along with a neat gusseted envelope.

Materials:

• Four (4) sheets 11 x 8 1/2" copy weight paper. Margaret suggests we use four different colors for the books. Please do not use patterned paper.
• One (1) sheet 8 1/2" square copy weight paper for the envelope.
• Circle shapes to trace around, approximately 5 1/4" diameter and 2 3/4" diameter. You can also use a compass.
• ruler
• pencil
• stapler 
• scissors
• craft knife
• bone folder
• glue stick

Before the workshop, Margaret asks that you trace one set of the two circles and one 5 1/2" square shape on one sheet of colored paper. DO NOT CUT!

When:    Saturday, August 10 at 10 a.m. PDT

Where:   On your computer, tablet or smartphone via ZOOM

RSVP:     Dolores Guffey by August 5 to receive the password

Workshop Questions: Margaret Beech - Beeches1313@gmail.com

Zoom Questions: Bobbie Hayes

Contact information is in the newsletter

MORE SHOW & TELL

 

Many thanks to Laurie Moorhead for sharing her journey through several art media with us. It was very enlightening to hear about her progression from simple sketching to painting with oils and watercolors, carving stamps and cutting paper, and binding her work into zines and books etc. What a journey it has been and we appreciate hearing about it.

This is a great time to continue sharing some of the beautiful work of our members. Mary Elizabeth Nelson (aka Emmy), one of our members from Pennsylvania, recently completed two boxes commissioned by an Interior Designer. 

In February Emmy first started sourcing suppliers and figuring out what type of box to construct for storing 50 to 75 8 x 10" color photographs. The photos were to be mounted on a complementary color background. She found two new (to her) paper sources; Lessebo Colours from Sweden and Colorplan from England. Both carry a wide variety of colors and weights.

After ordering samples, the designer decided on Sahara from Lessebo. The 300 gsm (110 lbs.) weight was heavy enough for the 8 x 10 photos making the finished size 10 1/2 x 12 1/2". Archival mounting corners were ordered from Lineco. Binders board and Jade 711 PVA were ordered from Talas. Emmy already had navy blue linen book cloth for the spine of the boxes that looked good with her wet-cyan prints and Madeleine Durham's paste paper. 

Lots of wet-cyan prints!

Early in March Emmy started making wet-cyan prints using dried leaves and flowers on quarter sheets of Newcomen paper that she already had on hand. A quarter sheet is 17 1/2 x 22". This vintage paper, in a light tan color, has a high cotton content and holds up well with multiple lengths of wet time. She's previously used it for paste paper and now the wet-cyans. She can only make two prints a day because of the limitations in glass size and the amount of time they have to sit in the sun (about three hours). Emmy was working most every sunny day while also preparing some short videos of the process of making the wet-cyans for a presentation for the San Diego Book Arts Guild. 

April and May brought an increase in the amount of fresh plant materials, but she still used some of the dried leaves she had on hand. Many of these dried materials have become "old friends" because she uses them over and over. Fresh delicate flowers are used only once since they tend to bake after three hours in the sun. In total, Emmy made 30 sheets of wet-cyans by mid June.

Early construction of the first clamshell box. 

Covering the box with the wet-cyan prints. Each

gluing step required that the pieces had to sit over-

night under weights.

The navy book cloth was used for the spine of the box.

The photographs were mounted

on the card stock with archival

mounting corners. 122 photos

with four self-stick corners each.

Because each step in the construction had to sit
under weights, Emmy had two extra tables set up
in her studio.

The finished size for each box is 12 1/4 x 14 1/2 x 3 1/4"

What a beautiful way to store photographs! Well done Emmy and thank you for sharing the process with us!!

SHOW & TELL

Our July NORBAG meeting will feature a show & tell presentation by Laurie Moorhead, our member from San Diego. She is a very prolific book artist with books in permanent collections at Baylor University, Collins Library at the University of Puget Sound, and the Cynthia Sears Collection at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. In addition, her books have been in numerous juried exhibitions as well as member exhibitions.

Laurel (Laurie) Moorhead came to art late in life. After retiring from a career in business and non-profit management, she began taking art classes and got hooked. She has studied book arts, oil painting, watercolor, urban sketching, colored pencil, paper cutting, collage, rubber stamp carving, gel prints, paper weaving, embroidery, and more. Her preferred mediums are book arts, papercutting, rubber stamp carving and watercolor and ink sketching but she is always interested in trying new techniques.

Laurie's major work is a series of stories of her life, centering around travel. There are currently 13 books in the collection that was started in her first book arts class in 2008. Recently, she has added to this project through the medium of zines. Additionally, in 2015 she participated in her first collaborative project, Over the Moon, through a local book arts organization. This inspired a love of collaborative projects prompting her to lead seven projects and participate in many others.

This presentation will be a wonderful opportunity to see Laurie's books and hear about her journey into the world of art and artist books. Shown below is a sample of a few of her books.

When:    Saturday July 13, at 10 a.m. PDT
Where:   On your computer, tablet or smartphone via ZOOM
RSVP:     To Dolores Guffey by July 9
Workshop Questions:  Laurie Moorhead

laurelmoorhead@netscape.net
Zoom Questions:  Bobbie Hayes

Contact information is in the newsletter