WORKSHOP REVIEW

Our August workshop was an introduction to Linda Powell and her book art. It was quite inspirational to see how she combines found objects into her books. Sometimes she challenges herself to feature just one item, like a leaf, throughout a book or use just one color. Her favorite book art tools are her sewing machine, typewriter, Big Shot, and gelli printing supplies. Her collages often feature pockets where she can tuck-in little items. Linda also showed how sometimes a mistake can turn into something special with a bit of a make-over or just featuring a part of it in a peak-a-boo pocket. All in all it was a lovely visit with Linda and we thank her very much for sharing her book art with us.

Exchange Book Themes

It's time to start thinking about the themes you would like to see for 2026. All of our members are welcome to participate in the monthly exchanges. The only requirement is that your book needs to be received prior to the meeting date. If you submit a book, you will receive another one in exchange. The theme can be a structure, a color, or a "thing". Really, the sky is the limit...in fact it could be the sky. :) It's a wonderful way to add to your book collection and see the work of another artist. Lately, the number of members participating in the exchanges has dropped, often with only 6-8 in the mix. We would love to see more members participating. If you are a new member or even an older member who has not participated previously, don't be intimidated. We all started out as beginners and we welcome the work of newcomers. 

Please think about the themes you would like to work with next year. We do have a few that we always use: Valentines in February, Compendium or Project Page in May, Second Chance in September, and the Holiday Cards in December, but we still need eight themes for the other months. Members are asked to send one to three suggestions to no.redwoods.bag@gmail.com . We will combine all the suggestions and print them in the October newsletter for members to vote on their favorites.

SHOW & TELL with LINDA POWERS

Our August workshop will be a Show & Tell introduction to member Linda Powers' creative process behind her Objet Trouvé books. These are intuitive collections of  found papers, scraps, and odd bits assembled into spontaneous works of art. Inspired by her Black and White Mostly mini book, these simple pamphlet-stitched books are made from discarded prints, rust-dyed experiments, decorated papers, and everyday flotsam.

Each page is a reflection of Linda's creative spirit. She knows a book is finished when it feels like her--and earns a name.

Examples of Linda's books

When:   Saturday August 9 @ 10 a.m. PDT

Where:  On your computer, tablet, or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:    Dolores Guffey by August 4 to receive the password

Workshop Questions:  Linda Powers lindapowers.007@gmail.com

Zoom Questions:  Bobbie Hayes

Contact information is in the newsletter

 

DRUM LEAF & BIMA

 The July workshop taught by Judy Detrick was instruction on how to make a book using a break-away Drum Leaf binding. Although we didn't quite make it all the way through finishing the binding, Judy was very thorough in her demonstrations and told us how to find more instructions on the binding. Sherrill Story shared the following photos of her finished book.

Back to Nature at BIMA

If you happen to be in the area of Bainbridge Island, Washington be sure to visit the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA) to see the current exhibit titled Back to Nature. Here is a sample of some of the beautiful books on display upstairs in the Sherry Grover Gallery. This exhibit will be up through September 21.

Anthology of Sky by Susan Collard

Unwinding Through Time - Bark Beetle Book Vol XX
by Suze Woolf

Butterfly Books No. 1,2,3,& 4
by Roberto Benavidez

Book of Bones by Velma Bolyard

Birdsong: Boreal Chickadee
by Andie Thrams

Spring Spells by Hazel Monte

Stitching the Forest Together
by Lucia Harrison and Deborah Greenwood

Ethereal Vines by Islam Aly

Old Growth: Beneath the Forest Floor II
by Lucia Harrison

amendment by Elizabeth Banfield

Backcountry Series: Quiet Wild
by Andie Thrams

Backcountry Series: Just Like Us
by Andie Thrams

DRUM LEAF BINDING

Our July workshop will be a demonstration by Judy Detrick on how to make a book with a Drum Leaf Binding. According to AI, "Drum Leaf Binding is a bookbinding technique where single sheets of paper, folded in half to create folios, are glued together along the spine and fore-edge to create a flat opening book. This method, popularized by Timothy Ely, allows for uninterrupted full page spreads, making it ideal for artists' books, photo albums, and visual narratives according to CCAD Packard Library." For the cover, Judy will be teaching the Break-Away Spine as recommended by Tim Ely. Judy says that we can either follow along as she demonstrates, take notes, or watch the recorded video. She says this is a fun project and a great way to ease into a text block and a hard cover. If you have questions before the workshop, please feel free to email her at jdetrick@mcn.org.

Break-Away Spine

Book open

Book closed

Tool & Materials List:

• Pencil

• Scissors

• Metal Ruler

• Emery board (yes, the kind you file your nails with)

• Bone or Teflon folder

• Cutting mat 22" x 17"

• Olfa silver cutter (snap blade) or box knife

• PVA or Yes! paste

• Kindergarten round brush

• Kindergarten flat brush

• Waste sheets (used printer paper is good)

• Waxed paper

• Two (2) waxed paper covered bricks

• One (1) manila file folder or similar

• Cover paper or cloth

• Piece of strong long-fiber Japanese paper or any sturdy paper grain long

• Any number of photos or other artwork printed on good paper *

• * Trim them all to the same size; they will be folded into folios

• Two (2) end papers trimmed to the same size as the folios, grain parallel to fold; (save the scraps)

• Two (2) thin boards (1 mm thick) trimmed to the same size as the folios, grain parallel to fold

• Two (2) thick glossy magazines or phone books or paperbacks larger than the folios

July Meeting: 

When:   Saturday, July 12, at 10 a.m. PDT

Where:  On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:    Dolores Guffey by July 7 to receive the password

Workshop Questions:  Judy Detrick  jdetrick@mcn.org

Zoom Questions:  Bobbie Hayes
Contact Information is in the newsletter

PAPER DISTRESSING & PSBA MEMBERS' EXHIBITION

Many thanks to Carolyn Jones for a very interesting workshop on aging and distressing paper. It was soon clear that Carolyn had done a lot of research and experimentation on the subject and she had many examples to share with us. While we don't have any examples to show here, I'm sure our members will soon be using some of these techniques in their work and hopefully will share photos with us.

PSBA 2025 Members' Exhibition

Puget Sound Book Artists (PSBA) are celebrating their 14th Members' Exhibition at Collins Memorial Library on the campus of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. This will continue through August 3rd before moving to Daniel J. Evans Library at Evergreen State College in Olympia WA to run September 29-December 12. The theme this year is Field Work. According to the Exhibit Curatorial Statement, 

"Field Work could mean the conventional sense of work performed not in the office or studio--but it could also mean the artist's area of interest or expertise and how that interest is expressed in the work...You can even consider field work through an agricultural lens or a spiritual one. Your field of vision is wide open!"

Here is a sample of some of the books in the exhibition.

Under Our Feet by Judy Cook

Trabajar Los Campos (to work the fields)
by LeeAnne Campos

Boundaries by Dorothy McQuistion

Strange Birds by Gina Pisello

Family Roots by Bonnie Julien

Caps by Christie Houston

Nature's Grey-ccordion Book by Donna Letterese

Meet Me in the Meadow by Jan Ward

Field Notes by Fran McReynolds

Bird is a Verb by Abbie Birmingham & Judith Roan

Songs of Kaua'i by Laurel Moorhead

AGING & DISTRESSING TECHNIQUES

Our June workshop will be a paper play day. Carolyn Jones will show us a bunch of ways to add subtle color and texture to paper and card to give them an aged effect. She will show a bunch of examples of her experiments, demonstrate several quick techniques that we will be able to try right away, and suggest others that take a bit more time.

The biggest variable is the paper. The weight, fiber composition, color and texture all have an impact. Carolyn asks that we try to collect at least three different papers or cards that we like to use (light colors, different weights, different surfaces) and have multiple pieces of each so we can compare different techniques on the same paper. Small pieces are fine. We will be experimenting!!

Materials:

• Paper and/or card stock, a couple of kinds, about 10 pieces of each

• Texturing tools - sandpaper, steel wool, files, scoring tools, textured surfaces

• Natural colorants - used tea bags, coffee grounds in their filter, dry ground spices (turmeric and paprika work well, but grab a couple of others if you have them)

• Other colorants - ink pads (neutral colors), shoe polish

• Water - in a jar and in a spray bottle

• Applicators - brushes, sponges, toothbrushes

• Wax paper

• Flat working surface - such as a glass plate or cookie sheet

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

Where:    On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:      Dolores Guffey by June 9

Workshop Questions:  Carolyn Jones cjweaver@fastmail.com

Zoom Questions:  Bobbie Hayes

Contact information is in the newsletter

Member News

Nature, Paper, Fiber, Found is the title of a wonderful exhibit that just opened at the Newport, Oregon Visual Arts Center. Our NORBAG member, Cheri Aldrich, is the artist who created these amazing pieces of art. The show will be open through July 27 in the upstairs gallery. 

  

MANDALA MAGIC

 Barbara Clark introduced us to the wonderful world of Mandalas at our May workshop. Instead of making books, we learned some of the techniques involved with creating these magical pieces. It can be a kind of Zen activity to create and color these lovely designs. Thank you Barbara for sharing your techniques with us. Here is a sample of some of the Mandalas that were created.

Bobbie Hayes

Annette Hansen

Stephanie Weigel

Stephanie Weigel

Michele Kamprath

Michael Ebel
Michael used only premade or handmade rubber stamps
 and colored markers to create his design.

Sherrill Story

Sherrill Story
These two pieces are examples from the May Project Page

MANDALAS

Our May workshop will feature Barbara Clark teaching us how to make a mandala. Just what is a mandala? "According to a Google search, "a mandala is a geometric design or pattern that represents the cosmos or deities in various heavenly worlds." "In their most basic form, mandalas are circles contained within a square and arranged into sections that are all organized around a single, central point. They're typically produced on paper or cloth, drawn on a surface with threads, fashioned in bronze, or built in stone."

Here are two beautiful mandala examples from Barbara.

Tools Needed:

• Ruler
• Pencil
• Waterproof black pen with a fine point like Micron or Sharpie
• Drawing compass
• Protractor
• Colors of any kind: watercolors, colored pencils, or markers
• 6-8 inch square piece of watercolor paper, mixed media paper or cardstock

Barbara explained that "you can ink a mandala with anything you'd like. One of the ones I enjoyed the most was inking it with a dip pen in some acrylic ink. You can also color in sections with any kind of colors. And, you can embellish and continue adding marks and colors on top of whatever you choose by using a Jelly Roll pen, especially the Moonlight series, or Stickies or any other mixed media."

Basic Structure:

• Find the center of your square piece by measuring corner to corner and making a light mark across.
• Lightly mark your north, south, east and west lines.
• Use your compass to draw concentric circles, and use the protractor to find specific degrees along the circles to draw different lines across your circles.

Barbara made a video of making a mandala on her YouTube site at:

www.youtube.com/@barbclark69

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

Where:   On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:    To  Dolores Guffey by May 5 to receive the password

Workshop Questions:  Barbara Clark barbclark63@gmail.com

Zoom Questions:  Bobbie Hayes

Contact information is in the newsletter

Sherrill Story's circular flag birthday card
from the April workshop.