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

EBEL PRESENTATION & NATURE & THE BOOK

 For those of you lucky to have attended our February Show & Tell by Michael Ebel I'm sure you were very impressed and motivated by his work. He shared photographs of many of his books and provided examples of various techniques as well as ideas for content. If you missed the presentation there is a recording available to watch. Check your newsletter on page 3 for the link to all the recordings. Thank you very much Michael for sharing your work with us. Hopefully there will be a workshop from you in the future. 

Nature and the Book 2025 is the title of an exhibition of work by artists from PSBA (Puget Sound Book Artists Guild) now being held at the Elisabeth Miller Library on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle. 

Below are photos of some of the books in the exhibition.

Laurie Radin

Alicia Bailey

Janet Reynolds

Valerie Carrigan

Bonnie Julien

John Arbuckle

Paige Pettibon

Patricia Chupa

Donna Letterese

Lucia Harrison & Deborah Greenwood

Belinda Hill

Jessica Spring & Yoshi Nakagawa

Mari Eckstein Gower

Suze Woolf

MalPina Chan

Elsi Vassdal Ellis

Judy Lynn

Jessica Greenfield

Abbie Birmingham

TUNNELS OF FUN

The June workshop was all about making a tunnel book. This is a great structure that incorporates perspective and depth perception into one view. Participants came up with some wonderful images for their tunnel books that featured backyard animals, Candyland, Beatrix Potter, and even a visit to the Newport Paper & Book Art Festival. Thank you Celeste Chalasini for a very rewarding workshop. 

Margaret Beech

Sherrill Story

Sherrill featured her granddaughter in a ballet performance.

Puget Sound Book Artists (PSBA) is currently holding their annual members' exhibition at Collins Library on the campus of the University of Puget Sound. The theme this year is Time Travel. The following photos are a sample of the books in the exhibit. If you are in the area, the exhibit will run until August 1.

Lynn Skordal
The Light Within represents travel through culture.

Suze Woolf
Bark Beetle Volume XLI: A Brief Bestiary of Bark Beetles

Ann Storey
The Grand Canyon of Color (Tunnel Book)

Deborah Greenwood
Amended. A collection of collected items collaged and stitched.

Bonnie Julien
Skara Brae

Mari Eckstein Gower
Robot Dreams

Judy Cook
Frosting Frenzy, A Home Economics Memory

John Arbuckle
Crow's Compendium II

Dorothy McCuistion
Transition. Journal pages cut into strips and woven together.

Jan Dove
Don't Go

BELLY BANDS & PSBA EXHIBITION

Making a collection of Belly Bands was the project for the June NORBAG workshop taught by Dolores Guffey. First we made a simple one signature pamphlet stitched book to use as the model for our bands. Next, Dolores led us through making a series of eight different bands from a very simple wraparound one to a more decorative interlocking origami style band. 

By displaying several different books, she also showed how belly bands can be used to hold a book closed, but they can also give a hint as to what the reader will see inside. It was a very informative workshop and I suspect we'll be seeing many more exchange books with different belly bands in the future.

An example of just how creative our members can be with "on the fly" ideas, Margaret Beech shared her idea of folding simple pockets into her model book to hold each of the different belly bands. What a perfect way to keep all the bands in one place to use as prototypes for future books.

Margaret's book showing the folds for the different belly bands.

Margaret's version of the Interlocking origami style band.

Sue Reynolds' book showing the circle & brad
band that incorporates a tie.

Bosha Stuve's book holds all her prototypes.

                 

The cover of Bosha's book

                                     

Bonnie Julien's book

The inside of Bonnie's book with pockets.

Mary Elizabeth Nelson's book with her
beautiful cyanotype papers and belly band in place.

Inside the book with pockets for the bands.

Looking down at the book.

The 2022 Puget Sound Book Artists 11th annual members' exhibition opened at Collins Memorial Library on the campus of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. The theme this year is Peaks & Valleys. Here are a few photographs from the Exhibit. More photos will follow in future posts. The exhibit will continue through August 5, 2022.

Mark Hoppmann, The Genie Within

Ann Storey, Encompassed by Light and Life

Laurel Moorhead, Knock, Knock, Who's There?

Debbi Commodore, Take a Moment

Laura Russel, The Enchanting Desert

Mary Preston, Phrases/Phases/Faces of the Moon

Debbi Commodore, This