Bainbridge Island Museum of Art

Artist's Books: "Chapter 9 - Local Heroes, Book Artists of Washington State" is the latest installation in the Sherry Grover Gallery upstairs at Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. It features books by 69 Washington artists. Downstairs there is an exhibit of work by Catherine Alice Michaelis, titled "Imprinted & Unbound". Catherine is best known for her artist's books and printmaking projects. Both exhibits will be showing until February 5, 2017. This is a great opportunity to see two wonderful exhibits of book art. For more information about these exhibits and museum hours check the website for details: https://www.biartmuseum.org/.

Here is a small selection of some of the books in both exhibits.

Sam Garriott Antonacci

M J Linford

Karen Stahlecker

Leah Thorpe Tarleton

Karen Stahlecker

Jocelyn Curry

M J Linford

Deborah Greenwood

Kathryn Leonard

Catherine Alice Michaelis

Catherine Alice Michaelis

TUNNEL BOOK

The November Tunnel Book workshop will be taught by Lara Cox. Tunnel books are fun to make and offer endless possibilities for design. They can feature a variety of themes, from telling a story to simple images or very complex sculptural designs. They are constructed in such a way that when you look through them, it gives the effect of looking at a 3-D landscape. They can have just a few "pages" or several. Use your imagination!

TOOLS TO BRING:

• Cutting mat
• Craft knife such as X-acto (very important)
• Scissors
• Metal ruler
• Clear ruler
• Bone folder
• Pencil
• Glue stick and waste paper to glue on
• Double sided tape (optional)
• Paper cutter (optional but helpful)

MATERIALS TO BRING:

• One 8 1/2" x 11" cardstock cut in half lengthwise for the sides and front cover of the book
• Six 5" x 4 1/4" cardstock for back, front and center pages (recommended: a variety of colors or graduation of shades of one color)
• Any images you may wish to incorporate NOTE: If you wish to focus on particular images bring several copies of that same image and see what can result!

WHAT WILL BE PROVIDED:

• Instructions and examples to study. Your finished book will measure 5" x 4 1/4" tall and will have six pages including the back and front. The book will also have a front double sided cover (opening like double doors) with an optional slip band closure.

When:   Saturday, Nov. 12 at 12 noon
Where:  Eureka Methodist Church at Del Norte & F Streets 
Bring:   See above list
RSVP:   No
Cost:    None

SUMINAGASHI WORKSHOP PHOTOS - October, 2016

On October 7^th and 8^th, our NORBAG member from Portland, Jackie Wygant, gave a Suminagashi workshop. We had 11 members on Friday and 12 on Saturday.  Suminagashi  or "floating ink" is the process of marbling plain paper with water and ink to transform it into something vibrant and colorful. 

We started with simple rings being deposited with big round brushes. We progressed to multiple rings, blowing on rings to create distortion and finally overprints (on maps and previously marbled papers). We took a lot of paper home with us.

If you would like to try this ancient art form, you can get started with a couple large brushes, a cookie sheet with sides and Bo-Ku Undo dye set of six colors available at both Dick Blick and Amazon ($13-18). 

All of the tables were gathered around Jackie's workstation on the left. We had varying sizes of trays for the inks

Jackie loading her brushes

 

Closeup of making rings. The light parts between the grey circles actually have color.

Making multiple rings with four different colors

Manipulating the rings by blowing with a straw

Manipulating the rings by blowing gently from the side

 

Jackie gently lays the paper down starting from one corner

Here is the result from Jackie's technique of blowing from above

 And now our samples

These two are overprints. On the left, it is on a map and on the right is an overprint on another marbling page.

SUMINAGASHI WORKSHOP

The October workshop will be offered on two days and taught by our member from Portland, Jackie Wygant. Because space is limited, you must register in advance. As of 9/30 there are three spaces open on Friday and the Saturday workshop has filled. Suminagashi is the oldest and simplest form of marbling in which inks are floated on water, then gently manipulated into floating veins of color. This technique should not be confused with combed and patterned marbling of later periods.

You will learn basic techniques: how to float colors on a liquid, apply and manipulate the colors to make patterns, lay the paper on the liquid, and how to preserve your creation. You will use multi-color acrylic marbling inks to make numerous sheets of beautiful paper to use for book arts, box making, cards, collage, etc. In the afternoon you will learn multi-brush, two hand technique, and double loading of a single brush, as well as paper laying and frisket variations.

Be sure to bring your lunch as there will be a one-hour break.

Jackie teaching a paste paper workshop

Multiple brush technique

A selection of Suminagashi papers

How to register:

There are a few spaces still available. Please contact Dolores Guffey to register for the Friday October 7 workshop. Both days will begin at 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

What will be provided:

• All inks in a large variety of colors
• A selection of papers of varying weights and sizes
• Trays, brushes, and any other tools required (to use, not to take home)

Note about the NORBAG meeting: Even if you are not participating in the workshop, please join us on Saturday October 8 from 12:30 - 1:30 pm during the lunch break to see the papers made, view exchange books, and check out library books. The exchange will begin promptly at 1 pm.

When:   Friday October 7 OR Saturday October 8 from 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

Where:  Eureka Methodist Church at Del Norte & F Streets

RSVP:    YES! ASAP to Dolores (contact information in the newsletter)

Cost:     $40.00

Bring?    Your lunch...all materials and tools will be provided

SPLIT IMAGE FLIP BOOK WORKSHOP PHOTOS - September 8, 2016

Beth McIlraith gave us a workshop on a book she calls a split image flip book. It's a stab bound book in which each page has three panels running horizontally. We started by making a template for the pages. After making the template, we used it as a guide for placing our images. Beth gave us many tips for placing our images on the page (for example, make sure that if you are using people, have all of their heads at the same level). Then, with the images pasted to the page, we cut the individual pages using the template. We then sewed the pages together with a stab binding.

It was really fun. We had a few people trying out slightly different things. Sandy V. used differently positioned cuts.  Kathy W. had the slits vertically through the images of four legged animals. All were delightful.

 

Michele H. is cutting images

Beth is showing positioning tips.

Beth said to place the face of each of the images in the same position.

The images used don't need to be all of people. This one has a bear and a cactus.

Cutting partway through each of the pages leaving the binding area uncut.

We used a simple stab binding after compiling pages and decorating the cover.

And now for some of the sample pages

Kathy had time to do two books. This one is about birds.

Remember that cactus?

The cactus is back as the face!

Kathy W. positioned the book vertically and used animals.

Just about every imaginable image was used.

Library Kiosk Display

A new display of book art is now up for viewing at the Humboldt County Library. The title of this display is Subject-Shaped Books. Our Guild meets monthly and at each meeting there is an optional book exchange. The themes are creatively stimulating, and occasionally may result in books shaped to represent their subjects. This display is a selection of books from various themes over the years.

Once again we thank Lynne Gurnee for the creative display and the photos.