Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Book Art

Sunny Raven Gallery hosts an annual artist's-made book show which Bill and I participated in (for the first time) last year. This year, a theme of Recovery, Restoration and Change came about in response to the great flood of 2013 as a way for folks express themselves over the task of rebuilding homes, lives and psyches. It wasn't mandatory to adhere to the theme. As we are not residents of Calgary, Canmore, or any part of southern Alberta which was devastated by flooding, both Bill and I strived to develop concepts which loosely tied in with the theme.


My book cover 9" x 8.25"


Was my idea of recovery from a hip replacement appropriate? Did I even want to make a book about that? Then, serendipity struck when I spied a sign above a consignment shop, in Asheville, North Carolina, and thought "Wouldn't that make the perfect book cover?" I took it as a sign (pun intended) that I should proceed!

Purchased at a thrift store, I took apart a children's board book, sanded and gessoed the pages then created painted backgrounds for most of the photo pages. Others, and the text pages, were printed on pretty, commercially made papers. Bellow are the nine layouts. Hopefully, when you click on them, they will enlarge enough for you to read the text ...




By lifting the the x-ray photograph a full colour, medical illustration can been seen. It shows just what happens in a hip replacement.
It's not for the faint of heart












Bill's photo essay book has two chapters. The first is about abandoned, rusted-out trucks and the second is of gloriously restored, old trucks. It is encased in a cigar box that, in Photoshop, he altered the labels of for the top and inside the lid. We presented our books to gallery owners Meg Nicks and Paul Goutiere last Friday ...


Paul, Bill and Meg with Bill's book

Meg at Sunny Raven Gallery and Framing

Judy Dahl's book (left) and Win Dinn's two books (right) To view Judy 's book pages please click here

Books by Win Dinn (two on the left) Christine Thorpe (centre) and Bill (right)
 
As the above photo in reverse, showing my book on the right with Christine Thorpe's poem books standing

Meg's book in progress with her mock up template


The book show continues at Sunny Raven Gallery for the next several weeks.  Please stop in an have a look!  


4 comments:

  1. What a fabulous job you and Bill did on your books - wonderful to get a glimpse of the finished projects. I can hardly wait to see both of them 'in the flesh'!

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    1. Thanks Win, I too await the day you can view our books in person and when we can watch you do so!

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  2. I love handmade books. Am waiting for an op on my bunion - it's plagued me since age 20 in various ways, mainly the shoes I can't wear...but somehow I don't think anyone'd be interested in a book about it! Your books look lovely, and your idea of renovating a children's board book is good because it gives you the basis and saves you having to find resources to make one from scratch. :) Jacky xx

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    1. Jacky O, I too have the same foot problem and I so understand the business of the shoes we CAN'T wear! My left toe fused itself well over a decade ago, the other one just continues to be a pain - and so it goes!
      Thanks for taking the time to read, comment and praise my posts.

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