My ‘pleasure is an egg’ rubber stamp - part of Sarah Bodman’s wonderful collaborative project to mark World Book Night 2016. Forty rubber stamp prints Inspired by ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood, ‘Serena Joy’ is a box of forty, eclectic rubber stamp prints. More details on the project, including the production process, can be found here, and also here. With thanks to Mette-Sofie D. Ambeck for expertly printing my egg!
Arboretum
A small woodland has sprung up in my studio as I make up more copies of 'Twenty Trees (as seen from a train)'.
Beetles, bees and moths
From the Museum of Natural History in Oxford - inspiration for a new series of books I've been mulling over for a while...
The longevity of leaves
Made the most of a spare hour over lunchtime between meetings in Oxford to pay a visit to the wonderful Oxford University Museum of Natural History. I usually get drawn into the murky depths of the Pitt Rivers Museum at the back, but the sun was streaming in, making the stonework relief carvings on the first floor look even more impressive than usual. I also spotted this photograph on the stairs showing masons (from Farmer & Brindley) working on the same carvings in around 1911. Gratifying to think their hard work is still being admired more than a century later.
Cracker Book sneak peek
The Cracker Book collaboration with the ABC group at UWE is nearing completion, and early results will be exhibited in Bower Ashton library from 20 April. Participating artists (from the left): Kate Williamson, myself, Alison Sloggett, Linda Parr, Rebecca Weeks (2 books). Having seen early print proofs of Stephanie Turnbull’s amazing lithographic contribution, it’s shaping up to be a lovely set of books. Just need to put my thinking cap on to come up with a good way to package them...
Phew!
Fifty books made in the last two-and-a-half weeks, Building up stocks for the ABC@UWE exhibition at Bower Ashton library, the Turn The Page artists’ book fair in Norwich and the BS9 Arts Trail.
The perils of a momentary lapse in concentration
One silly mistake and a whole book is ruined. Bah.
Letterpress loveliness
Spent a very enjoyable few hours on Saturday at the British Printing Society Fair… over 40 stalls of letterpress and printing paraphernalia. A very generous goody bag was given on arrival containing all manner of printed matter. Picked up a couple of bargains - two vintage boxes of envelopes (£2!) and an amazing book called ‘A Handbook of Type and Illustration’ (by John Lewis, 1956) which includes beautiful reproductions of work by Edward Bawden, Edward Ardizzone and George Chapman. The highlight was a talk by Martin Andrews from the University of Reading who spoke about the life and work of Robert Gibbings. Totally fascinating, and a real privilege to see print proofs of collaborations with Eric Gill from the Golden Cockerel Press handed round.
Over the moon!
Ridiculously excited and thrilled to have my work featured in the latest edition of Uppercase. I have swooned over every issue of this magazine, and look forward to each one arriving in the post to read cover to cover, so it’s a real honour to be included. A very interesting, and - as always - gorgeous edition too… focusing on book arts, folding and paper making. Chuffed to bits!
Where did you get that hat?
Birds, beasts and blooms...
... of the white variety.
Hats and Shoes
A fiddly, but enjoyable, few hours proofing linocuts for two new books.
Accidentally Easter-y
Cutting out ovals for the embossed covers of new books. A seasonally appropriate activity.
Hot off the press
Just received delivery of a stash of flat printed sheets to be made up into new books. Ten White Beasts and Ten White Blooms. Thanks to printed.com again for doing an excellent job!
Ten orange cracker books
Flocked and finished - hurray!
Cracker books are go
Final stages of the edition of ten cracker books… all the components are ready for assembly - just need to start sticking.
Inspiration
The pinboard in my studio… bit of a mixed bag.
Working it out
Initial pencil crayon sketches to work out colour overlays for a new illustrated book - Ten White Blooms (final part of the trilogy to accompany Beasts and Birds).
Petal Prints
6-page concertina book of digital prints of rubber stamped flowers on 250gsm gesso paper. Hand stamped patterned endpapers, fluorescent pink board covers with a floral die-stamped title band.
Available to buy now in the shop...
Production line
Lots of cutting and sticking to make an edition of a new book – Petal Prints.
Photos of the finished book to follow tomorrow…