Book + Art: Handcrafting Artists’ Books

Book + Art focuses on content and suggests simple and elegant ways of presenting it in book form. Published by North Light it has just been released. It covers:
• An introduction to bookmaking tools and common materials
• The basics of selecting paper and other substrates
• Traditional and digital ways to incorporate images and words
• How to utilize blank and altered books
• Simple handmade book structures including multiple examples of single sheet, glued and sewn books
• Covers
• Alternative presentations including unbound collections, boxes, sculptural forms and interactive books

With Examples, Projects, Tips and Creative Explorations, this book covers accessible image-making techniques, (like acrylic paste painting and alcohol gel transfers that can be done into bound books), the adhesive drumleaf binding, (which uses double page spreads and requires no sewing), and covers that are created separate from the book structure and are simple to attach.

Additional information about the contents and double page spreads from the book can be seen by clicking here or on the book image. On Amazon you can "look inside this book" and order it for $16.49. But through July 31st Book + Art can be ordered from North Light's MyCraftivityStore for $15 using the code BOOKART.

Losing Ground

Losing Ground, an artist book, was produced in three editions as an example of how exceptional artists books can be made by combining traditional processes and print-on-demand technology.

A limited edition of 100 of the 12" x 12" 44 page book was printed on the HP Indigo press 5500 by Acme Bookbinding and bound in black Brillianta. A deluxe edition of 6 was bound in aubergine Nigerian goat by Harcourt Bindery. Both have 8" x 8" embossed patinaed copper title plates and are available boxed. The editions have considerable handwork including details printed on vellum, silver and photo gloss papers tipped into the books and graphite, colored pencils, markers, metallic pigments, embossing powder and gold leaf used to add texture and reflectivity. Finally, a 7" x 7" softcover open edition was printed by Blurb.

The books can be purchased on the Viewpoint Editions website where images of the editions, including all of the pages in the book, and information on the production process can be found.

Ancient Medium, N.E.W. (New England Wax) Terrain
Art Complex Museum
May 17 – September 6

This exhibit provides an opportunity to view how artists use the age-old and unusual technique of encaustic painting to achieve unique and often compelling works of art. Encaustic, meaning “to burn” in Greek, dates back to the 5th century B.C. As a contemporary medium, encaustic artists mix colors, apply wax, fuse, etch, layer, collage, transfer photo copy images and incorporate found objects into both two and three dimensional work. New England Wax, (N.E.W.) is a professional group of artists from all six New England states who paint with a beeswax-based paint kept molten on a heated palette.

Art Complex Museum 189 Alden Street, Duxbury MA 02331 781-934-6634
Museum hours - Wednesday through Sunday, 1:00 - 4:00 PM