From the collection - Rapunzel

I haven't had much time this week for my own art - I am beavering away on a few things that aren't in any shape or form to be shared yet, so I have returned to the collection.

BookArtObject was a fabulous project to be involved with and I received many wonderful books in exchange for the ones I made and sent around the world.

Rapunzel was the title of one of the stories that Sarah Bodman wrote and buried in Denmark, (this series of book titles formed the basis for Edition4 of BAO) and Jac Balmer chose to make one of her books about that title.

'Rapunzel' is a digitally printed concertina book from original artwork by Jac. I loved following her process and thinking on her blog, back in 2012, when she was making this book. There were so many twists and turns, changes in direction, it felt like the way my work often goes.

I think she started out in a warmer colour palette, but I love the soft blues, pinks, mauves and greens of the final work.

It comes wrapped in a lovely simply wrap around cover.

Which you open to see the front cover of the book - enticing tracery of thorns and brambles?

The book opens with visually stunning artwork of Rapunzel, the forest, the castle window, so many things to discover in here...

Her detailed illustrations are so beautiful

I love the shadows of the silhouettes as well - reversed?

It reads so well when it stands...

 It is a small but sumptuous book, filled with imagery and meaning that requires time to be spent with it, to wander back and forth through the images, discovering nuggets anew each time.

Thursday Thoughts...

“The aloneness is total and complete. Not loneliness but aloneness. Loneliness is always concerned with others; aloneness is concerned with oneself.”

Osho

I think I've mentioned before(!!) how much I ponder solitude and solitude and silence and silence and silence and silence.  Occasionally in my reading, I come across another way of describing these two states that works for me, that makes sense and resonates somehow.

I like this differentiation between loneliness and aloneness. I very rarely ever equate the two - but I know for some folk just being alone, feels lonely.

Loneliness does seem to be all about others - missing people around you; missing those who have died and left a huge dark hole; missing seat friends who have moved far away; its about the absence of others.

Aloneness is much more to me about being with myself. Being quiet and in my own world, and knowing that is enough, that is perfect for the time. It does feel complete, as if it is all that is needed. I am not lacking anything at those moments; I am full and fulfilled.

 This enigmatic piece was in an exhibition by Anish Kapoor in Sydney back in 2013. As I wandered through my photographs it seemed to offer a sense of solitude and contemplation that matched my thinking.

A conference paper

Each and every artist is different and unique in their own way. We all do things differently, we aspire to different things, we want to achieve different things and we want to explore and make and create different things.

One of this things I enjoy doing in amongst my practice, is thinking about what I am doing and why; where my practice fits in the canon of book arts; and writing about it.

I am always happy when somebody accepts an article I have written about something, and am particularly excited at the moment to be putting the finishing touches to another conference paper.

Late last year, Susan and I attended the ABCNZ2014 Conference in Auckland New Zealand, where I spoke about our collaboration and how I had come to think about it in terms of why it worked and what was at play.

Next week (eek) I will be presenting another paper at another Conference.  This times it is nearby, in Brisbane, and a little bit more academic than my earlier one. But it builds on the first one and continues to look at our collaborative practice.

Barry is reading the final draft as I type this...

It is titled " Reading intra-collaborative artists' books". Hmmm. Sounds thrilling huh?

In New Zealand last year, it really came home to me that Susan and I collaborate in a fairly non-traditional manner, and that we are a bit different to many collaborations that are out there. So I thought I would explore our type of collaboration further and then explore if you read a book like we make, in a different manner to which you read other artists books' and other collaborative artists' books.

Of course you'll have to wait until next week to find out the answer!

But just because I have enjoyed putting together the Powerpoint so much, here are some snaps of some of the images involved...

So many lovely memories of these books.

And then the odd random shot of one of my books A Subversive Stitch...

 
Plus a reminder that we'll be on show at Noosa towards the end of the year...

So next Thursday it begins, and Friday's the day for me. I'm in some very august company as you can see. Click here for the full program and all the marvellous speakers.

 A Subversive Stitch is also part of the curated exhibition Books by Artists on show:

9th – 25th July 2015.

Webb Gallery Queensland College of Art 226 Grey Street, South Bank

Gallery Hours: 10am – 4pm, Tuesday – Saturday 

It will be wonderful to catch up with some friends and colleagues at the Conference and at the Artists Book Fair on Saturday 18 July.

Now to make those final edits...

A busy week, with beauty...

Sunday afternoon and I am sitting here thinking wow - what a week.

On Monday we set up the display of First Editions at Maleny Library. On Wednesday we headed to Brisbane to set up the 4x4 display - four book artists from Far North Queensland and four book artists from South East Queensland. It is showing at Brisbane Square Library for 3 whole months! The show looks stunning and I am thrilled we could gather theses artists together, showing "the book as sculpture". It was shown in Cairns in March, and now here.

Here are a few of the works.

My Library of Lost Words and Rusty Journal below...

Susan Bowers...

Helen Malone...

Adele Outteridge...

Rose Rigley...

Barbara Dover...

 Claudine Marzik...

Rosie Miller...

Wednesday night, the moon was full and the sky was clear. Some moon shots of beauty through a tree.

Thursday it turned cold in the afternoon; but set up these beautiful sunset panoramas across the valley.  Even when you are going going going, it is so lovely to stop and look at that view. To stop and enjoy the moment.

And today, we have just finished the most wonderful Celebration of Books weekend.  It was all I had hoped for and more - just brilliant.  We are lucky to work with the best bunch of women who just get in and get things done - and are ably supported on the days by our fabulous partners and husbands who also just get down and dirty helping lug chairs, hang books, pack up, mop, sweep, cart and carry,  you name it.

The Book Swap Tree...

Every event was bigger and better than before it seemed. We had great conversations and discussions and the movie was brilliant as well.  We went out and bought the book on which the movie was based (Testament of Youth) this morning we were so moved by it, as well as books by the authors who visited and charmed and inspired us with their thoughtful and insightful reflections on life and creativity.

And I must say, we baked up a treat and everybody commented on how good the treats were at the events!

Wow. What a week.

Thursday Thoughts...

“The whole culture is telling you to hurry, while the art tells you to take your time. Always listen to the art.” 

Junot Díaz

Ahh so true. Life begets activities begets pace and busy-ness and commitments and shoulds and oh my goodness.

I worry a lot not so much about the speed of things, but the volume of them - the filling up of time with busy-ness and things, and the multitasking that we all do in an effort to get more done in the time available; to work efficiently, and yet in the end, not.

And when I think about it - when has art ever said me to go faster, go quicker?

For me, most times, art sets its own pace and things happen in their own time.  Some things take longer than you can imagine or anticipate and something take forever to emerge; at other times things flow and you produce more than you thought possible and look around going wow.

I think this notion of art is particularly true if you are working and making for yourself. It is harder if you have deadlines like commissions you have said you'll do by X; work you need to enter into a show; or an exhibition that needs to be filled with your work.  At those times, you can sometimes hear the art saying, bustle along a bit would you?

But in its purest form, art reminds us to take the time it takes. Oftentimes our best work appears when it is ready, at its own pace and in its own way. Of course sometimes pressure and deadlines help you create amazing things; but I prefer to to take the slow art path when I can...

The Unbearable Whiteness - one of my slooooooooow books.

Maleny Celebration of books begins

I am on the up and up, still trying to be sensible and taking things moderately, and was able to help set up the display of fine First Editions of Early Australian Literature at the Maleny Library yesterday.

This is a feature event of the Maleny Celebration of Books, and runs for a whole month, giving lots of people the opportunity to see rare books and learn a bit about them.

The two cabinets look good.

We have some early CJ Dennis books, Bernard O'Reilly's stories and first editions of My Brilliant Career, along with the odd prop or two from our place. We also have a number of letters and other ephemera associated with the books which adds so much to the stories they tell.

I love the typography and fonts on early books - they are so original and evocative. Steel Rudd's On Our Selection detail.

Over in the other cabinet, we have Ethel Turner, May Gibbs and Norman Lindsay.

Again I love the tile lettering here. And what a fabulous book this is - I still remember weeping when the gum tree fell...

A really special piece. The sequel to Seven Little Australians is The Family at Misrule. Inside this first edition we have the inscription from the author to Henry Lawson! So this was Henry Lawson's own book - oh my.

Norman Lindsay's illustrated covers are dynamic and just fabulous.

There is some wood type on the bottom shelf with the May Gibbs books.

How precious - a first edition of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.

Me, Sue and Claire - the set up sisters, photo taken by Barry.

With huge thanks to Neil Glover for sharing his collection with the Celebration.

Succumbing

I have spent the past few days succumbing. Succumbing to the common cold. Which has made me think a lot about this beautiful poem/prayer by one of my favourite cartoonist-philosophers Michael Leunig. 

 God bless those who suffer from the common cold.
 Nature has entered into them;
 Has led them aside and gently lain them low
 To contemplate life from the wayside;
 To consider human frailty;
 To receive the deep and dreamy messages of fever.
 We give thanks for the insights of this humble perspective. 
 We give thanks for blessing in disguise.
 Amen

 'When I Talk to You' Michael Leunig, HarperCollins.

I surprised myself by behaving myself. By stopping. By taking all the good remedies there are to take; and to simply stop. To potter a bit. To prepare a few things I really had to prepare, but then to lie on the couch and read this.

And look at this.

Taken through the window with the iPhone - I didn't grab a camera or open a door...

Feeling brighter and better for it, but there was no art this weekend. Every now and again one has to retreat, withdraw and heal. The weekend was one of those times and the common cold gave me the time I needed to consider life as Leunig suggests...

For tomorrow we set up the display of First Editions, Early Australian Literature as part of the Maleny Celebration of Book which we celebrate next weekend! It will be joyous and a gorgeous weekend of books and writers and lovers of books gathering to talk and enjoy books.

I am so looking forward to the Big Book Club discussion of Ian McEwan's book "The Children Act" - the large group discussions will be facilitated by Graeme Page  QC so should be a fascinating exploration of law and ethics and other things.

The Forum on Sunday will be brilliant - 4 award winning authors talking about creativity. Matt Condon, Francis Whiting, Kristina Olsson and Ashley Hay. Can't wait for that as well!

Alongside films based on books (Paddington for children and The Testament of Youth for adults) and workshops for writers and the Book Tree Swap (from whence I nabbed that book to read today - shall place it back for swapping next weekend!) and the launch of children's author Greig Dreise's latest book it will be a fun-filled time.

If you are interested in any of the events - we'd love to se you there.

Early dinner and early to bed tonight, ready to face the week feeling well.

Thursday Thoughts...

“All the books we own, both read and unread, are the fullest expression of self we have at our disposal. …But with each passing year, and with each whimsical purchase, our libraries become more and more able to articulate who we are, whether we read the books or not.” 

Nick Hornby

The Thursday Thoughts wheel has turned to books again and I continue to be surprised with how many different ways I can think about books!

I smiled at this one - how often have I run my eyes over book shelves when I visit people's houses and thought - oh I didn't know that about them?  The same goes I am sure when folk stumble across our messy office with bookshelves crammed with all sorts of things - and they mightn't expect to see so many murder mysteries.

I love how Hornby refers to how books we purchase, whether we read them or not, tell part of our story.  Every now again (more often than I'd like to think really) I purchase a book on a whim - it sounded like something I'd be interested in, or want to explore in more depth; it sounded good when I heard a snippet on the radio or I felt that maybe I 'should' read it because I would be enlightened by doing so.

Its these last ones that take up space on the shelves, often unread. Perhaps their presence simply indicates something that I wish for in my life; an element I'd like to pursue; or something I am interested in (but not quite enough to read cover to cover). They certainly don't reflect that I am erudite and learned about the subject!

It's a bit like reading tea-leaves isn't it, reading a person's bookshelf?

52 books finished

Wintry inside type days mean have meant that I brought my wee books over to the house so I could sit and stitch them and finish the insides whenever I had a spare moment. It also meant I didn't have to head to the shed-studio and sit with them there in the cold.

They are finished.  I had to attach the inside covers and then they were done.

1 to 52.

All bundled up together - I do love a bundle.

I laid them out on the floor - 52 individual books make quite a long line.

Very very faintly - the inside front cover shows an embossed cross.

The inside pages - reminders that the women who are killed by partners or former partners are women we know - they are mothers, daughter, sisters and friends... just like so many of us.

And the hand-burned individual pattern with a watch part, reminding us it is time to change what we do and how we respond to family voice.

And the inside back cover shows a faintly embossed female symbol. Look closely!

A little grouping...

 I have designed the housing and now have to get it made. Not too far from the finish line for these wee ones now.