Tag Archives: building a studio

“How To” Books That Deserve Shelf Space #1

Posted on September 6, 2016 | 11 comments

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I’m in the middle of my studio clean out. It definitely got worse before it got better, but today I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Or at least the floor in some places.

I’m being rather harsh in my clean out, I don’t want to do this again soon. Everything has to earn its space. Especially books. So far I’ve donated 4 bags of books to the library and I’ve got two more boxes of books to donate to the Bay Area Book Artists Sale on Sunday, October 16th.

In my studio I have one of those Ikea bookshelves with the squares to divide books. Above is a photo of one of two squares labelled, “Book Arts How To.” I thought I’d share with you the books that I think are worth keeping in my studio and why.

Most books about Book Arts include the standard bindings, Accordion, Coptic, Pamphlet, etc. In order for me to keep a book in this category, it has to have one or more of the following:

  1. Unique binding ideas
  2. The best photos and instructions for a particular binding
  3. A gallery of book examples with outstanding artists books

Today, the first 5. Note, these are in no particular order of preference. Rather the order they are on my shelf.

Book Art Studio by Stacie Dolin and Amy Lapidow.

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The primary reason this book gets to stay? The Limp Paper Binding. A variation on the traditional Limp Vellum Binding. I haven’t tried it yet so the book goes back on my shelf.

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re-bound: creating handmade books from recycled and repurposed materials by Jeannine Stein

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This book deserves shelf space for the gallery. Here two of my favorites by Elaine Nishizu and Judi Delgado.

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Next, Book Arts: Beautiful Bindings for Handmade Books by Mary Kaye Seckler

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I keep this book for The Raven’s Foot Binding. It is a fun and unusual binding and well described here.

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More Making Books By Hand by Peter and Donna Thomas

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While there are instructions about how to make books, this one gets to stay as a catalog of Peter and Donna Thomas’ artwork. Here one of my favorites, The Trout.

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Book + Art: Handcrafting Artists’ Books by Dorothy Simpson Krause

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This book is unique in that it has Thermal Bindings (bindings created with the use of heat)

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And Drumleaf Bindings, bindings created by applying glue to the spine. Neither of which I’ve done, but both of which look interesting and useful.

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Next week, the next five.

On a personal note, the wedding in Virginia Beach was wonderful, beautiful, sentimental. We’re still smiling from the joy we shared with Samantha and Jeff.

We also experienced Tropical Storm Hermine which turned out to be stormy enough to create some challenges for the bride and groom but also disappointing after watching all of the weather channel doom and gloom.  For fun, Greg and I went to the coast at took some Hermine selfies. Here is my favorite.

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~Ginger

http://www.gingerburrell.com

 

11 Comments

Posted in Art, Artists' Books, Materials/Supplies, Studio

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Dusting Off the Mental Cobwebs

Posted on July 17, 2012 | 1 comment

Last week I finished unpacking my studio and starting working on several new artists’ books. They’re ideas I’ve had floating around during moving and recovery and, finally, I’m ready to get back to work. After months of getting a house ready to sell, moving for the first time in 15 years, and then having a hysterectomy and recovering from that –  I finally feel like I once again have the physical and mental energy I need to dedicate to being an artist.

First, I had to start the week by beating myself up mentally. Why on earth didn’t I write/create/develop ideas while recovering? All I was doing was lying around, right?

Next, I had to forgive myself. Apparently I needed all of the energy I had just to heal. I wish I could have used that time more productively (I don’t think watching 63 episodes of Eureka counts as productive) but for some reason I couldn’t. I tried.

And finally, I’m dusting off the cobwebs (and my tools) and starting anew. I’ve started working on images for one of the new artists’ books. Family and friends are gamely standing against a white while for photos while wondering what on earth I’m going to do with them.

Photoshop is less intuitive right now – I know I used to know how to do all of this. I’ve started taking photographs every day – Oh, how I love to take pictures!  So far mostly of my garden growing and some jam I made this morning.

I’ve hooked up my new printer, a Canon iX6520 (all by myself, no husband-who-is-an-engineer-tech-support!) and I’ve started testing it. My beloved HP that I’ve used to print all of my artists’ books went kaput and I feel like I’m back at square one. Can I use pages I’ve already printed with pages from the new printer? Do I have to start over? Will this printer print on Rives BFK as beautifully as that old printer?

And I’ve started working in my studio. I’ll post photos of the studio later this week. Right now I’ve got the radio cranked up and I’m remembering how to hold a bone folder and being grateful for my health, for being able to find most things where I look on the first try, and for my amazing new workspace.

~Ginger

www.gingerburrell.com

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Posted in Personal Stories, Studio, The Business of Being an Artist

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Congratulations, it’s a Studio

Posted on April 19, 2012 | 7 comments

Well, it took only 8 months, but the studio I’ve been dreaming of has finally been delivered. My niece, Amelia, who is 8 years old, loves it and thinks it is just the right size for her. That it has its own porch lights and doorbell just made her even more tickled. Right away she began making plans to come over and “play art” and then stay overnight in her house, aka my studio.

As I’m typing to you I am peeling wood glue off of my fingers – it doesn’t seem to matter whether I am making books or building cabinets, I have to wear the glue. Instead of bonefolders and my Kutrimmer I am using drills and screwdrivers to build the cabinets and drawer units for my studio.

My brother asked me, “Aren’t the kitchen cabinets enough? Do you need more?” Do we artists ever have enough storage? What’s funny is that Bryce, who is also a very creative person, is a packrat and rarely gets rid of anything. If anyone understands the need for storage…

This is just one of the many stacks of boxes. It turns out that I had art supplies in and tools in pretty much every room of the old house. When we were moving our stuff everyone kept commenting on how most of it was ending up out at the studio. When you put it all in one space it is a bit overwhelming. The duck – he is a wire frame model I made in 3D class several years ago. I’m not sure if he gets to stay because he’s fun or because I injured my elbow pulling and twisting all that wire. Probably both.

This is the studio bathroom. Hmm. More stuff. That’s a bag of banana tree leaves for paper making over there in the bathtub.

This is the back view behind the studio. Eventually it will be a patio surrounded by plants that can be made into paper.  Right now the only plant is one sad weed.

This is one of my favorite views, taken on the way from the house to the studio.  I’m looking forward to ending the moving and organizing phase and beginning the welcoming and working phase. Towards the end of the summer I plan to have an open studio.

Well, I’ve stalled long enough. On to the next cabinet.

~Ginger

www.gingerburrell.com

7 Comments

Posted in Personal Stories, Studio

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