Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Tying Knots, limited edition

My first limited edition artist's book: Tying Knots. I created the illustrations and wrote the instructions for eight different knots, and used them to make this book. Actually I made two of these books, a very limited edition of two. The pages are eska board covered with laser printed parchment paper. The covers have woodgrain printed fabric backed with mulberry paper. Brass findings on the front cover are used to attach two ropes. The ropes can be removed and used to practice the knots, of course. The binding is a Coptic-type chain stitch. One of these books spent some time at Another Room in Alameda, California.




So there, I finally did it. An artist's book. (Well, at least it is the closest I've come to something that might be considered an artist's book.) This might mean I'll have to reconsider my reluctance to call myself an artist... I've got some plans and ideas for other artist's book that i want to develop - but they are very slow to come together compared to the basic journals that I normally make! The biggest factor being the content, of course. Off I go, down a new road looking for content...

5 comments:

Kiley said...

Very cool.

I don't really think of myself as an artist either, but most of my books are blank journals similar to yours. I guess the closest I've gotten to an art book is the one I'm working on for the bookarts forum swap.

Anonymous said...

Well that makes three of us. I did my first "art" or at least content book as a Christmas gift - actually a limited edition of 12 bone shaped accordion style books with dog limericks for my doggie friends.

I've got several ideas for other books with content but none have yet gotten to the realization stage.

Enjoy your blog especially the various bindings. So for the moment I'll just keep trying new bindings on blank books & refrain from being an "artist."

MyHandboundBooks said...

Thanks Kiley and Judy.
Judy, perhaps this is most accurately "a book with content" rather than an artist's book. I know it is only syntax and connotation, but I do find it hard to call myself an artist. I much prefer to just call myself a bookbinder :D

maiko said...

awww, cute idea! i wanna learn how to tie knots haha! :D it's a very pretty book :)

Blaarp said...

Oh god, eska board... brings back bad memories. The vendor we had for the board for cases (I used to work as a DA-270 operator) was usually made by Eska and pretty much every shipment was warped in the top thirty to fourty rows on the pallet. *shudder*

Very lovely book, though. Hope it doesn't warp ;)