Art Progress

Direction Journal 2

4.75 X 6 X 1”

Wood, paper, button, waxed linen, collage, and acrylic

Here is the second in the map series. It is a lighter approach to the subject.

The clasp for this book uses two cords from the binding and an old button. You can see the two clasp cords coming from the back of the book. The cords go on opposite sides of the book. One has the button attached to it. The other cord can be wrapped around the button to secure the book.

Here's a picture of the cover.

Here's a closeup on the clasp.

Direction Journal 1

4.75 X 6 X 1”

wood, paper, waxed linen, collage, and acrylic

This journal is the first in a series of books that ponder the question “Where am I going?” I use maps as a metaphor for broader more metaphysical questions.

I've been making these clasps based on a Japanese technique. In most cases I use one of the cords from the binding so the clasp is structurally integral to the book, not just an attached piece.

Cover
View image

Clasp Detail

Mendelssohn Death

Unfortunately our dog India...

got her jaws around the Mendelssohn book. Below are photo's of the remains.

Lord Brocktree (Redwall, Book 13)

by Brian Jacques

This book is rated for ages 9-12 but it's an enjoyable read for anyone who likes a good story.

Jacques' plots are very effective. Each action is motivated so he doesn't need to resort to deus ex machina.

There is a strong spiritual undercurrent to the book and Jacques heroes don't pull punches. Despite a strong moral tone the book is far from dull or preachy. It's a rollercoaster adventure packed with perilous hares and bickering shews.

One warning though, Jacques spends a lot of words describing food. This doesn't make the read slow but it may make the reader hungry so I wouldn't recommend this book for folks who are on a strict diet.

Emily’s Notebook

5 X 7.5 X 1.25”
Mixed media, acrylic, and collage on panels; antique buttons; waxed linen; and paper.

I made this book for my wife. She is a professional harpist so I wanted to create a playful image reminiscent of music in general and harps in particular.

Notebook 1

7 X 6 X 1.25”
Graphite, acrylic, and collage on panel; wood; ink; paper; and waxed linen

The cover of this blank book s a subtle exercise of tone and finish. As with much that lies on the art/craft border it’s hard to get a real sense of the pleasure of a piece like this without holing it and feeling the weight and texture of it. Still the two details give a little sense of the direction of the book.

Sketchbook 2004

6 X 8.5 X 1”
Mixed media, acrylic and collage on wood panels.

Not a whole lot to explain. I made this book to use for sketching ideas and tracking progress. The numbers are the first 10000 decimal places after pi (or maybe only the first 7500). They were printed using a font generated from my handwriting. The palate swatches were from a bad print of something for a costume design project I’m working on. The head is intended to make people think of a Mozart-like musician and there’s a little cut out from some catalog that continues the musical theme.

The colors and images were meant to be compelling but not necessarily comfortable. That’s what the drawing process is like for me.

The details showcase the numbers and the waxed linen that holds the signatures in place.

As a bonus, here’s an image and detail of the sketch book it replaces.

The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection

By Robert Farrar Capon

Note: my copy was from a local library but a more recent version can be found here.

Capon is a dietary iconoclast. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The Supper of the Lamb is a cookbook in roughly the same way that Moby Dick is a book on whaling.

His assertion of the value of real objects is refreshing. More important is his meditation on the synthesis of priest and sacrifice (or lion and lamb) found in the paradoxical person of Jesus Christ. He would, I’m sure, disparage my comparison of this to a Hegelian triad but I think the description is fitting.

I disagree with his position on wine but even at that I can’t disagree with most of his reasons for his position. Nether do I think we would see eye to eye on some doctrinal positions. Still, the book, while maintaining a highly entertaining flow or meandering of thoughts, lead me to think of eating and food in a more Christ centered way.

The Classic of Tea

By: Lu, Yü

It is quite possible that something was lost in translation. I found this mildly interesting but not exciting. The barely-sequitur appendix of historical tea legends was fun to read. The book was half commentary on how Chinese tea is. I found this book at the library and was not shocked to discover that it is no longer in print.

An Old-Fashioned Girl

By: Alcott, Louisa May

Fairly typical of Alcott. Alcott’s presentation of the liberation of women, it’s methods and ideals are very interesting to compare to the current iteration of that movement. There are humorous meta-textual insertions throughout the book that give you the idea that Alcott enjoyed writing what she did but understood that it wouldn’t be thought of as great literature.