Skip to main content

Life Book

Last year I was commissioned to create an original "life book" as a surprise one year anniversary gift from a groom to his husband.  Together for thirty years, they were one of the first gay couples to marry in New York City when the state changed the law and recognized same sex marriage.  

Life Book by Suzanne Coley
The custom-made, hand bound book came with a matching gold leaf box.  The inside pages contained silkscreened and relief prints of the couple, their journey together in life, original art, and a poem.

Life Book  open box with book on right side
When I was in Italy I picked up a few yards of blue silk velvet fabric and some glass beads.  They were the perfect materials to hand sew an elegant pouch for the book and box.

Life Book box 
The brown paper was hand marbled with gold. 
  
Life Book is wrapped in postage paper before putting inside box
Life Book/box peeking out velvet pouch
Binding Life Book by Suzanne Coley 
gold leaf texture of cover 
Thank you for visiting my blog!  


Labels:

Comments

Unknown said…
This is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. He must have been very happy with all of the energy and beauty you put into a present for someone he loved very much!
February 23, 2013 at 5:29 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Surviving my Teen Years with Shakespeare

I became passionate about poetry in high school when I desperately needed guidance.  When I needed something to make sense of the chaos others called life.  There was no IG, no FB, no Internet, no cell phones, no "reach out and touch" when life quickly crumbled, leaving you alone with just the clothes on your back. Earlier this year I revisited all 154 Shakespeare Sonnets and began making textile books inspired by them.  Here is Sonnet One -- Don't Get Twisted by the Bling of Youth.
1 comment
Read more

Born of Love, Shakespeare's Sonnet 151

Over the summer I worked on new artwork, Born of Love , inspired by Shakespeare's Sonnet 151. The book offers a translation of the sonnet to the language of textiles and embroidery.  Working on this book allowed me to explore the beauty of textiles from four continents.  Its construction is inspired by the poetic structure within the sonnet.  This book, along with two other of my art pieces, will be on exhibit at the Folger Shakespeare Library from 16 Sept 2024 - 9 Feb 2025.
Post a Comment
Read more

Evidence: The Art of Candy Jernigan

Art is Life I was introduced to Candy Jernigan's art and book when I was going through cancer treatment more than a decade ago.  Her meticulously arranged collages, paintings, and drawings have had a profound impact on the way I view art, life, and visual storytelling.   Before reading her book, I had never seen how powerful art journaling could be -- that it could also be an artistic tool for social commentary. Candy Jernigan (b. 1952- 1991) attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY.  Soon after graduating she became a painter, set and costume designer in Provincetown, MA.  In Evidence , Stokes Howell wrote, " By the time she returned to New York in 1980 she was starting to develop the themes and methods she would work with the rest of her life."   Candy described the transformative process of taking found objects, "trash," and discarded materials from life and turning them into art: "In 1980, as I set out on my first trip to Europe, I decided...
Post a Comment
Read more