Skip to main content

Ex-Library Books

Recycling the covers of ex-library books
New life for ex-library book covers.
cover of artist's book
I have written about paper created with the pages from ex-library books,
but I haven't talked much about what I do with the covers.
Depending on the condition and size, I usually strip the boards.
 I cut the boards and rebind them.
After binding them I paint them.
 Touch: I am interested in the textures and feel of these books.
These covers are being prepared for an upcoming exhibition at a local bookstore this summer.
Red book created from covers of ex-library books
Created from ex-library books, each will contain an original story in the form of a poem with linocuts/illustrations.
This is a detail photo of the cover of the Red book.
 
There are about 10 more steps before each book is complete.  I will post them before the opening of the show.

Comments

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.

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.

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...