| Domestic Papers Homemade books...with a past! |
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Welcome to domestic papers! I've always been an artist. I've always loved paper. I've always loved old things. At last! These great loves come together in my very own studio! I grew up in a family that collected things and made things. We were always working with our hands, fixing old things and creating new ones- sometimes from the old ones! We never passed up an antiques shop, the junkier the better, and our parents encouraged us in each and every creative pursuit. I love to travel but even more, I love to be at home. The classic domestic arts- cooking, sewing, gardening- have always been rewarding pastimes for me. These skills have been handed down to me and I continue to pass them on to my daughters. I call my studio "Domestic Papers... books with a past" because bookbinding is an ancient, endlessly fascinating art form. Each book I make can trace back to books made centuries ago in other lands. Many of the materials, techniques, and images I collect for my books have a history all their own. I'm free to add any contemporary elements I want and still, it comes down to ages of experience before me- years of format and function- made new in each new book. Please enjoy your stroll through my pages! Upcoming & Local The Papershell Garden Gallery ~ Richmond, TX I'm thrilled to announce that my handmade books are now available at this fun and lively garden "hot spot"just off Hwy 59 South, south of Sugar Land. The owners have designed a beautiful balance of handcrafted items by talented area artisans and vibrant native and unusual plants. To see Papershell's upcoming calendar of events, an easy map, and some lovely plants, check out Papershell: A Garden Gallery My Spring workshop's at the Museum of Printing History in Houston, Texas: ~Small Books From Everyday Objects~ Longstitch Book from Handmade Paper~ Please visit Museum of Printing History Domestic papers Worldwide! What's new in my shop @ etsy.com I've added some new sections to my etsy shop including: Happy Holidays ~ Vintage Vibe Books ~ and Rebound Books Domestic Papers Etsy Shop Domestic Papers on the 2011 Home Front Recent Projects : My “Paper Routes” Guest Artist Project at the Kinkaid School Delivered Success! When the Kinkaid School’s Upper School Art Department called with an invitation to be their Spring Semester Guest Artist, I jumped at the chance! I designed “Paper Routes” a three-part project that included environmental papermaking, a mixed media handmade paper installation, and a hand-bound book documenting the project. The Kinkaid School’s Mixed Media art students creatively blended their own ideas with the recycled and natural materials I provided to illustrate their chosen "Paper Routes" topics. They examined the history and uses of paper in our world and designed, created, and constructed six 3’ x 6’ handmade panels containing their own messages about the paper experience. Ideas flowed as the students were engaged, industrious, and courteous. I believe we all came away from this project with a satisfying sense of teamwork and creative expression. I’m grateful to the Kinkaid School for such a rewarding experience! My "Prague Stenciled Graffiti" book returned home from two successful showings first at Abecedarian Gallery in Denver, Colorado and then at 23 Sandy Gallery in Portland, Oregon. In Denver, three of the “Prague” books were purchased, including one for the ---Library at University of Denver. That left only one of the original edition of four “Prague” books to travel on to the Portland show. Both galleries published lovely show catalogs through lulu.com. I'm glad to have the last “Prague” book home in my own collection! Domestic papers Abroad ~ Travel in 2011 I visited family staying in Riga, Latvia and thoroughly enjoyed touring Tallinn in Estonia, Vilnius in Lithuania, and Sigulda, Latvia. The art historian in me enjoyed the beautiful architecture of these old cities, the adventurer in me enjoyed the food, culture, and way of life, and the American Picker in me, well, she was always on the prowl. I was helped tremendously by the fact that our family’s motto seems to be “Never pass a bookstore without going in.” For me, the dustier, the crampier, the betterer! In used book sections, I found several intriguing tomes to repurpose for my own book arts or to just keep and admire. I could, and sometimes did, spend hours poring over shelves and peeking in corners in Antikvarats shops jammed with treasures. In Tallinn, I ran through the falling snowflakes to get to one more bookshop before our bus left for Riga. In Vilnius, we stumbled upon a flea market where I used my ‘bundling’ skills to get good deals on multiple small items. In Riga, I made friends with a few of the shopkeepers by a combination of smiles, mimed actions, and a few garbled words of Latvian. I barely made it back to the U.S. without exceeding airline luggage limits! |
