In Between Ideas

I finished another book project this week. Now I have to figure out how to ship it to a gallery, across the nation, in North Carolina. It's sturdy in most parts, but there are some exposed pages that have me stumped as to how to pack it properly...hmmmm...

This is the time when I am in between ideas. It's when I clean up my studio and take inventory of what papers I have left and which ones I need to make. Sometimes I make painted papers and assume they will be used in the next project. Other times, I begin with my idea and make the papers to suit the piece. I have a big stack of handmade cotton papers I made during this last project, so that may inform my next piece. My cotton papers are somewhat thick. Thicker than most commercially made papers and that can be a real advantage. Thick papers take up more room and when you make fat little books that bulk means fewer pages to fold and sew. And viewing the text block from the side, handmade paper pages look so great. I love the textures and natural colors of the plant fibers. I have made handmade paper using stems as inclusions so that when the paper is cut, the cross section of those stems show.

I enjoy it when a piece is completed. I work in seclusion and don't tell anyone what I'm working on, but when it's done, I'm anxious to show the piece. However, what makes me the happiest is process. I love the process of making the papers, folding and sewing the textblocks and figuring out how to make my kinetic pieces move properly.

I am so thankful I know what "my" medium is. With artists' books, I have more ideas for new work than I have time left on this planet. I want to work every day in my studio. Laundry and housework can wait....