I had the privilege of spending the month of June completely off the grid (no electricity, cell phone service, internet or running water) studying materials and gothic bookbinding structures with Jim Croft at his home in Santa, Idaho. It was a big decision for me to spend such a large chunk of time, so late in my design education, doing something not directly related to my professional pursuits, but I feel that I learned more living in a tree in Idaho for a month than I would have pushing pixels and pulling beziers back in Baltimore. I expected to learn tons about gothic bookbinding, a field in which Jim is a world-renowned expert, but I did not expect to learn so much about homesteading and sustainable living.
View all the photos from my trip
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So, I know it has been eerily quiet around here, and for that I apologize. I have been gearing up for my apprenticeship with Jim Croft, which begins tomorrow, after a series of airplane rides. I will be studying traditional book arts with Jim from the 1st of June to the 28th of June, and I will be stranded in the Idahoan wilderness with no internet, cell phone service, or even electricity. I realize, this is likely the longest and most complete vacation I will have until my retirement from my computer, email, and the organized design world. I plan on making the most of this mental rest.
When I return, I will be updating my website, uploading the last 12 months worth of work I have done, and sharing all of the gazillions of pictures I will be taking in Idaho with all of you.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
I have conducted the first few rounds of interviews and photo shoots for my “Heirloom” project that I am getting pretty excited about. I figured I would post some shots from today’s work in hopes of enticing more of you to participate! THIS COULD BE YOU!
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Thursday, October 15, 2009
For my independent research project in my Folk Art and Folk Life class this semester, I am planning to research the story, design, materiality, and personality behind objects members of my generation hold significant or irreplaceable: a study of the Heirloom. I hope to interview anyone and everyone I can in MY generation who has an object they consider irreplaceable and document my findings in a book I will edit, design, and bind by the end of the semester.
This is where you come in. If you are under the age of 26, have an object that you consider unique, irreplaceable, or significant for ANY reason, and (preferably) are located in the Baltimore, MD or West Chester, PA area, please consider letting me interview you for this project; it would be a huge, huge help. If you are interested, or have any questions, post a comment below, shoot me an email, give me a call, or otherwise get in touch with me.
I will be sure to provide status updates as the project moves along!
or at least what I haven’t lost, thrown away, sold, or gifted.
I certainly had a very book centric semester, but I think it worked out quite well in the end. I now have the book thing added to my belt to help me execute some bigger ideas. I will continue to make books over the summer, perhaps some small editions to make some cash. Also, my portfolio will be updated soon as well, perhaps along with my website??? WHO KNOWS! Stay tuned.
My latest book, “The Fruits of Religion”.
4 needle coptic bound, inkjet printed on Daler Rowney Heavyweight, sourced leather wrapped, embossed covers.
This is my first real piece of “political” art, and I am pleased with the response thusfar. Please feel free to share your thoughts on the book or it’s content in the comments. Full pictures of each spread in the complete article.
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Some spreads I am working on for my Artist Books final that’s coming up. It’s taking me quite a long time, but I am pleased with what I have done so far. More after the “jump”! (more…)
Please excuse the slacker photos. The assignment was to create a book of book reviews and recommendations by some Graphic Design Majors at MICA. The recommendations were supposed to be creative, anything that could benefit or inspire a designer, but many of them were shallow, obvious, or just blatantly bad books. Hence, the title of the book is “Punk Kids Who Think They Know Shit”. Some of the selections in the book put the title in a quite literal context and make it clear we still have plenty to learn, but the better recommendations flip the relationship and turn the title into satire. Some selected spreads from the 60+ page book below the fold. (more…)
I haven’t blogged about anything in awhile, so I figured I would grab something nearby and take some pictures of it. I completed this 3 book series a month or so ago. My goal was to make what in my mind would be the perfect sketchbook for a fine artist. I came up with these wide format, leatherbound, Rives BFK Gray notebooks. I have already gifted two of them to some very fine artists, and I am sure I will find someone to give the 3rd one to soon. I hope they will draw/paint/watercolor/gouache/doodle all over them, then let me borrow them so I can take some pictures of them worn, when I hope they will be more beautiful and just as intact.
Sourced Leather
Plans for the Flatback Hardcover
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