Books Arts Mania: Filling the Book, Part Three

"Not every act of art creates something special, but it creates something. It is the act of art that is important, not the result."  Michael L. Goodman

My wife and I with our three daughters visited Ohio for a week at the beginning of April. We went to see the eclipse, visit some of the Hopewell Indian Mounds, and see LDS historic sites in Kirtland. It was difficult to do much doodling while we were driving from mound to mound and city to village. I only saved four of the small circles I did while resting in the evenings at the Airbnbs. These are in the book now.

While we were exploring Sandusky, Ohio, where we viewed the eclipse, I saw these acts of art on a walk by Lake Erie. Some signposts similar to these would be fun to have in different areas of my garden.

Here is an interesting yard decoration:

Book Arts Mania: Filling the Book, Part two

"Not every act of art creates something special, but it creates something. It is the act of art that is important, not the result." Michael L. Goodman

I have continued to doodle as often as I can with my favorite ink pen on a few small torn-edged pieces of paper. These eight I added to the small reverse piano hinge book I made in February. Fourteen more plates and the book will be completed.

The doddle above on the right was an herbal teabag stain [a very nice German peppermint, by the way] on the back of a piece of note paper. I almost threw the paper away when I was cleaning my desk, but the circle caught my eye. Serendipity!

Book Arts Mania: Completed Concertina Fold Book

 "Not every act of art creates something special, but it creates something. It is the act of art that is important, not the result." Michael L. Goodman

I finished this 5 1/2" X 6" concertina book a couple of weeks ago. I would like to add a circular design on the front cover, but I haven't progressed that far yet. As I have said before, there is something mysterious about circles, circular shapes, and spirals. Wassily Kandinsky remarked, "The circle is the synthesis of the greatest oppositions. It combines the concentric and the eccentric in a single form and equilibrium. Of the three primary forms, it points most clearly to the fourth dimension."

Circles as continuous unbroken shapes can symbolize completeness, wholeness, and unity. Circles and dots have been used in "primitive" art since prehistoric cave paintings. Helen Wells, an artist and writer from the South Coast of England, uses concentric circles and dots often in her work. While not being Aboriginal Art, it does have an echo of that art form which I like.

Here is my book:

An orange slice

Mayan-inspired circle with a spiral

A harlequin circle and another spiral

Two Vicki Grant-inspired circles

Book Arts Mania: Filling the Book

"Not every act of art creates something special, but it creates something. It is the act of art that is important, not the result." Michael L. Goodman

I have started filling one of my small reverse piano hinge books with some black-and-white designs. I keep a stack of little papers of various weights handy for doodling and drawing when I have a free minute. Sometimes I like the doodles and sometimes they end up in the waste basket.

Big Art-Little Spaces: Postcard Swap for "Leap-Day"

 "Not every act of art creates something special, but it creates something. It is the act of art that is important, not the result." Michael L. Goodman

I used this postcard for another swap on Swap-bot in honor of Leap Day, 29 February 2024. I made the card in 2012 when I was working on a book in a book arts class at the University of Utah called Artist Books Two. I made a book called Loco-Motion using copies of photos, Plate 169, by Eadweard Muybridge. [I was the oldest member of the class at 65. The rest were twenty-something college students.] This card was made from one of the extra copies I did not use in the book with a few collage elements added.

This is what the book looked like:

Book Arts Mania: Two More Simple Reversed Piano Hinge Books

 "Not every act of art creates something special, but it creates something. It is the act of art that is important, not the result." Michael L. Goodman

I like the reversed piano hinge binding very much. I have been experimenting with different weights of paper for the accordion folded hinge. Stiffer paper cracks along the fold. For this book, I used decorated tape to cover the mountain fold sides of the accordion strip. I think the tape makes a nice-looking spine.  I cut some circles and stripes on the inner hinge and made the signature lock with leftover cover paper.

This little book was quick and easy.

Big Art-Little Spaces: Postcard Swap on Swap-bot

 "Not every act of art creates something special, but it creates something. It is the act of art that is important, not the result." Michael L. Goodman

I started looking for some mail swaps on Swap-bot this week. 2018 was the last year that I participated in a Swap-bot posting. I joined a postcard swap that was open to handmade cards. Most swap hosts ban handmade cards because some swappers slap a few stickers on an index card and think they have performed an act of art. If those swappers were Ray Johnson, they might get away with it.

However, some of the best cards I have received in swaps were handmade ranging from pristine pencil drawings to elaborate collages. The card I sent in the swap was the penultimate card in a series I made in 2011 featuring small scherenschnitte pieces I cut for Valentine's Day. I am keeping the last card in the set for my own collection.

I would not mind receiving a postcard like this in the mail.

Here are some other postcards I have made.