Banff Centre Blog Post About Book Arts

One of my automatic Google Searches turned up this blog post from the Banff Centre. It first caught my attention because I am a big fan of Yoko Ono’s artwork and her Box of Smile wasn’t a piece I’d seen before.

But then, as I read through the blog about the Paul D. Fleck Library and Archives and their collection of artists’ books (more than 3,800 !) I thought I’d add it to my list of places to visit – and share it with you, too.

The blog also discusses what is an “artist’s book”, what is book art and whether book art makes a sound investment for collectors. Whether you agree with their perspective or not, it is an interesting read. Artists’ books and book art: A conversation with our art librarian.

~Ginger

www.gingerburrell.com

http://picturingdialogue.wordpress.com/

Stitched Bindings Class at the Palo Alto Art Center – Starts 1/16/13

Stitched bindings are some of my favorite bindings to teach – they look so complicated but, one broken into steps, are really quite easy! There are a lot of opportunities to add design elements with the stitching and the fact that most of these books lay flat when open is a great way to include photographs or other content for display. These books also make great sketch and watercolor books.

I’m teaching the 10 week Stitched Bindings class from 1/16/13 to 3/20/13 at the Palo Alto Art Center on Wednesdays from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. This class is designed for students who have never made a book as well as more advanced students. I provide written directions – with photographs – for every step of every book. We make every book twice. Once with my design and supplies and once with your own ideas and plenty of help.

We’ll learn to make Button-Hole, Coptic, Crow’s Foot and Baseball Stitch bindings. I’m also very excited to continue playing with more advanced stab bindings and we’ll even design some of our own using a trick I figured out over the winter break.

To sign up for the class go online or call 650-463-4900. The class ID number is 71435.

Questions? Let me know!

~Ginger

www.gingerburrell.com

The Saddest Photographs I’ve Ever Taken

I’m finishing up a new artists’ book about the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown. When the shooting happened I felt compelled to do *something* and I started thinking about how to represent the children and school staff who were killed. I came up with the idea of using teddy bears for the children and apples for the staff and I’ve spent several days taking school portraits. It’s gotten harder and harder as I’ve been working on the book and taking the group photo broke my heart. I’m going to release the book on Friday and I’ll tell you more about it then. In the meantime, here are some samples of the images I’m working with:

~Ginger

www.gingerburrell.com

Call for Entry – Photo Book Works at Abecedarian Gallery – Deadline January 9

Abecedarian is a great gallery in downtown Denver. I’ve been there and know the artist and curator that runs the gallery, Alicia Bailey. She does a really nice job promoting artists’ books and takes wonderful care of the art that we send her.

Abecedarian has a Photo Book Works show periodically and it is a terrific show! This year you can still enter – you have until January 9th.

I have two new books that I’m excited to enter. I’ll bet you’ve got some great books to enter, too.

For more details, check out the Prospectus. And next time you’re in Denver (even if you just have a layover…) be sure to take time to visit and say hello to Alicia. The shows are always worth the time.

While you’re at it, take a look at the catalogue from the 2010 Photo Book Works show. If you select the Preview you can see some great examples of the quality of work that will share display space with yours.

~Ginger

www.gingerburrell.com

http://picturingdialogue.wordpress.com/

http://46randomactsofkindness.wordpress.com/

Picturing Dialogue Project is Full

Thank you to everyone who replied and with such enthusiasm! We’ve reached the limit of 25 participants for this version of the project. I’ll be sending emails tonight to everyone who is in the project. If you aren’t included, please feel free to follow our Dialogues via http://picturingdialogue.wordpress.com/

~Ginger

www.gingerburrell.com

http://picturingdialogue.wordpress.com/

http://46randomactsofkindness.wordpress.com/

Picturing Dialogue – Photographer Partners Needed

Picturing Dialogue is a year-long photographic project where you and I communicate with each other via photographs. Every other week we will send each other a photograph in response to the photograph the other person sent the week before.

For example, during week 1 I send you a photo of a cat, and in week  2 you send me a photo of a dog.  Your photo made me think about a nearby park where I see dogs playing so in week 3 I send you a photo of a park.    Another example:  In week 1 I send you a photo of a cat.  The photo makes you think about the roughness of a cat’s tongue so you send me a photo of sandpaper.  In response I send a photo of a tree that has been cut down and so on.

At the end of the year we will have a series of photographs – a photographic conversation. I will use the photos to make a set of artists’ book featuring our photographic conversation.

The details:

By participating in this project you agree to take a high-resolution original photograph approximately every other week in response to the photograph I send you. You agree that I have the right to use your photographs in my Picturing Dialogue and Midnight Musings Blogs, in the artists’ books I make specific to this project, and in promotional materials, again specific to this project.

I agree that you have the right to use the photographs that I send you specifically in relationship to this project (not the right to use other photos submitted by other participants or my photos sent to other participants). If you want to make a book, display or use my photographs that I have sent you – in a blog, an artists book or other art media – specifically in relation to your participation in Picturing Dialogue – you are welcome to do so.

We understand that sometimes one of us will be traveling, busy or ill and that our schedule might slip a bit. We might exchange 30 photos for the year, we might exchange 60. Regardless of the number of photos we send each other, this version of this project will end December 31, 2013.

Questions? Would you like to participate? Email me at ginger@rkg.com

~Ginger

http://picturingdialogue.wordpress.com/

www.gingerburrell.com

Three Pumpkins and an Epiphany

Part of working in my new studio is figuring out the best workflow. Where do I store everything, what do I use as my main workbench, where do I put book covers under weight to dry… And how I start my work day has been a topic of thought for a quite a while.

I’ve heard many artists mention that they have a daily activity to help themselves make the transition from daily life to making art. For some it is a daily sketch, others a ritual like Mr. Roger’s changing of the shoes and sweater, others still use a writing activity.

I’ve tried the daily writing, taking daily photographs (which I enjoy but I find distracts me from what I meant to do that day…), making a miniature book daily, and doing a daily Zentangle. But none of these things seems to get me “in the zone.”

This morning I carved my pumpkins and, while I was washing the seeds out of that gross mushy stuff they live in, I had my epiphany. I had the water running, my hands in the water sorting seeds from strings and all of a sudden I realized that I was in that zen moment. Do you know the one I mean when you feel completely physically relaxed and at peace and your mind is wandering creatively? “Quick,” I thought to myself, “pay attention to why you feel this way.”

I realized that cleaning those pumpkin seeds was like paper making and darkroom printing and making cyanotypes… all of those things I love to do and can do for an entire day without having any idea what time is passing. And all of them involve water and my hands in it. Hmm.

I was a teacher for a lot of years and I always had water available for the kids to play in. Sure there were math concepts of measurement, color concepts of mixing, but mostly it was because of the calming effect of water on young children. Perhaps my brain is like a distracted and over active young child. Hmm.

So I think I have finally found my answer to how I need to start my creative day. Apparently I need my hands in water doing a repetitive and relaxing activity so that my creative brain can get going. (Of course my loving husband will argue that doing the dishes is such an activity.) So what activity can I do each day without making a mess that takes valuable studio time to clean up. Hmm.

I’ll let you know more about this as I figure it out.

Do you have a daily activity to start your creative practice? Please feel free to tell us about it in the comments!

While I am typing this blog entry I am eating the freshly roasted pumpkin seeds from the above mentioned zen moment. Here is my favorite roasted seed recipe in case you haven’t roasted yours yet.

Garlic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

• 2 cups pumpkin seeds
• 2 TBS worcestershire sauce
• 2 TBS butter (melted)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Mix all, spread on a cookie sheet  and roast at 275 degrees until golden brown.

Happy Halloween!

~Ginger

www.gingerburrell.com