Moons – The Book
Hi Everyone,
I am really excited to share this post with you all. I have taken one of my recent projects and made a book to present some of the images in a different, hopefully more creative way.
I have always felt that a digital image is never finished until you can feel it or touch it in some way, that's the point at which you either make a connection with that image, or not. There are however so many ways of turning an image into something you can hold and I am loving the process of exploring many of these
different avenues. Each step along a path is triggering so many ideas and I am thoroughly enjoying having the time to devote to some of them rather than just making scribbled notes that I am unlikely to ever get to.
One of the courses I have attended during the last few months taught me the basis of bookmaking. The time required to plan and visualise, the art behind a simple paper fold, the precision of calculating and measuring, the joy in wielding a pair of scissors or scalpel, the fun of using glue again (and getting it everywhere!). And oh those papers, so many gorgeous papers!
Anyway, on to the book…
I decided to base my book on my recent project, Moons Beyond the Edge of Possibility, as I felt it gave me a good basis to start with and plenty of scope to present the project creatively. I chose to create a Concertina book but to try and introduce different elements into that book to give it additional dimensions and longevity.
I have also chosen to present the book in it's own handmade little box, yet another skillset to get to grips with.
The cover of the box and the book covers themselves are decorated using a beautiful silver Japanese paper which is absolutely gorgeous and a joy to work with. Adding a title to the front cover also removes the frustration of opening a book to find it's upside down!
Another decision to be made was whether to use the images as part of the structure of the book to enhance rather than just present the images in and of themselves. I think this is a nice approach and makes the book more personal to the project. This took me down a path of finding a balance between the presentation of the images and the enhancement of those images in a manner which didn't overwhelm. To try and achieve this I made very feint copies of my selected images and printed them onto the background paper.
As you can see from the image above this approach worked nicely in terms of creating a gentle background which wasn't going to overwhelm. The next consideration is how to include the actual images themselves. I wanted to create a book which is dynamic and can be easily changed and updated, one which has longevity. After much thought I took myself down a path of creating windows in each of the panels behind which individual prints of each of the images could be slotted. This allows me to position the images in which ever way I choose and to change them as and when I want to. The window in each panel is a different size to suit the background image but each of the individual prints is interchangeable thereby creating infinite ways of presenting the project.
I am really pleased with my little book and have it displayed nicely on my mantlepiece now. It's definitely been a learning process but I believe making a book is a great way to present our work, to turn our digital creations into something you can touch and feel. I am also really enjoying the process of making something using tools. My desk is a bit of a mess now, as is the floor and my paper bin is full but I've had a great time.
xx
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14 Comments
Is there no end to your talents? That you made the box as well is extraordinary. Thank you for sharing this – you must be thrilled. What a wonderful way to display your project. It looks stunning.
Thanks Valda, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed making this little book. I really am in a bit of a mess here now with lots of tidying up ahead of me but it’s been really worth it. Such great fun and loads of ideas… happy days indeed 🙂
xx
Wow that’s amazing … your images themselves are lovely, my cup of tea completely, and you’ve taken the little concertina book to a whole other level. So very impressive and creative! I am in awe x
Thanks Susi, It did take a while but I am really pleased I spent the time thinking/planning etc. Really getting into this now… 🙂 xx
It looks gorgeous Linda! What a delicate presentation package you have created. The Japanese papers look lovely and the images are very soothing. I am thinking of doing a course with Lizzie Shepherd to learn how to make a book. You have, once again, inspired me to get on and do something about signing up!!
Thank you and I look forward to seeing what you do next!
Thanks for getting in touch Dominique, I am really pleased you like the book. And yes, Lizzie’s course is highly recommended and will definitely give you what you need to get started on this book making journey. It is addictive though so be warned… xx
Hello from California, You are my creative heroine! Seriously, do you sleep? I have so many ideas for projects such as you are doing, but inertia, sadly, seems to be reigning supreme for me at this time. You inspire me to get off my chair (after my 3.2 mile hilly hikes each day), put down the NYT crossword puzzles and do what is in my imagination. Thank you for your inspiration. Your work is beautiful and so admirable. Keep writing and creating and inspiring!
Liz
HI Liz, how lovely to hear from you in California… I expect it’s much warmer there than it is in the UK! Thank you for such a lovely note… And if it helps, I can (and often do!) spend quite a bit of time stretched out on the sofa catching up with Netflix! I am really glad that you find what I am up to interesting – that makes it all worth sharing. Take care and yes, definitely let that imagination roam free… xx
Linda that is so beautiful and such careful measuring must have been needed. Love the Japanese paper and the presentation box and of course the photographs. I can only hope to aspire to something vaguely near that in the future! Am struggling to get photographs into lightroom templates at the moment for Japanese stab book!
Well done!
Hi Brenda, Thank you so much for your kind comments… and yes, I didn’t realise that making these little books required so much precision but I have discovered that I am one of life’s ‘measurers’ which is something I am quite proud of!! 🙂 And yes, I think once you get the hang of using the templates it can make life much easier. I haven’t attempted a Japanese Stab Book yet but it’s definitely on the list. Would love to see your finished book once you get to that point so please send me a picture… take care and thanks again… xx
Linda, I’ve had a chance to read your post now. This is a really detailed piece you have created. You have inspired me and I’ve pulled out my tools and backing papers – and just looked at them in wonder. Then I found my stack of bookbinding books – more staring! And now I’ve seen your creation I am torn between being so inspired to start and terrified at what I’ve forgotten. Artist books are such a beautiful thing to make, I can feel your satisfaction in your writing. Congratulations! Now I need to get cracking too.
Hi Shirley, Thank you for taking the time to comment – it really is appreciated. Yes, this piece was very detailed and took quite a bit of time to think through and work out how to do it properly. There are things I would change if I did it again (which I may) but that’s all part of the learning process. Having just pulled my head up from a couple of hours staring at one of my bookbinding books I can relate to your comments. It’s easy to spend lots of time thinking about doing rather than actually doing – I think this is part of the process though as that’s how you work out what’s going to work for you. I am still trying to work out what comes first, the images or the book idea – at the moment it’s the images but that may change over time. If nothing else, it was good to be ‘hands on’ for a while and to get into a bit of a mess too. Have fun and take care. xx
Hi Linda
I am following you on Instagram and I received your newsletter. I visited your website with great interest and thought I would stop by and say hi 🤗
Your pictures are gorgeous and I recognize myself in your never ending need of creativity. What a pleasure to learn new way of creating, using tools and find a way to bring our pictures to life in a hand made book. I am in the process of making one and my craft room/office/dressing room is in the same state as you describe yours 😁 Well done, your work is just great and always a pleasure to discover.
Take care xx
Nathalie from Switzerland 🇨🇭 ☺️
Hi Nathalie,
How lovely to hear from you. I am really pleased you like the book, it was a while ago now but I certainly found the process really rewarding. I will admit to not having made one for a while but maybe it’s time to go back and give it another go.
And yes, I think making time to be creative every day if possible is so important for us all… we all have it within us and not giving it time and space can lead to so much frustration and lead to us not living our best lives… that’s my view anyway.
Thanks again for taking the time to comment and wish you all the best… if it helps, my studio is still a mess and I am beginning to think it will never be tidy!
L xx