Un-Limited

I have been fortunate to work on the design and binding of fifteen portfolios with a limited edition of 15 prints by a very talented group of six artists. Each of them producing one to three images for the suite, hosted at Julia Talcott's studio and under her supervision of the entire project. The result is a beautiful set of prints, different in style and technique, consistent by the dimensions, the paper and the use of the same two colors, red and blue. Leo Espinosa, first involved in the project, had the desire to not be limited by a theme and gather the edition with the title (Un)Limited. The following is the list of artists that contributed to the edition:
Julia Talcott, Alan Witschonke, Susy Pilgrim-Waters, Annie Silverman, Annie Bissett
and Rob Dunlavey.
I'm sewing the portfolios with Indigo Cave Paper, red linen thread and cotton ribbons closure. The prints are protected and wrapped in Japanese kozo paper. This project started months ago, during the cold months of winter and it has been an honor to work now on the final step, after a long and evolving plan.
Rob Dunlavey made available a comprehensive set of photos of the work in progress, from which the last two pictures on this post come from.

5th International Book & Paper Arts Triennial at Center for Book & Paper Arts

One of our limited edition book has been selected for the 5th International Book & Paper Arts Triennial at Center for Book & Paper Arts at Columbia College Chicago’s Center for Book & Paper Arts. The exhibition is open from June 25 until September 12, 2008 at 1104 S. Wabash Ave., second floor, Chicago. A closing reception will be held on Friday, September 12 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. A catalog of the exhibition will be available for purchase during the Closing Reception.

The great pictures below are from the center's website and something I have found very interesting is also their comprehensive list on the links page.

Here is the Press Release of the exhibition:

This juried exhibition features fine and letterpress printed and bound books, broadsides, artists’ books, book objects, sculptural paper, pulp painting and altered books that have been selected from an international base of some of the most recognized artists working in this medium today. Art works range in size from paper vessels that dangle from ceiling to floor down to sculpture that is 2” tall. Challenging the traditional definition of the book, the 5th Triennial features a book that is “written” in broken glass and another that contains the mnemonic bird calls of Midwest songbirds. Also included are etchings of Paris gardens, a taxonomy of urban fowl, illustrated poems, corn stalks made of paper, a photo journey through a car wash and many more wonderful and curious book and paper objects that comprise this triennial exhibition.

Forty-four finalists:
Lyn Ashby, M.K. Augustine, Alice Austin, Fairley Barnes, Jana Brubaker, Rob Buchert, Elaine Chong, Margaret Couch Cogswell, Archie Granot, Karen Hanmer, Mary Hark, Mary Heebner, Judy Bergman Hochberg, Craig Jobson, David B. Johnson, Peggy Johnston, Wendy Kawabata, Ellen Knudson, Carole Kunstadt, Angela Liguori and Silvana Amato, Elaine Langerman, Claudia Lee, Marie Marcano, Kim Matthews, Daniel Mellis, Tim Mosely, Elizabeth Munger, Sabina U. Nies, Jan Owen, Anne Pelikan, Sumi Perera, Sandi Rigby, Regula Russelle, Scripps College Press: Kitty Maryatt, Shawn Sheehy, Richard Shipps, Areujana Sim, Tricia Smout, Diane M. Stemper, S.C. Thayer, Jennifer Vignone Laura Wait, Beata Wehr, Linney Wix.

Jurors: Robert McCamant, Pam Paulsrud, and Max Yela.

New in the shop

I had a limited edition of hand-bound books in the shop, if anyone is interested. I wish I could find more time for binding more books!

Binding books for the Printing Art Fair

A few pictures while I was preparing for the printing art fair, with new hand-bound books, exposed link stitch sewing, hand-made paper on the cover by my beloved Cave Paper, Japanese silkscreen endsheets and vintage ribbons on the closure. I have found an interesting article, about the link or chain stitch, if you are interested in some historical information about this kind of binding.
More pictures of the fair coming up soon!

Limited edition

I have been binding with a curved needle a few copies of the limited edition book The Fruits, Herbs and Vegetable of Italy, for some placements in the Special Collection Libraries of University of Denver, Co, University of California San Diego, University of California Santa Cruz and Green Library at Stanford University. Some of the above libraries have culinary interest and they collect books with this subject. Something I had no idea about...

Portfolio of prints

During my last trip to Italy I brought back a few copies of the limited edition Portfolio of prints, by Edizioni Almenodue and British illustrator Julia Binfield. I have talked more extensivly about this collaboration during one of my first posts last June, and only recently I was be able to list the hand-made Portfolio on the Etsy shop. The Portfolio of three letterpress printed illustrations and collages, is a limited edition of 50 copies, designed and hand-bound exclusively for the exhibition "Carte Sparse" of Edizioni Almenodue and Julia Binfield, at Fabriano Boutique in Milan, Italy, during spring/summer 2007.

Japanese books

A few samples of a small limited edition of blank books, hand-bound with Japanese paper and binding. Ready for the studio sales.

Francobolli books

Bari Zaki and I have been working on a new edition of the Francobolli line books, to be feature on Bari's e-commerce B'zaar and to be sold to stationery stores around the country. The books are single signature pamphlet stitch, with Murillo Fabriano paper on the cover and Mohawk paper on the text block. The hand-binding presents a lead seal closure and a vintage stamp on the cover. We have been also working for several years on the Francobolli cards line, with Bari's beautiful selection of vintage stamps and my calligraphy. The following are some pictures of the work in progress and the final product of the Francobolli books and cards line.




Ardour Bookbinding based in Chicago, offers a studio sale every fall, in early December. I will post the invitation when time comes closer, if you are in the area,
it is something not be missed!