Alma Mater

I spent last weekend visiting the ol' Alma Mater, Ohio University. I finished my BFA in Photography there nine years ago (nine!) and it had been eight years since I last set foot on campus. How strange it was to be back there, things so different yet very much the same. It was as if no time had passed, only I must have grown because it all seemed so much smaller than I remembered it. I guess I've grown a lot, figuratively, since my days as an apathetic undergraduate art student. Some friends and I had been talking about taking the trip out there together for some time now, and when I heard that the College of Fine Arts was having its 75th anniversary, as well as a favorite old professor giving a lecture before his pending retirement, I knew the time was perfect to make the pilgrimage.

I made phone calls. I threatened. I told my friends that not going was not an option. And it worked because I got to spend the weekend with several of my best and closest friends. These friendships were forged while in college, so where better to gather than in the place where we first united. Conveniently, one such friend now makes her home a mere 45 minutes away from the University, and she and her husband were gracious enough to offer up their beautiful new home as a crash pad for the weekend.Thanks again, Gretchen and Adrian!

Grandpa's Cheesebarn in Ashland, OH

My trip began on Friday morning, husband along for the adventure, luggage and cooler full of snacks in tow. We drove South toward Athens, stopping along the way at the husband's request at Grandpa's Cheesebarn. And let's be honest, I wasn't exactly opposed to making the pit stop myself.  For those of you unfortunate enough to never have visited Grandpa's Cheesebarn, this place, nestled along I-71 in Ashland, OH, is a glorious haven of meat and dairy products, with samples galore. After tasting a good dozen or so delicious samples, we decided on a couple of pepper cheeses and I bought a beautiful, handmade Grandpa's Cheesebarn souvenir mug made by Deneen Pottery. I had to have it. I mean, honestly, you can't argue with good craftmanship and this mug just felt so good in my hand. I've developed a real obsession with mugs and teacups as of late and I'm cultivating quite a collection.

Anyhow, cheese (and mug) in hand, we continued our journey Southward and reached Athens around 4:00, just as the graduate studios and the Kennedy Museum of Art were opening for visitors. The Kennedy was showing a collection of faculty work and it was interesting to see some of my old professor's pieces. I also love the building the museum and grad studios are housed in. Now referred to as The Ridges, the complex of buildings used to be a mental hospital until it closed in 1993 and is now owned by the University. While some of the space is used for offices, in addition to the art museum and studio space, much of the buildings remain vacant and spooky-looking, which is precisely why I like them.

 Afterwards, we headed back North a ways to my friend's house and shortly thereafter, the whole crew arrived for a night of cooking and conversation.

The OU Crew. That's me on the left.

Aethelred Eldridge in Action

 Saturday morning, I was up bright and early, and I roused the troops with a freshly brewed pot of coffee. We were out the door by a little after 10:00am in order to get to campus for what was the main event of the whole trip: a lecture from a retiring professor we had all loved, Aethelred Eldridge. Anyone who attended Ohio University's fine art program in the past 50+ years knows about Eldridge. An infamous avant-garde, his lectures are more like performance pieces than anything else, a verbal stream of consciousness that any beat poet from the day would abide, follow? And as much as he was loved, we feared him, too. Maybe feared is too harsh a word, the feeling is something more like awe. None of us knew quite how to deal with this seemingly mad genius. Eldridge's classes did not disappoint and this time around was no exception.The lecture was everything I hoped it would be. How strange it was, to sit in that lecture hall, experiencing my past again.

The iconic work of Aethelred Eldridge, as seen on the archway below Seigfred Hall.

Seigfred Hall, Ohio University's Visual Art Building

 After the lecture, we spent the day wandering uptown, visiting old haunts, bumping into old classmates. Burritos and margaritas were had at Casa and white Russians were drank at Tony's. It was good, very good. It was like being home again. And, despite the cold rain, the day was a fun-filled success.

Weekend done, and belly full of brunch, the husband and I headed home to Cleveland Sunday afternoon, driving most of the way without conversation, each of lost in our own thoughts. I was reflecting back on the weekend, on the cathartic revisiting of my past. I'm not one to dwell on times gone by, regret is a pointless emotion, but a little nostalgia can be good for the soul. And looking back on the things that made me who I am gives me energy and guidance for the steps ahead...

Holy Toledo!

I was lucky enough to have a three day weekend during this unseasonably warm March weather and I took full advantage. My windows are open and the front porch has been heavily in use over the past few days.

While Friday was dedicated to running errands and cleaning the house, and Sunday was spent relaxing, reading, and dinner with friends, Saturday the husband and I took a road trip to Toledo to visit the art museum. It was a perfect day for a drive and our route took us through some areas that were great for viewing wildlife and beautiful scenery.

I'd been to Toledo once, back in 1999 for a special exhibit of the artist Sandy Skoglund. My high school art teacher told my class about the show and I was so taken with the artist's colorful installation pieces, that I pestered my dad to drive myself and a friend to the museum until he relented. That show was spectacular and my visit to the museum this past weekend was just as good. Not only does the Toledo Museum of Art have an impressive permanent collection, their current display was one of the best exhibits I've seen in a long time. The exhibit, called Small Worlds, showcases five contemporary artists working in small scale. The featured artists are: Gregory Euclide, Joe Fig, Charles Kanwischer, Lori Nix, and Tabaimo.

The two bodies of work that stood out the most for me are Lori Nix's post-apocalyptic scenes of abandoned buildings, which aren't real structures at all but sets that she fabricated herself and photographed, and Joe Fig's dollhouse-like models of famous artist's studios, rendered down to the tiniest detail. My litmus test for whether or not I think a work of art is good, is if I'm jealous of the piece, and I was definitely jealous that I hadn't created such brilliant things as, not only Lori Nix and Joe Fig, but all of the artists in the exhibit. 
 
The exhibition runs through March 25th, so if you're in the Toledo area before then, I highly recommend checking it out.  

It was great to have a few days off and to get out of the house. It's always really inspiring to see some art. It makes me start thinking about what I might want to make next. I have too little time for creativity these days, so it's nice to do something that reminds me about that part of myself and prompts me to get working.

Recuperation Through Reading

It has been almost two and a half months since my surgery and I feel great! The relief was instantaneous. In fact, as soon as I woke up from the anesthesia, I knew the surgery was a success. It was difficult to make the decision to go under the knife but it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I feel like I've been given my life back. Health is something that most people take for granted and not much thought is given to it until there's something wrong. In a way I am grateful for what I've gone through with my back injury because it made me appreciate just being able to go about my day without any pain.

My recuperation went pretty well, although it was difficult to do much because I wasn't really allowed to sit for more than a few minutes at a time; I had to either lie down or stand. I went for walks every day as part of my rehabilitation but sitting was kept to a bare minimum in order to keep pressure off the spine. I also wasn't allowed to drive for three weeks. Thus, I spent a lot of time lying around with my canine companion, Baxter.

Although it was good to have the time to take it easy and let myself heal, the downside was that I wasn't able to do much in the way of art projects. However, I did what any self-respecting lover of books would do: I caught up on my reading. The following are my top three recommendations out of all the books I read while recuperating.

The World According to Garp by John Irving
I am ashamed to admit that The World According to Garp was my first foray into the world of John Irving. At a pre-surgery dinner with my well-read aunt, the talk turned to books, as it often does, and my aunt's jaw dropped when John Irving came up and I admitted I hadn't read any of his work. She insisted I read Garp and her recommendations are always spot on.

Garp was a good read for so many reasons. First of all, the characters are idiosyncratic and endearing. Their situations are strange and they sometimes act in a humorous and unbelievable manner. But the characters are so human despite all this, the story is believable.  Secondly, since the title character is a writer, Irving manages to successfully weave the character's own short fiction into the narrative, making the book all the more rich with literary layering of story within story.

I devoured this one in just a few short days and I think it goes on the list of all-time favorites for me. I'm sure to delve into some more John Irving in the near future.

The Roald Dahl Omnibus by Roald Dahl

Most folks are familiar with Roald Dahl because of his many popular children's books including The Witches, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Matilda. Probably my fondest library memories (and what I would pinpoint as the major reason for my becoming a librarian) are of my trips to the library with my grandma during summer vacation. On one such trip I chose a copy of Matilda and spent the rest of the afternoon sprawled on Grandma's couch, reading the book from cover to cover. I had always loved to read but this was the first time I felt myself disappear completely into a fine work of fiction.

When I cracked open The Roald Dahl Omnibus, I expected to find a collection of stories for children, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it was instead a collection of short fiction geared toward adults. These stories were nothing like any short fiction I've read before. They were delightfully old-fashioned and the characters were quirky. Dahl showcases his talent for developing characters who, on the surface seem ordinary, but as the plot unfolds, it is reveled that they are anything but. Even better are the often dark and humorous twists that come about it each of these tales. 

The Terror by Dan Simmons
I've been meaning to read this particular book for over four years. I bought it while on vacation in Portland, Oregon at Powell's Books. I'm picky about what I read, in that I won't enjoy something unless I'm really in the mood to read it right then. I knew if I cracked open this massive tome before I was ready, I wouldn't appreciate it. But, since I was laid up for a while, the time seemed perfect to dig into this 766 page behemoth.

The Terror is a tale of two British ships that set sail on an expedition to discover the Northwest Passage. The voyage stretches on for years longer than expected and the stress and strain take their toll. The combination of treacherous weather conditions and dwindling supplies would be more than enough hardship for one adventure of the arctic seas, but add a massive, unpredictable snow beast and you've got yourself a real page turner. 

Those six weeks of reading and worrying about nothing other than taking care of myself were pretty glorious but, as they say, all good things must come to an end. I had to go back to work a few weeks ago. It's nice to be earning a steady paycheck again but I go home at the end of the day exhausted and able only to lie on the couch and watch Jeopardy. How easy it was to stay safely at home and be leisurely! Anyway, when I get my strength and stamina back I will embark on some new projects.  I have started to draw on my days off and I've got all sorts of little projects floating around in my head, so I hope that, as I get used to working forty hours a week again, my body will adjust and I'll have the energy to execute some of these projects soon.

Lack of Activity

Why the long silence? There are a number of reasons but the most obvious answer is that I haven't been creating anything, which makes me feel a little ashamed of myself. I feel like a total hack. How can one be an artist without making anything? But I at least have some good excuses.

Back in June I was made a full-time employee at the library. While this move proved good for paying bills, it obviously cut into my free time. Where I used to relish in day-long creative journeys, I now spend time answering questions at the reference desk. Arts and crafts are relegated to after work hours and the rare weekend off. And to be honest, all I want to do when I get home from work is nothing.

In addition to working forty hours a week, I've been doing battle with a number of health problems, most notably, the herniated disk in my lower back. The condition is not only incredibly painful but can be quite debilitating, as well. Some days I can hardly walk or even stand. The side effect of chronic pain and the inability to do all the activities I want to do is depression. I'm prone to feeling down as it is. Adding this to the mix only makes a positive frame of mind that much harder to maintain. It's exhausting just to go about my normal routine.When I'm not at work these days, I'm usually sprawled on the couch, watching television and eating junk food with the dog.

Since my back has not improved with months of non-surgical treatment, I've decided to go under the knife. Tuesday is the day and, to be honest, I'm looking forward to it. I am, of course, a little nervous, but I've been in pain every single day for the last five months and I'm excited to finally start feeling better. I guess I've always taken my good health for granted but not anymore. If anything, I've developed a new found appreciation for it. I'm inclined to take up tap dancing or something once I'm healed just to express the joy I feel at being able to move freely and without pain.

I'll be out of commission for about six weeks following my surgery but I'm hoping to find some creative project I can work on while bed ridden. And after that, I hope to return to my normal, productive self. In the meantime, I'm focusing on getting well.

Custom Order

So, I just spent the better part of my week working on my first custom scrapbook album. A customer contacted me via my Etsy shop about making her an album that was much larger than those I typically make. Normally, I make albums with 20 pages and they measure around 8X10in. This request was for an album with 50 pages that measured 12X12in. I'd never made anything that big before but I didn't see why I wouldn't be able to do it, so I got to work.

I have to say the experience was both challenging and totally rewarding. The construction of the pages and cover were pretty routine and the process wasn't much different than making the covers and text blocks on the smaller scrapbook albums, except, of course, it was far more time consuming due to the size of the book and the quantity of pages desired. The real work came with drilling out the holes for binding and doing the actual sewing itself.

Since I'm so used to making books of a certain size, I never thought much about the tools I use. They always work for the projects I do and so I guess I take them for granted. But in sizing up my project, I quickly found that some of my tools weren't up to the jumbo-sized task. For instance, I usually use large binder clips to hold my covers and text block together while I drill and bind the book. In this case, the text block was almost three times as thick as what it normally is and the binder clips weren't large enough to keep the whole thing together. I ended up using my wooden book press to clamp the whole thing together. It worked well, I must say, but I'll admit it was a little awkward when it came to the sewing. I essentially had to hold the whole thing in my lap, (book, press, and all) as I did the sewing.

Another thing I hadn't considered was the size of my drill bit. It's not a very long bit and I now know that I can't make this type of book with any more than 50 pages without investing in longer drill bits. 50 pages is the very limit of what my drill can handle and I couldn't be more relieved that it did what I needed it to do. Even more of a relief was the fact that I drilled all five holes without messing anything up. This part of the bookmaking process is probably the most nerve wracking in that if you mess it up, there's no fixing the mistake. A hole is a hole and wherever it gets drilled in the spine is where it stays. If this step doesn't go well, you basically have to start the whole thing over again. My hands were literally shaking as I finished drilling the holes and, luckily, they all came out perfectly. (Although, I like to think it had more to do with my finely honed skills rather than sheer luck).

The final challenge came with the actual sewing. I normally do a three-hole Japanese stab-stitch technique but I knew that wouldn't be stable enough for a book of this size. I decided to go with a five-hole stitch instead. The sewing pattern is exactly the same so there was no problem there, but I hadn't considered the thickness of the book in relation to the length of my sewing needle. My needle barely pokes out the other side when I'm making the 20 page albums. On the 50 page book it only made it about halfway through the hole. Ever the innovator, I tried using various tools around my studio to coax the needle clear through to the other side before settling on the modest, yet useful plastic pen cap. It may not be fancy but it was just the right size and length to push the needle and ribbon through to the other side. An entire spool of lovely, golden ribbon later, the binding was finished.

I'm so happy with the way the book came out that I'm almost sad to send it off to its new owner. The beautiful cover design, the brilliant green end sheets, the sparkly gold bow...what's not to like about it? But I know that this book will hold many photographs and cherished memories for my customer and knowing that something I lovingly made with my own two hands will make someone else happy is the best feeling and it's the main reason I make these books.

See for yourself how it turned out!

I'm always up for doing more custom orders so feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. 

The Whole Package

Please do not interpret my silence here as laziness or assume that I'm being inattentive! On the contrary, if I've been neglecting to blog, it's only because I've been busy making so many books. My friend, Erika, recently passed along my contact information to a friend of hers who happens to be opening a boutique here in Lakewood that specializes in selling locally handmade arts and crafts. They were interested in having my handmade books for sale in the shop and so, naturally, I have spent the better part of the past couple of weeks making books specifically for that.

The place is called Crafty Goodness and they're located at 15621 Madison Avenue. As I mentioned before, they'll be selling handmade goods by local artists and they'll also be offering affordable classes and workshops on different crafts and art forms. Their doors open for business on Saturday, March 5th. If you live in the area, please stop by and support this amazing local business!

I'm really excited about having the opportunity to sell my books at Crafty Goodness. Other than my Etsy site, I've never sold my items at any shows or boutiques before. I had to drop my items off this morning and so I spent a good chunk of time last night working on my packaging, which is something I've never had to consider in the past. I purchased some cellophane bags and used some ribbon and business cards to create professional-looking and inexpensive packaging. I think it turned out really nicely, but you can judge for yourself:

There's more to see at Crafty Goodness, along with tons of other great items from some very talented artists and craftspeople. Go check it out!

Productivity

Productivity is an issue for me. Even doing something I enjoy, like bookbinding for instance, takes motivation that I sometimes lack. While I don't have any great tips to combat procrastination or remedy a lack of motivation, I will say that guilt can be a powerful incentive. Sometimes the only reason I get to working on a project is because I know I'll hate myself later for not working on it. Luckily, I've been pretty focused for the last week or so. I made a handful of new books for my Etsy shop, including some accordion fold books, mini notebooks, and a Coptic bound sketch journal.

The most difficult to make out of these items is the Coptic bound sketch journal. The Coptic stitch is good for a variety of reasons; it's visually pleasing on an exposed spine and it allows the book to lie completely flat when opened, making it ideal for constructing sketch books. I learned how to do this stitch this past summer while I was living in Washington, DC. The Utrecht art supply store there had a ridiculously inexpensive ($5) workshop one afternoon and I attended. It wasn't hard to learn but it is hard to master and it takes a great deal of patience, which is something else I often fall short on. However, based on the way the journal (pictured above) came out, I'd say I'm getting it. You can expect to see many more sketch journals soon in my shop. If you like what you see, please don't hesitate to contact me about custom orders.

In other news, one of my products was included in another Etsy treasury, this one featuring items in primary colors. Having my work recognized is a good reward for getting so much done lately. I guess I'd better keep it coming.