A Book a Day? What's Up With That?


Hi, and welcome to this year-long project. So what's this all about and how did it happen, you might ask. In mid 2007, artist Noah Scalin decided to make a skull out of anything he could find, every day for a year. It stretched him in ways he never imagined, as an artist, a writer and a person. His experience turned into a blog that went viral, and then a book.

Others have picked up on the idea: 365 Hearts, 365 Masks, 365 Bears drawn on a cellphone, 365 paper napkin mustaches.
I wanted to play, too, and I chose books. I love books, I know a bit about making books (thanks to my talented book-maker sister, Marilyn Worrix), and they're broad enough in definition to give me a lot of creative leeway.

The whole point is not really the books. The idea is to stretch myself in many ways as an artist and a person, to set up a discipline, stick with it and see what that teaches me.

I hope you'll join with me and follow along on the journey chronicled here, and let me know what you think.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Book 128 - A Pretty Hair-On Hide Brown Leather Journal - Blank Book

Here's another of my patented hair-on hide leather journals. This one is a rich chestnut brown with a lot of auburn in it and pale gray on the sueded side. The liner paper is a burnt orange unryu paper. I used three capsule-shaped carnelian beads to embellish the spine and it is stitched with a longstitch binding.

The paper for the pages is just yummy and not very expensive. I love using art paper, like Arches Text Wove or Rives for these blank journals, but man, does it cost! I found a ream of this paper in Arvey Paper in Portland, OR, but it should be pretty widely available. It is called Sundance, from Neenah Paper. It's a 70 lb, felt finish paper in warm white. The finish is soft to the touch, just lovely, and it tears beautifully if you want that deckled edge look. I'll be looking for more of it.

Yes, I know I am still a book behind from the other day when I got home and promptly went to sleep for 14 hours. I will try to get an extra one done tomorrow or Monday.






1 comment:

  1. Love your project! (That's not literally patented, is it? Because you're certainly not the first to make a book out of hairy cowhide... at least not in Texas!) So far I think I like the earrings best :)

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