The Al-Mutanabbi Street Coalition

The Al-Mutanabbi Street Coalition is seeking an additional 12 artists' book makers for its project, An Inventory of Al-Mutanabbi Street. We are seeking the very best people that we can find who will provide us with artists' book responses to the 2007 car bombing of al-Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad. We have an extensive exhibit schedule that will start in 2013, one that includes the U.S., the UK., Europe, Australia, and Cairo, Egypt. This call will run from July 1st - July 30th, 2012. We have but six months until the start of our exhibitions and hope that these new members of our project will be able to complete their contribution (3 books) in time for our first exhibition in 2013.

Background material on the project will be made available to each participant. A good starting place for project information is our project website http://www.al-mutanabbistreetstartshere-boston.com/

You can also view some examples of books already made for An Inventory of Al-Mutanabbi Street on this gallery website http://www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/mutanmain12.htm

Interested book artists in Ireland, the UK., Europe, Middle East, North Africa, Asia and Australia should contact Sarah Bodman at sarah.bodman@uwe.ac.uk


Interested book artists in the U.S. Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, should contact Beau Beausoleil at overlandbooks@earthlink.net

Many Thanks,
Beau Beausoleil
Sarah Bodman

Bookmarks : Infiltrating the Library System Project

Home from holiday and straight into the bookmarks project! (I so like to get back down to my shed).

I do sometimes wonder how other people work, because I seem to spend an awfully long time mulling ideas over (and over and over) in my head before I commit to paper, and in the process filling my sketchbooks with STUFF.

Lodged inside my current sketchbook are two small books about pebbles, (made when walking in the French alps at Easter) prompted by stones that I have picked up on my travels over the years and kept as talismans to the past. 

While considering different ways in which to make use of my pebble hoard it struck me that it's quite common to see little piles, or stacks, of stones as markers on the summit of a mountain. Or that they may be used to mark walking and biking trails, to keep people from becoming lost. 

Not unlike a bookmark . . . . To keep one's place - ta-dah! an idea evolves.

So, while walking along the Wolds Way I thought about my pebbles and my bookmarks and pretty much planned what I would do when I got back home. 

And in 2 days I saw the culmination of an idea that had been floating around in my head since, oh well . . . . . that would be since April. 

Playing with colour and font, using digital print and small lino blocks (cut for pebbles) and rubber stamp on the back.

 

Deciding pale colours worked better. Making my own 'library' stamps for the back.

Wrapped up and ready for delivery.

Related to the Bookmarks lX, Infiltrating the Library system, there is a review of a random selection of them by Laine Farley on the Biblio Buffet blog.

Regards Croises: France - Grande-Bretagne. Bella's Book

It's great to be asked to take part in a project, so when Sarah Bodman sent an invitation to make an artists' book on the theme of 'Regards Croises: France - Grande-Bretagne' I was very pleased to participate.

We had been asked to make a book on our ideas of France, for exhibition in Saint-Etienne and later, the UK. 

In 2010 I'd made a tiny concertina book about tramping in the Haute-Savoie and I found myself looking at it again. It was the first totally digital work I had made, quite a departure for me and I feel the time is right to explore digital further. 

I keep a small sketchbook by my bed - if I can't sleep I like to doodle - and this little character (Bella) runs through it. I think she's my alter ego. Sometimes she's a child, sometime my age, and sometimes 60 plus, she holds a running commentary on Life, the Universe and Everything.

This is the first stage for working out the flow for this book. Working from my scanned images I add colour and resize, before printing out, then it's a session of cut and paste and re-cutting and re-pasting.

I like this stage, there is time for reflection and the idea is still in its infancy so there is plenty of room for growth. I find this is an exciting time in the development of an idea.

By the end of the week work is complete and ready to be posted off.

A little postscript

I blogged today using Mr B's computer, mine has curled up its tiny toes and died. The book for France is a totally digital being, and exists/ed on my computer - I hadn't backed my work up for a while (I know, I know) so, if you haven't backed up yours . . . . . 

Open Studios 2012

Jeannette and I are taking part in the West Berks and North Hants Open Studios scheme this year and will be exhibiting a range of glass, prints, books and cards over two weekends in May. So do come along if you'd like see what we do, or to talk to us about the courses we run. 

Other artists opening their studios in the area at the same time include: Arran Miles and Sue Kirkman, Normandy Barcelo-Soto and Diana Devonshire, Diana Barraclough, Mandi Bainbridge, Ann Richmond, Gill Reeve, Sue Lashmar and Meryl Ainslie  

Such a lot of talent a small area, making it easy to plan a route for a great day out!

The Yorkshire Wolds

Today I received the booking confirmation from Discovery Travel for accommodation (and baggage transfer!) for our summer walk - The Yorkshire Wolds Way - so, no going back. . . . 77 miles in a week and actually, I can't wait!

The seeds of this idea where sown back in January when Country File featured the Yorkshire Wolds, and consolidated when my friend (Ms D) and I saw the Hockney exhibition in March.

Irresistible, Fortnum and Mason, opposite Burlington House. Oh the joy of a smart phone, as needless to say I'd left my camera on the kitchen worktop in my haste to get to the station in time for an early train.

Typical London street scene - apart from the blue skies and sunshine, before the hosepipe ban of course . . . . ?

Hockney's work is so luscious.

April 2010 I fell in love with the Yorkshire Dales, so how could I not want to see the Yorkshire Wolds for myself?

Save our ancient woodland

The loss of our irreplaceable ancient woodland (and mature trees found outside the woods) is disgraceful. We rely on our woodlands for so much, namely clean air and clean water.

Despite MP's claiming to value our irreplaceable natural habitats and promising to protect them, it has kept a clause so subjective that destruction could very easily continue. Can we really just allow our ancient woodland to be grubbed up?

I know you are bombarded with requests to sign this or look at that . . . . . . . but,
please check out the links, and if you would, sign the petition.