New Seasonal Book Arts Project

Would you like to join me to create seasonally inspired books?

I began making my own books when I was a small child.  I used to store them in old shoe boxes under my bed.  Each book was made for a different purpose.  Some were just for wee notes, others became diaries or journals and some had lists of favourite things in….  I seem to remember there was a lot of sellotape involved back then!

Now in my 60th year I have spent some time reflecting on a life time of working as an artist and what has inspired me the most.  Making my own books kept nudging my thinking until I recognised this practice has been the most helpful in learning to express myself.  Over the years making books shifted from a place to write things down to a place to record my visual language and also, in that time, the process of making books has changed.  At one point in my creative life I fell down every bookbinding rabbit hole I could find and would emerge with beautifully bound books that I would carefully place on a shelf and admire.  I still have many of these books and not one page has been filled.  It seemed to take me ages to realise that the learning of book binding skills was not what I was after.  The books needed to do far more than that.  They needed to create space for self expression as I continued a journey of strengthening my artistic voice.  So I changed my practice…..

Now I make books that are inspired by seasonal moments and I spend time lingering on each and every page.  As with my small child book making experiences each book serves a slightly different purpose.  Some become art journals, others become nature journals and some just record a single encounter with the natural world.  What brings them all together is the notion of experimentation.  When I realised this was the route forward I had no intention of exhibiting or selling my art books but, over time, some have found new, forever homes.  Many, many more have not and my studio becomes my personal exhibition space and the inspiration I get from them is limitless.  I change what I include in the studio space with the seasons and I always have more than one book on the go at the same time.  I have found a way of working with my books that speaks to my creative soul and it feels good to recognise that as my working life shifts as I age.   I have long since realised that book making for me is one of the most mindful and gentle practices I engage in.  I get lost in the making of the books, the designing of the covers and the freedom to express on the pages.  It is my time and it is very precious to me.

That is my journey and I wonder what yours has been so far?  Do you make your own books?  Do you fill each page or do you have a collection sitting on a shelf somewhere?Would you like to adopt a book making process that speaks to your creative voice while being inspired by the shifting seasons?

I trained in performing arts originally and then retrained in textile arts at the age of 38.  I am now firmly a mixed media artist.  I like to think my books are the place that bring all my creative experiences into one space.  Some years ago I decided to dedicate my practice to becoming a seasonal artist.  I had always had a strong connection with the natural world and had always loved the seasons. However, I always felt that my work needed a bit more structure so that I could organise my thinking a bit more.  I am prone to chaotic thinking.  Becoming a seasonal artist was like pressing a magic button and the creative world suddenly made the most perfect sense to me.  I am now more deeply connected with the natural world than ever and my work speaks its messages more clearly as a result.  I have always used my art (regardless of genre) to speak to fellow humans about the damage we do to the planet we call home.  Using shifting seasonal moments as inspiration has enabled me to pause and reflect in order to capture more sensitively and in a way that can be understood by others.  Folk recognise those seasonal moments as they occur in their worlds too.

I live on a small Scottish island where I am custodian to about two acres of land which includes a small woodland.  Beyond my garden gate is a hedgerow untouched by the council and their noisy machines.  These places are my primary source of inspiration but they also resource my work.  One day you might find me eco printing using leaves from my faithful hazel trees.  Another day you might find me dyeing fabric and paper from plants grown in my garden or in the wild spaces nearby.  But on many, many more days you will find me drying and pressing offerings from my garden and the wild hedgerow to include in my work.  Thus, my creative processes are slow and sensitive to the world around me.  There is no rushing my seasonal art practice.

Some weeks ago I had a small idea.  I wondered if others would be interested in creating their own books inspired and resourced by the shifting seasons and use that practice as mindful personal creative experimentation?  I pondered the idea for a while and popped it on my Substack to see what others thought.  It was really well received so I pondered it some more.  I want to define the idea very clearly so that, if folk opt into it, they know what to expect.  I will start with what it is not as that is often helpful.

It is not

• A bookbinding course

• A place where you need previous experience in making your own books

• A community

  I already have a community over on Patreon - I see this space as far more individually based and personal.

• A place to feel pressured or anxious about ‘keeping up’

• A place where you need to purchase lots of equipment and other resources

It is

• A place where we will take on a different book project each season

• A place where experimentation is encouraged and supported

• A place where seasonal moments can be recorded and treasured

• A place where you can protect some gentle mindful time just for you

• A place where the world immediately around you becomes your inspiration and resource

Each season I will offer up a new book arts project and we shall spend the entire season experimenting and creating our book.  I will blend in all sorts of creative skills inspired and resourced by the world around us.

I will release a video at the beginning of each season (we begin half way through a season but no matter) where we will begin a gentle gathering of resources for our new book arts project.  About a week later I will release the main video sharing the project. My book will be under way but not finished.  I don’t see the point in presenting finished books as we are creating at the same time.  I will support the seasonal book arts project and share some of my existing book projects with blogs/vlogs just for you as well as an ongoing visual journal that I hope you will leap off to make your own.  I am hugely passionate about designating creative space.  It can be the corner of a room or an entire room or even an outside space, it matters not how big it is.  What matters is that we bring the seasons into that space as a way to nudge our creative souls.  I have a small Edwardian writing desk in my studio and I will be using that to frame my visual journal offerings.  I am also an avid art journalist and I will be releasing some of my seasonal pages as part of my offering.  I hope folk will cut them up and use them as they feel inspired to do so.

I will bundle all that together in a way that supports us all as we wander creatively through each season.  I am not an artist that can give you a rigid timetable as my mind refuses to work like that.  However, I have almost two years of working with my creative community on Patreon so I should be fine.  You must tell me if I am not.

I hope that I have managed to outline in enough detail what this creative experience will be so that you might decide if you would like to join me?  Do comment below with any questions and I will do my very best to answer them.  If you want to join me you need to upgrade your subscription from free to paid and select one of the options - monthly or annual.   This wee article explains how to do this really well.

I am just letting folk do that before sharing my first video.  This will tell you more about the kind of artist I am before getting onto the important task of gently gathering resources.  We will be beginning with what we have around us….. Over time, there will be a small selection of resources you would find helpful to have but there is plenty of time for that.  I am a huge fan or reusing and recycling as you will see. Look out later this week for my first offering if you are joining me.  Also have a wee peek at your diary and see if you can find some time to protect for your book arts journey.  I look forward to creating with you.