25 days and counting! "Bookworks 12" wants you!

Not That Hungry   D. Stemper

Call for Entry - BOOKWORKS 12

The time is getting close, only 25 days until entries are due for Bookworks 12. Get out those supplies and finish your wonderful creations for submission to CBAS's annual exhibit at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. We hope that this year, the exhibit will better than ever and span many cases in the main atrium of the downtown main branch library. We know it will be a delight for all to see!

We are looking for finely bound handcrafted books, artists books, or sculptural books and seek a diverse and representative showing of the regions' book arts. 

Deadline for submission is April 25th. Visit CBAS's website for an entry form and more details:   http://www.cincinnatibookarts.org

For more information or questions send an email to:  CBASinformation@gmail.com

Gabrielle Fox Lecture at UC Blegen Library

With Jazz, cover

CBAS members might enjoy this upcoming presentation that Gabrielle Fox will be giving at the Archives & Rare Books Library, in the Schott Seminar Room, 814 Blegen Library, UC on Thursday, April 14th at noon.  Gabrielle Fox is one of the founding members of CBAS and a book binder and conservator extraordinaire.

Gabrielle will talk about one of her most famous bindings, the 1994 Larkspur Press edition of With Jazz by Kentucky author Bobbie Ann Mason.  Other bindings of Gabrielle Fox's will on display, one is of specially commissioned binding of 18th c. Irish plays that commemorated the 75th anniversary in 2007 of the Association of Research Libraries, of which UC is a charter member.

A fun time at Arts Wave!

Decorative papers were used for the cover.

Finished book - view from outside.

 









Eight CBAS members spent part of their Saturday afternoon on March 26 at the Main Library introducing children and adults to the books arts.  Although there were many other ArtsWave activities going on throughout the region and it was an unusually slow day the Main Library, together we made nearly 100 rubber band books.  At a number of tables in the first floor Reading Lounge, we worked with interested folks to create a simple and practical booklet with pockets, a structure that required only simple folding and cutting.   Everyone seemed pleased with their creations, and some took the time to embellish their books using rubber stamps, cut-outs, glue sticks and crayons.

It was really inspiring for those of us who volunteered
to see the variety of people who joined us.  The day's
bookmakers included a number of early elementary age

Final touches were added with stamping and writing.

kids who were very into decorating their work, several teenagers (male and female), members of a local sketching group, a woman especially interested in using the booklet format to create invitations to her daughter's graduation. A middle-aged gentleman very happy to create a special gift for his mother since he was on the way to a surprise party for her, and a man in his 80s who smiled when he sat down and announced he was ready to learn something new.  A number of those who joined us took membership brochures and expressed an interest in joining CBAS and becoming more involved.



Many thanks to Cecie, Jack, Janice, Nancy D and Nancy H, Patty, Trish and Veronica for volunteering, to Cody, Jo and Mark for helping choose the day's project and gathering supplies, and to Kate, Jeanne and Chris, our library contacts.

Arts Wave & Book Arts

Join CBAS on March 26th from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County - Main Branch, CBAS is a participating organization in the Arts Wave Sampler.

We love the visual arts and literary arts, and are always looking for fun ways to combine them together. We have a delightful little book for participants to make and space and materials to decorate or write with. The event and making of the book is free and you can take it away with you. And if you are super motivated you could even make your book look like the book cover from the Getty Museum of Art!

 

Book cover from the Getty Museum

The event is perfect for all ages and families and adults too! See you there.

Location

800 Vine Street

Cincinnati, OH 45202

Phone: 513-369-6944

Website: Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County - Main Branch

March 12 Study Group meeting

Eight members of the CBAS Study Group were guests of the Greater Cincinnati Calligraphy Guild on March 12 for a visit to master calligrapher Holly Monroe.  Surrounded by the beauty of Winton Woods, Holly's house is full of her exquisitely detailed work.  The focus of the morning meeting was on the enormous undertaking of creating a modern day illuminated manuscript, a Book of Hours which she is creating letter by letter, beautiful illustration by beautiful illustration, on vellum, the same material used by illuminators in the Middle Ages.   

Example of Holly's calligraphy

After showing a whole piece of vellum (calf skin), Holly described the process of preparing the skin for use, discussed the painstaking process of first designing the book (a 2-year process), and then spent considerable time comparing the various materials she uses, including watercolor, gouache, and gold leaf.  Before heading downstairs to Holly's studio, everyone had time to look at the completed manuscript pages spread on the dining room table.  Comments ranged from "look at the amazing detail on these leaves" to "this tree is just beautiful" to "I can't  even imagine the patience Holly must have."  In short, her work is so jaw-droppingly beautiful that some of us couldn't even find words to describe what we were seeing.

In the studio, Holly showed the group one of her other current projects, an enormous family history book that will no doubt be as beautiful as the Book of Hours.  She then demonstrated the intricate process of applying gold leaf, showed us some of the tools she likes best (there was great admiration for the rolling ruler), and discussed the relative advantages and disadvantages of the different types of gold leaf.  The studio was filled with hundreds of examples of her colorful and beautifully designed work.

Thanks to the Calligraphy Guild for including us in this program.  Holly Monroe is truly a treasure in this community, and it was an inspiration to see a master artist at work.

Artist books in Columbus

Ohio Art League, Columbus Ohio

CBAS member Diane Stemper is included in a current exhibit "The Naturalists" at the Ohio Art League in Columbus Ohio. Her artists books and drawings are featured along with work of two other artists from the Dayton Area, Francis Schanberger and Erin Almazan. 


Melissa Starker reviewed "The Naturalists" at the Ohio Art League gallery in last Thursday's edition of the Columbus Alive. The exhibit runs until April 2nd, 2011

 Here's the link to the article on line: 

http://www.columbusalive.com/live/content/features/stories/2011/03/10/exhibit-the-naturalists-at-ohio-art-league.html?sid=108

Darwin at Sea by Diane Stemper