Fan Book

In Resonant Residence (14)

I formally began Studio Residency at the Camera Obscura Art Lab

in Santa Monica Wednesday January 10th, and completed it Saturday, April 21, 2018. I shared the sunlit space, located within a beautiful Mid-century building overlooking Palisades Park, Santa Monica Beach and the blue Pacific with textile artist and fellow Studio Artist-in-Residence Huong Nguyen.
“About the Art Lab and Camera Obscura

Step inside the Camera Obscura Art Lab and you’ll find a welcoming space with fantastic views of Santa Monica Bay and the Pier. The Camera is located in a midcentury time capsule in Palisades Park between Broadway and Santa Monica Blvd on what was once the site of the Pacific Electric Railway’s North Beach Station. Designed by noted architect Weldon J. Fulton (who’s work can be found around town including the classic Camera Obscura sign and font, the Montana and Fairview branch libraries, and the former Zucky’s building on Wilshire Blvd), the building’s exterior features walls clad in chunky Palos Verdes stone, glass walls, sloping roofs, and projecting canopies and rafter beams. It was donated to the City of Santa Monica by Marcellus Joslyn in 1955.”

The huge studio windows look out on palms, walkways and a huge assortment of passers by, strollers, park wanderers and beach combers. The Studio is a magical place to work.

My thirteenth workshop, April 7, 2018, Creating Sculptural Books offered participants an opportunity to walk a bit on the wilder side, and create something new while learning some skills in the process.

We began by constructing what I call the “fan book” structure…an accordion folded spine, with front and back covers, and pages added to the same side of each fold.

It is a version of the flag book, invented by renowned book artist Hedi Kyle, but employs full-sized pages that fan out from the spine in the same direction, rather then the zig zig alternating pattern of the endlessly inventive flag book.

Then folks added to that structure, used it as a jumping off point if you will.

Others focused more specifically on embellishment…this was the way “in” for them.

Book artist Rachel Curry made a big “traditional” flag book, and adorned it with patterns using paint pens.

Step-by-step into new territory, in a safe space.

Ingredients for discovery.

Library Love I

Leading a “folded fan” bookmaking program at the Wiseburn Library (one of the Branches of the Los Angeles County Public Library System) was pure joy

The fan book is a version of the Flag Book (invented by noted book artist Hedi Kyle), which uses full pages rather then “fragments“.

It is a great deal of fun to make, develop and embellish!

This young lady is studying Library Science, and getting invaluable on the job training.

Although shy under her hood, this young maker used brilliant pink in her book!

Two creative sisters work industriously on their books.

This young maker has a wonderful sense of design and color,

as is evidenced by his creative choices. He flanked the yellow with purple (complementary colors) with crisp black and white Zebra patterning in-between.