I am transferring my current account to a new domain. You can always get to my blog by heading to my typepad account: http://comfortableshoesstudio.typepad.com/
I’m not sure how things are going to work out for the transfer but I’ve seen things be fubar for a few day, so be warned. I’ll be updating though the site may not be there it will be, if that makes sense.
I’m going to start this little review out by staitng a fact: I LOVE Alisa Golden. Seriously if I saw her in person I might have to profess my love. My first bookbinding book that I actually learned from was one of hers and I suggest it to anyone who might be interested in making books.
Her diagrams are easy to follow and read. Explanations are concise without being incomplete yet descriptive without going overboard. Photos are fantastic. Golden has mad skills when it comes to creating or dissecting book structures and putting those instructions on paper.
Unlike her other book, Unique Handmade Books, Expressive Handmade Books is about books that are a little more personal. She departs from her strict binding tutelage and give some journaling and artistic advice. Rather than giving a series of binding styles she also give some ideas on how to use them. These bindings are fully explored. There are multiple pictures to give the reader more of an idea of what is inside.
This book focuses on many folded structure, accordion, folded books, books with pockets as well as a few multiple signature books. The beauty of these books is that they can be made quickly, with easy to find materials or high end art materials and made large or small. I could see many of these structures being used in art classrooms with kids of any ages. The other aspect of these bindings is that they can be made very artistic. The art can take center stage and the binding can be secondary to the art. A major issue I have is matching art to binding, To diffuse the situation I tend to stick to a blah binding rather than make it part of the art. By using these simple binding styles one can alleviate that situation.
I found this book not only a great tutorial but inspirational. Typically I like to separate the two facets of art- I like my bookmaking books to be about book making and my inspiration to come from a separate book. I think Golden did a great job with this book combining the 2 sides of binding.
This books gets a generous 5/5 Binders needles and 2 paint covered thumbs up. You can check it out over at Amazon here.
This is a good idea for using alternative materials. In this case they are making large installation panels for a high school student lounge. In any case, I think it’s a pretty cool use of unusual materials as well as patterns.
If you have been reading my blog for any period of time you might know that I have 2 dogs. One a pure bred cocker spaniel and a Affen Pincher/Brussels Griffon mixed mutt adopted from the local shelter. My little guys are the most loving dogs ever- cuddly, snuggly and just wanting love and giving as much as they get. I admit it I spoil them rotten. I can’t imagine ever treating a dog, or any animal for that matter, with intentional cruelty.
Which is why a recent post on Margaret Cho’s blog disturbed me. It’s a questionable post, possibly a hoax but it begs the question of animal cruelty and art. Clearly tying any animal up and allowing it to die is cruel and unusual. Here in the states if you abuse any animal like that you end up in jail or at least with a large fine. In other parts of the world I’m sure things like this happen far more often than we like, but if pictures exist you can count on it ending up on the ‘net. Not that undocumented instances of animal cruelty are any less severe or horrifying than documented… I digress.
I’m horrified by the pictures and mortified at the thought that people willingly walked in and viewed an exhibit featuring a starving dog. What kind of noise was this dog making? When my dogs are hungry they cry and beg for food, seriously, sometimes you would think they hadn’t eaten for a week, though the last feeding time was mere hours ago. How could someone look away and not give the struggling animal food or water?
But then for the artist to then pass said cruelty off as art pisses me off. It’s not art to intentionally harm anything including a stray animal. There is a way to make the same artist’s statement with out doing harm.
When I was a kid one of our neighbors had a couple of horses. The horses were at first fine but horse feed is expensive and then one of the owners lost their job. The horses slowly lost weight and looked less and less happy. A field was offered up for said horses to eat and roam in but the neighbors were either stupid or ashamed and refused the help. A month or so later the state police and local game warden came and took the animals and fined the owners. Watching the horses be driven away, clearly malnourished my father said something that has stuck in my mind, even 17 years later "It’s okay to have animals, even if you’re poor. They can ease the burden.* But when you can’t take care of them anymore, even if you love them, you’ve got to get rid of them. Loving ’em ain’t gonna feed ’em." My Dad’s a kinda big tough farmer, but saying those words he had tears in his eyes. He loves horses but we never had any because of how expensive they are to care for and the time they require.
*By easing the burden he meant having chickens or pigs, animals that can feed you. He never saw the point in having horses if you were poor because they couldn’t feed you and were and are very expensive. Another Dad quote, "They ain’t got a pot to piss in, but they’ve got 3 horses. How’re they gonna feed those horses this winter?" Said with a shake of the head.
I digress. Check out Cho’s blog here and also take a minute to check out the Snope’s article too. Oh, and give your animals a hug and a treat for me.
Sometimes what art is and isn’t is a line blurred by many artists. There are occasions I just don’t get it.
Here’s a Hump Day prompt for ya:
What have you been doing outside of your home? It could be outside, going to a favorite place, eating out etc. But how are you getting out? What are you doing? Who are you seeing? Where are you going?
Write about it.
Draw about it.
Add color.
Think about it.
Blog it.
Since I illed that last large order I’ve taken a little time off of making books. i’ve been working in my garden and yard getting it ready for summer. I’m happy to report I SHOULD have mowed my lawn yesterday but didn’t. I planned on doing it today but it rained.
We then turned around and dug out a small garden lot. It needs a lot of works still but over all it looks not too bad. We’ve decided to grow a small amount of veggies and hope that they will do well, hopefully at least as well as the dandelions in my yard.
Next weekend we’re putting in herbs and tomatoes. This weekend it was potatoes, peas and beans. Good stuff.
I’ve been spending some time grilling on the weekends and loving it.
I picked up an Alisa Golden book this weekend and when I’m done with it I’ll make a post of my thoughts. I’ve also got a couple of other books I need to review. Some better than others.
It’s cool here today after a week of above average temps for the area it’s rather nice to have some chilly rain. We’ve also had a series of brush fires not too far from here. While driving down route 1 the other day I looked to the sky to see a giant plume of smoke. It wasn’t something that I found typical so I wondered what the hell it was, later while watching the news I learned of the brush fires. So the rain is really good for the area. I wish I had my rain barrels finished!
What have you been doing?
This video os very very cool, look at those pop ups…
Spring is Here-Kiwi Vine
Originally uploaded by lessherger.
I’m an amateur gardener. I love to do it, but I’m not all that good at it yet, but I’m working on it slowly.
A commenter on my flickr account said that there was something “dear” about how I’m cradling the edge of this vine, and when I think about it, I love my plants. I really do. There is something so very great about that first touch of spring and those first buds. The first buds let you know that the plant made it and can tell you how much fruit the plant will produce.
I love my plants almost as much as I love my dogs. With proper care and maintenance my plants will feed me. It’s a good relationship.
Today I’m focusing on cutting a new garden bed in my back yard. We’re going small this year, just enough room for a row of lettuces, peas, carrot, beans, squash and zucchini. I’m putting tomatoes and peppers in 2 spots around the house and a small herb bed next to the house. I’m looking forward to the payoff this summer and fall.
I’m a big fan of Guinness Stout… I think I’d rather have a glass than paint with it…
Yahooo. The giant 90 jotter order is done and shipped. I took a few pictures of what 90 jotters look like in a ziploc baggie all together. But it’s a giant ziploc baggie, something like a 2 or 3 gallon baggie, don’t think it’s a small baggie.
Al together it weighs in at about 3 or 4 pounds. I admit, because it’s priority mail I didn’t weight it.
However I’m pretty happy to say the order is DONE!
I had a lot of sewing machine issues with this one. I made enough blanks for about 150 books. Only 90 of the 150 made the cut. That means I’ve got about 60 books with various errors. In some cases, the machine skipped a stitch, or the tension is too loose, or the stitches were too close. It made me very angry… But I’ve got 60 jotters I need to get rid of. I’m offering 6 low cost mass packs (10 jotters each) on my etsy shop. This is the lowest cost you’ll ever see on my jotters.
Here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.
If you’re interested in them, head on over to my etsy shop.