Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Dominic Riley will be speaking in Salt Lake City next Tuesday (July 21st). The advertisement is below:
"Design matters: The Creation of Contemporary Fine Bindings."
Date: July 21st (Tuesday), 2015
Time: Lecture at 7pm
Place: The Alta Club
100 South Temple, Salt Lake City UT, 84111
Telephone: (801) 322-1081
Free Parking
RSVP: to Tomomi Nakashima at tomomi.nakashima@utah.edu. Please RSVP by Monday the 20th.
With the advent of the Arts and Crafts movement bookbindings became works of art in themselves. Dominic is one of a small number of bookbinders working today who create unique design bindings for collectors. This lecture shows a range of these contemporary bindings, explaining how each design grew from a response to hte text and illustrations of the printed book.
Dominic Riley is an internationally renowned bookbinder and teacher, having won over twenty prizes for his unique fine bindings, made either for exhibitions, competitions, or for commission. His work is in many public and private collections worldwide including the British Library, the Grolier Club and the Bodleian in Oxford. In June 2013 he won the Sir Paul Getty award for the best binding in the International Bookbinding Competition. He is currently on a whistle-stop tour of ten European and Asian countries as the exhibition travels the world.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Miniature Bookbinding Workshop a Huge Success!
Guild members participating in Jim Reid-Cunningham's May 28-30 workshop, Miniature Bookbindings, had a great time making three tiny books--in order from largest to smallest: a long stitch, a quarter-leather case binding, and a printed accordion in a wrapper with a tab and slot closure.
The first day of the workshop, held at the University of Utah's Book Arts Program, was devoted mostly to prepping the textblock and cover for the case binding, which was the most complex book of the three. Using Schaf-fixes, we pared leather super thin (or as Jim said the English say, "until only the color is left"). Getting leather this thin is challenging, but the upside was that we were paring such small pieces. Tearing a 1" x 3" piece of leather is definitely less heartbreaking than getting a gash in a skin for a full-sized book!
In fact, making small books seems to follow this pattern: some things are "easier" and some are "harder." Very few materials are needed, and the books are easy to carry around. (I've got mine in a "Fisherman's Friends" tin. Jim brought all the supplies for his workshop in one small bag.) But on such a small canvas, mistakes are magnified; for example, a tiny misalignment of sewing holes glares. And then of course you have to get your suddenly gigantic fingers to perform minute operations. Here's Jim, the master, casing in:
Selection of materials is key for miniatures, as you want the books to be quite as functional as full-sized books. The reduction in scale means thinner, more flexible materials are needed, without compromising strength. The geometry of the book has to be downsized, without any sacrifice to functionality. Selecting patterned paper for covers is its own unique challenge, as either a very small pattern is needed, or something larger carefully chosen for the graphic qualities of a particular swatch.
I have to confess, there was no shortage of squeals and coos in this workshop. The books are undeniably adorable. I mean, come on, look at this!
This workshop was a fast bunch, so several people made multiple models, and we even had some time to tool some tiny lines on the leather spines. At least one person bound the smallest book (the literal thumb-nail sized one) in full leather with silver foil decoration and a separate enclosure! I think everyone learned a ton, and left the studio charmed by their tiny creations, as well as by our laid-back, skilled, and good-humored instructor.
The first day of the workshop, held at the University of Utah's Book Arts Program, was devoted mostly to prepping the textblock and cover for the case binding, which was the most complex book of the three. Using Schaf-fixes, we pared leather super thin (or as Jim said the English say, "until only the color is left"). Getting leather this thin is challenging, but the upside was that we were paring such small pieces. Tearing a 1" x 3" piece of leather is definitely less heartbreaking than getting a gash in a skin for a full-sized book!
In fact, making small books seems to follow this pattern: some things are "easier" and some are "harder." Very few materials are needed, and the books are easy to carry around. (I've got mine in a "Fisherman's Friends" tin. Jim brought all the supplies for his workshop in one small bag.) But on such a small canvas, mistakes are magnified; for example, a tiny misalignment of sewing holes glares. And then of course you have to get your suddenly gigantic fingers to perform minute operations. Here's Jim, the master, casing in:
Selection of materials is key for miniatures, as you want the books to be quite as functional as full-sized books. The reduction in scale means thinner, more flexible materials are needed, without compromising strength. The geometry of the book has to be downsized, without any sacrifice to functionality. Selecting patterned paper for covers is its own unique challenge, as either a very small pattern is needed, or something larger carefully chosen for the graphic qualities of a particular swatch.
I have to confess, there was no shortage of squeals and coos in this workshop. The books are undeniably adorable. I mean, come on, look at this!
This workshop was a fast bunch, so several people made multiple models, and we even had some time to tool some tiny lines on the leather spines. At least one person bound the smallest book (the literal thumb-nail sized one) in full leather with silver foil decoration and a separate enclosure! I think everyone learned a ton, and left the studio charmed by their tiny creations, as well as by our laid-back, skilled, and good-humored instructor.
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