this is part i of the mechanics of hearing, a book with irregular sized pages, collagraph prints and smoke paintings mounted on silk rubbed with graphite, with a poem. 

the finished book came out different from the above pictures, and taught me more about book making. it is now in two parts, as is the accompanying poem.

cover, the mechanics of hearing, part i

detail from the mechanics of hearing, part i

detail from the mechanics of hearing, part i

detail from the mechanics of hearing, part ii

setting up the mechanics of hearing at art-chowk, the gallery, april 2012

'aerial' view of the two books on display at the gallery

 

lampshades: an embroidery sampler

because of the demand for embroidered shades, i've worked on a new set of designs. some of them use traditional Mughal floral motifs, while others concentrate on my signature lines, straight or flowing, which incorporate leaf motifs and now birds and flowers. i've also started to combine block printing with embroidery.

commission work

commission work: carving on wood

wood block printing on unbleached cotton

a block print sampler: block prints for lampshades designed by atelier ilona for Pak Turk Enterprises, Islamabad.

Some of the prints feature single blocks, others are combinations of two to six or even more blocks. Some feature a base print in a light colour which is then overprinted in dark brown, while others are dyed by pleating and folding the cloth and dyeing it in tea or coffee.

...and a set of new embroideries in running stitch on cotton, with tea dyeing. more designs will follow. i like the effect of the stitching when the light is switched on. you can see the outlines even when the bulb's off. but when you turn the light on, the embroidery springs to life. the designs featured below are my signature style of lines and curves, largely leaf motifs. but i've added a traditional floral, and the new ones feature birds: the nightingale and the rose, and the bird of paradise. similarly, i've added herons and peacocks to my repertoire of block prints.

spring in my garden: blossoms

links to my favourite book making sites

here are links to my favourite book making sites. you will also find videos on you tube. if you are a net junkie as i am, you can find unusual - and informative - 'stuff'

...an e journal of book making: http://www.philobiblon.com/bonefolder/vol1no2contents.htm

philobiblon is a comprehensive site covering all aspects of book making, including techniques, the bonefolder magazine, and a gallery featuring various artists. this link takes you to the tutorials section. surf the rest of the site to find more: http://www.philobiblon.com/tutorials.shtml

some very clear tutorials: http://www.tjbookarts.com/otherlinks.htm

and angela lorenz's site on book making: http://www.angelalorenzartistsbooks.com/firstpage.htm

tara books: a press that publishes art books. watch the you tube video to view the silkscreen process as well as binding: http://www.tarabooks.com/ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om6i3enGZ8c

what also interests me about tara books, besides the actual process, is the fact that it appears to be a small co operative, but it's publishing foreign as well as local publications.

lastly, take a look at the perspex books on studio west end. since i used to be an avid engraver on glass, this process fascinates me. i woud love to learn how to assemble perspex books: http://studiowestend.com/?page_id=2

experiments: lightboxes and vegetable papyrus

my new lamp idea is a variation on the lightbox, a form that i've used for several years to make art lamps. the lightbox is ideal for photo transfer techniques on glass using lazertran papers, (see pictures below) or for displaying photographs printed on silk or cotton and then inserted between two sheets of glass. my most recent addition is vegetable papyrus. this is paper made from thinly sliced vegetables, which are boiled and pressed over several days or weeks depending on the vegggie used. the easiest to process are zucchini and cucumber. the link below is the method i've found most useful. photographs of the new lightboxes will come later, once they are complete. what i like about this new technique is that it uses natural materials which give the effect of stained glass when backlit.

http://stacyalexander.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-to-make-paper-from-vegetables.html

below are the first successful papers: carrots and cucumber papyrus

nature photos: mostly green

to think that for a long time i disliked the idea of photographing plants!