Happy New Year 2014

The Daruma above served me well in 2013,

and their eyes have been filled in as I have 

completed my 2013 goals -

But it is now time to put my new Daruma into service.

A spiffy modern version of a very old Japanese tradition

- gifted to me at Christmas time.

This little fellow (designed by Paul Loebach for Areaware) came with these simple details:

The Daruma is a traditional Japanese talisman for focusing on personal goals.  Modelled after Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, it is a popular gift of encouragement.  When one is received, set a goal or make a wish and fill in one eye to illustrate your intention.  The other eye watches over you as a constant reminder and guide.  Once your goal is reached fill in the other eye and display the Daruma as a symbol of your success.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014 TO ALL!

Miss Larue - my new etching press

Keith and Nancye from Merlarue Etching Presses installing Miss Larue

I am very excited to say my new etching press was delivered yesterday and she's a beauty.

She was designed, made and delivered by the versatile and talented

team of Keith Wiltshire and Nancye Canobie from

Merlarue Etching Presses, Castlemaine.

If you are looking for a press I can thoroughly recommend

getting in touch with these guys.

Absolute pleasure to deal with.

It took less than 3 weeks for them to build and personally deliver

the press (driving from Castlemaine in Victoria to Queensland no less!)

Some other companies I'd approached had only just gotten

 around to responding to my initial email!  

Their pricing is very reasonable too.

Keith and Nancye are both established printmakers and have an 

extensive knowledge and keen interest in the art of printmaking.

I am so looking forward to playing around with Miss Larue (or Merle to her friends).

If anyone wants to come play - just drop me a line :)

Thanks Keith & Nancye.

Love your work :)

Artist Books 3.0 #12 - Biography - "Missing"

I have finally completed my edition of accordion fold books

for inclusion in the Artist Books 3.0 #12 (biography/autobiography) 

Collaborative Mail Art Group project.

"Missing"

The subject I chose to explore was Agatha Christie, specifically

the 11 days in December of 1926 she went missing.

I was originally going to poke a bit of fun,

making various disguises in which Ms Agatha

might have been spotted.

However, on re-reading information about the

personal angst which Ms Agatha was suffering at the time,

I thought it would be inconsiderate to make fun of her 

obvious state of desolation, even after all these years.

Herewith are the two pieces of writing 

included with the book (the first being a copy of the 

missing notice posted after Ms Agatha's disappearance,

offering a detailed (though not wholly flattering) description of her at the time:

       BERKSHIRE CONSTABULARY.

              WOKINGHAM DIVISION.

                       9^th December 1926

MISSING

From her home “Styles” Sunningdale in this Division

Mrs. Agatha Mary Clarissa CHRISTIE

(WIFE OF COLONEL A. CHRISTIE)

AGE 35 YEARS, HEIGHT 5FT 7”. HAIR RED (Shingled),

NATURAL TEETH, EYES GREY,

COMPLEXION FAIR, WELL BUILT.

DRESSED – Grey Stockingette Skirt,

Green Jumper, Grey and dark Grey Cardigan,

small Green Velour Hat, may have hand bag

containing 5-10 pounds. Left home in

4 seater Morris Cowley car at 9.45 p.m.

on 3^rd December leaving note saying she was

going for a drive.  The next morning the

car was found abandoned at Newlands

Corner, Albury, Surrey.

Should this lady be seen or any information

regarding her be obtained please communicate

to any Police Station, or to

        CHARLES GODDARD, Superintendent

                                  WOKINGHAM.

            Telephone No. 11 Wokingham

1926 was a tumultuous year for Agatha Christie.  Agatha’s books were beginning to gain in popularity, pushing her reluctantly into the spotlight.  Her ailing mother, Clarissa, died of bronchitis in early February.  Agatha’s husband, Archie, professed his distaste of grief and sadness and resolutely remained in Spain refusing to return to support Agatha through the funeral, her grief and the ordeal of sorting through her childhood home whilst caring for their young daughter.  When Archie did eventually return to England he took up residence in London, far away from their home in Surrey. He took a mistress, Nancy Neele, who shared his passion for golf.  It is believed Agatha, a shy, reserved person, quietly suffered a nervous breakdown after a year filled with personal trauma.

On the 3^rd December, after Archie left for a weekend house party to announce his engagement to his mistress, Agatha slipped quietly from their home “Styles” and disappeared for eleven days.  After a nation wide manhunt she was found safe at the Hydropathic Hotel and Spa at Harrogate, claiming she was not aware of who she was or what she was doing there.

Her disappearance has sparked much conjecture through the years, however, Agatha refused to ever speak of the events.

Humming Along

Am enjoying the new studio space, 

but am still growing into it and making it my own.

Top photo is a pin board of random bits & pieces.

Bottom photo is a display of treasures from fellow creatives

Jack Oudyn, Fiona Dempster & Helen Malone.

(plus a prototype of the accordion fold book I am

currently making for an Artist Books 3.0 project due ASAP)

Tawny Frogmouth Family

Apologies for the image quality,

these little creatures are quite a way up in the trees 

and I don't have a super zoom lens,

but I just wanted to share this photo of

the Tawny Frogmouth family

currently residing in our backyard.

I'd say the babies are around

a month old now and it has 

been wonderful to watch them 

from our back verandah as they grow.

BAO #4 at UNSW CANBERRA

Congratulations and thanks to Caren Florance & Terence Uren
who have curated an exhibition of Book Art Object Edition 4 artist books at the UNSW Canberra (ADFA) Library in Canberra, Australia, during November 2013.

Caren has set up a great set of photos on Flickr if you would like to view the exhibition on line:

BAO@UNSW

My contribution for BAO #4 "The Lost Typewriter Key" (photos above) is included -  

so nice to see it on display alongside some familiar names and books in what looks like a fabulous display.

Studio Time

A few minor things still to fix up and furniture still to be sorted, but the studio is at last open for business.  Just in the nick of time. With both children at home very shortly until university resumes in Feb/March I shall be looking for a space to which to escape - and being tucked neatly by itself under one corner of the house - I am imagining I will be lurking down here quite a bit over the coming months.  First project already underway :)

Mrs Christie - Dissected

A little project I am undertaking is an edition of accordian fold books

 for the Artist Books 3.0 Collaborative Mail Art Group.

The topic for the project is "Someone".

I know it is a well travelled old chestnut, 

but I have chosen to do a book on the 11 day disappearance of Agatha Christie in 1926.

Everybody loves a mystery, especially one that has never been fully explained.

I find it utterly absorbing that it still evokes such wide ranging interest and conjecture.

New: rObfOs Website

Please feel free to visit my new website:

rObfOs Visual Artist

A place for me to put

some of my images in order.

Daisy Chain - Complete

Project complete 

(apart from making a housing in which to store/transport it).

This is the same structure as 

the Continuum book which I sent to Sheffield recently

(with a different paper cut design) .

I am now looking forward to playing around with

a slightly different construction method 

which I stumbled upon when making this one.  

It uses the same basic template but by

putting things together slightly differently

I can end up with a different looking outcome.

Show you my results fairly soon, I hope.

Latest Paper Cut Artist Book - In Progress

Latest project in progress (albeit extremely SLOW progress).

Renovations - Progress

Studio space - then...

Studio space - now

Downstairs Back of House - then

Downstairs Back of House - now

Rear of House - then

Rear of House - now

New Studio Space

Well, I am glad to say that things have been moving along

with the downstairs part of our renovations.

My studio is now clad, along with a new storage room,

old laundry and garage area.  

It makes such a difference, and it's not even finished yet.

Now deciding on light fixtures/placement, studio flooring options and exterior paint colours 

(The building crew favour the same colour as the top half of the house but

I am seriously considering the grey of the hand rails.  My thinking is that this will connect it

to the top half but give it weight and differentiate the new build from the old .

Any opinions?

PS:  On a totally different note -

I hope all the artist book makers who read this little blog of mine

will visit the Personal Histories blog from time to time and

hopefully consider being part of the exhibition.

If any one has any suggestions on how I can promote

participation in the event I'd be most grateful of suggestions.

Personal Histories Artist Book Exhibition

Family Holiday, Amity Point circa January 1972

I am currently in the throes of trying to set up a collaborative

artists book and works on paper exhibition

at Redland Museum Cleveland (Qld Australia).

I am really hoping that some of you will be keen

to share some personal histories and participate in this exhibition with me.

I've started a new blog entitled

"Personal Histories"

dedicated to the project

where I will aim to share information

and images of participating artists works

and hopefully a couple of interviews or guest blog posts.

Please have a look at the new blog and let me know if you are interested.

I'd love to hear from you.

If you have any questions regarding the project please

feel free to ask.

(PS: I'm the shortest child in the photo above.  I am standing in front of my mother
& am surrounded by my siblings, a family friend named Tom
and the backside of our dachshund Heidi - taken by my Father in the front yard of
our holiday home in Gonzalez Street, Amity Point, Stradbroke Island, Qld, Australia)

You Are My Everything

This is my finished book "You Are My Everything"

made for Cheryl Penn's exhibition

"An Encyclopaedia of Everything"

scheduled for next April in Durban, South Africa.

Thought I'd take some photos of it 

before it went off into the world by itself.

Works in Progress

I am currently working on a couple of papercut bookart projects .

The first is going to live in South Africa when it is complete as part

of Cheryl Penn's collaborative book art project and exhibition 

"An Encyclopaedia of Everything" which will be on

display at KZNSA Gallery in Durban next April.

The second item I am constructing to somewhat replace my Continuum book.

I have an embryonic idea for a local collaborative book arts exhibition

for anyone who may be interested (near or far).

Will keep you "posted" on more as it pans out :)

PS:  as I'm working away at my dining table I can hear the melodic
sound of nail guns and hammers building the framework for
my studio - YAY :) So Excited!
(Next thing I'll be painting will be walls - not artworks)

Continuing Continuum

My book Continuum, which I posted about recently, 

is now residing at Bank Street Arts

in Sheffield UK

as part of the upcoming

4th annual

Sheffield International Artist Book Prize.

Exciting to think it will get a showing or two

all the way over the side of the world.

Hope it's happy there.

Only wish I could go and visit it and see the exhibition.

Still Waiting (patiently) ...........

Working at the dining table until the studio is built.

All my bits and pieces in storage in the spare room.

A good exercise in economy of work practice :)

Urchin

Another little concertina fold structure I've been playing around with.

This one is only quite small with a diameter

of around 130mm (5") when open.