BABL to Brighton

 

PRESS & RELEASE EXHIBITION: SPECIAL EVENT

OFF THE PAGE

An Afternoon of Books

Saturday 1 June, 2 – 5 pm, £1 entry

Immerse yourself in a lively mix of talks, workshops and special events, and learn more about resources and networks for book artists. Borbonesa, a collaborative trio of book artists, will give an illustrated talk about their work, Jakie Batey shows you how to make zines, and Lucy May Schofield will offer visitors a session of 'bibliotherapy'. You can also roll up your sleeves and try some drop-in workshops covering simple book formats, collage and working with downloadable books; there will be a café, stalls, networking activities and more. Check the website for full details.

Meet the Maker (me) in Cumbria *this Friday*

Come and say hello at the beautiful The Shop Floor in picturesque Ulverston on Friday evening to see my new special edition of Cumbrian sayings letterpress printed by hand and witnessing the magic of the Adana Press. I will also be unveiling some brand new work ready for the eyes of visitors. 

Letters of Triangles

письма-‐треугольники - Letters of triangles There was a time in which soldiers, having a prolonged absence from home, were thought to suffer and sometimes die of Nostalgia. This malaise later became known as homesickness. During WWII Russian soldiers sent triangular correspondence to their loved ones. In these письма-треугольники, the letter and envelope were one, allowing censors to access and omit any sensitive material without compromising the structure. The simple design meant the content and address never became separated and made the letters easily identifiable as priority mail to the postal service. 

Letterpress printed edition of 40, of which the first 10 letters are housed in a handmade clamshell box with handkerchief printed linings and special edition triangular letter. Published by Battenburg Press in April of 2013.

During the launch of the new work at the Arnolfini Gallery as part of BABE (Bristol Artists Book Event) the limited edition clamshell box of  'Letters of Triangles' was kindly purchased by Special Collections at Winchester School of Art Library, The Center for Fine Print Research in Bristol and Rare Book dealers Reed Contemporary. The TATE Library also purchased a copy of the edition of 40.

Out of a Printing Pickle

I was saved by super printer and all round good egg Mr Phil Chrisp of EE Chrisp Printers very recently. It happened to be the 114th Birthday of the business on the particular day I visited, and I am most grateful for the wonderful results his Heidelberg Platten press consistently provides. The pressure,  precision and beauty the letterpress gave the work lifted my heavy heart after a fruitless morning trying to pull a print from a proofing press. I have worked with Phil since I wondered into his print workshop back in Castlefield in 2005, and he has printed all of my larger editions of letterpress work. He was one of the first friends I met when I moved to Manchester and he's a tip top fella. Barney the pup is also a sweetheart. x

'Letters of Triangles' drop in monoprinting at BABE Arnolfini

Celebrating the launch of my new artist’s book ‘Letters of Triangles’ I invited visitors to BABE to create a simple one or two word contribution using the name of a person, place, object or feeling that they missed. Inspired by the ‘triangular letters’ Russian soldiers wrote home during WWII these secret longings formed a collection of anonymous nostalgia notes by close of the book fair. I had 40 contributions and met some very special people. 

Thank you to everyone who came along to BABE and who gave the project a dose of their time, contemplation and printing talents, it was much appreciated. x

Fly by weeks

From Citroen HYvan steam cleaning, to searching for signs of Spring, to composers visiting the studio to record my typewriters, to beachy girls' world weekends, to time with animals and dreamy holidays with friends. Time is flying by and the days have been full to the brim with pleasure and work in equal measure. Now my skin is warming it's time for getting all of the transition to the new season down on paper. 

BATTENBURG PRESS at BABE Arnol Fini

BABE Bristol Artists Book Event at the Arnol Fini Gallery 20th & 21st APRIL 201 BATTENBURG PRESS will be exhibiting brand new hotoffthepress editions! 

Wowwee, come & see us and if the mood takes you contribute to… 

‘Missing Letters’ Mono Printing Project Sunday 21 April, 2pm, Free Meeting Room ‘Celebrating the launch of her new artist’s book Lucy May Schofield invites visitors to BABE to create a simple one or two word contribution using the name of a person, place, object or feeling that they miss. Inspired by the ‘triangular letters’ Russian soldiers wrote home during WWII these secret longings will form a collection of anonymous nostalgia notes by the close of the book fair.’

Clamshell Presentation Boxes Course Coming up

Due to a few new and exciting commissions of late, I have rekindled my love of making Clamshell boxes, though I'd hardly lost it. There is something uniquely satisfying in all the measuring, building, cutting, turning and tucking in the making of a cloth covered clamshell box. There will be the opportunity to make 2 boxes over a  weekend workshop on 23rd & 24th March, the first to a standard size and the second, a bespoke box made to your own specifications to house a beloved book or print edition. Feel the love of box making! For details and bookings visit hot bed press. 

Anatomy Paper

Late last year I collaborated once again with photographers David Penny & Gavin Parry of Anatomy Projects on their redesigned newsprint version of the original Anatomy Of An Institution book, which I consulted on and made  a bespoke edition for them in 2011. This new edition is presented in a variety of metallic foiled covers on 6 different GF Smith Colorplan papers. Inner pages are litho'd full colour onto high quality uncoated newsprint, held within their covers by a black rubber band. It documents a visual collection of Manchester Metropolitan University staff past and present, all photographed with an authentic Victorian era camera found at he University. It is a numbered editon of x1000, designed by the talented Graham Jones of Loose Collective and painstakingly hand-finished by me, available to buy on the Anatomy Projects site. 

Making/Printing/Blocking/Presenting/Exploring/Preparing/ Teaching/Loving

I can't remember ever having so many pans of opportunity simmering, yet I know that this is not new territory for me. There are times when as much as my head desires to plough on, to grasp all that is tempting, my body has the last word. I have to take stock, it says, you're running me into the ground, it threatens. I have to remember to take notice, to be mindful of what is important. To Love is important, and to be Loved. My head has decided to create a delay with my movement, around . 5 of a second behind, as if I'm travel sick. I am still today, without a choice in the matter.