I am finally attempting to make hand made books. It has been a major learning curve complicated by trying to find the right materials and wrestling with a less-than-ideal printer. However, I am totally embracing the process and having fun playing.

Strong Women
Years ago my photo group created a project entitled Strong Women in which I did not participate, but I knew how I would have executed the concept – photographs of women’s hands illuminated by the subjects themselves wearing a single head lamp. 

I finally found time to create the photographs, enlisting everyone from fellow travelers to friends and house guests. The photos languished on my computer for longer than I would have liked, but I am pleased to at last make this project a reality. 

The symbol on the front cover can be traced back to Sumerian and Babylonian cults and has been used by all three Abrahamic religions under the names of Hand of Miriam, Hand of Mary, and Hand of Fatma.  It primarily represents protection against the evil eye and negative energies and serves as a universal symbol of blessings and protection.  Associated with feminine power it symbolizes the nurturing qualities of a maternal figure and embodies faith and wisdom.  When the fingers are pointing upward it conveys power, strength, and blessing. 

Dogscapes
I spend a great deal of time every day at a local dog shelter.  One of my duties is to photograph the dogs and their lives.  Although it is great fun it is so not my normal style of photography so I decided to experiment to see if I could create something more inline with my abstract style.

And so Dogscapes was born – multiple icm images of the backs, sides, heads, paws, and tails of the dogs layered to create dreamy landscapes. I happened to have in my stash some wonderfully imperfect handmade paper that I found in Lewa, Kenya and it came complete with what looks like animal hair worked into it.

The Stories Not Told
This is a project that I did a year or so ago which I always wanted to make it into a book. It took over a year to get my ideas (and availability of raw materials and expertise) organized and even then it morphed as I was preparing it. It ended up with as a much simpler (and therefore easier) book than I originally intended but I like that it feels like an old-fashioned photo album.

Then and Now
The latest in my book making experiments is based on a project comparing photos I took in 1973 and then again in 2023 both in Istanbul and Iznik. There were engineering faults in the first version I posted so I have now reprinted it and redone the cover in black with a single photo overlaid with a transparency which can be lifted up and then slotted back into place. I’m much happier with this version and the cover feels more in synch with the interior of the book.

Technicolor Gray
I wanted to attempt a simple binding so I used this colorful project to experiment – and, of course, I couldn’t help but add some adornment. The photos are b&w square photos taken with the Hipstamatic app on my phone and then layered with multiple exposure color abstracts that have been languishing in my archives. The first one was a total fluke (I was headed in a different direction) which I then totally embraced.

Mini Accordion Books
I saw these adorable 2″ blank books on Amazon and was intrigued. Covering them was daunting as it was my first attempt and 2″ is really fiddly. I also struggled with finding photos which would work in such a small square format. There was a lot of trial and error (mostly error) but I managed to create two different African themed books to give as thank you gifts to two very special mentors – and I created origami envelopes for them.

Mini Accordion Books, Take 2
I still had two mini-books left so I created two essentially identical books to give as gifts to the team that created a documentary for a shelter project with which I am involved. For the covers (back and front) I scrunched and softened gelli plate prints which I then cut to the right size and grated the edges. The little envelopes are also made from scrunched gelli plate prints.

The Tree Book
Knowing my love of paper and that I am trying to create books two mentors brought me a beautiful ring binder book from Germany as a birthday present. When I saw the cover I immediately knew I would fill it with photos of trees. Again, working out the printing was my major problem. I ended up toning all of the images to blend with the paper provided in the book.

A Fortress
When I completed my Whispers of Time project a few years ago I was already thinking that I would like to create something that resembled the circuit of ancient walls around Nicea with a gate that could be ‘locked.’ It took a lot of thinking, then a lot of experimenting and learning before figuring out how to do this. I had the photos professionally printed and then created hinges to assemble the book. There are still a few structural blips but overall I am pleased with the concept.

The One Page Book with a Cover – Open Sesame
In taking a few private classes with Kate Jordahl to learn bookmaking basics, she presented this exercise of making a one-page book. I thought it was great fun and after making my first one decided to try making one with quotes on one side, photos on the other, and a cover. The lining up of the text on the back side is not to my liking, but I am super happy with my very accurate stapling of the cover of the book….

Tomorrow’s History
Putting this together was the result of taking a zine class with Jeff Phillips. All the photos are two b&w square photos taken with the Hipstamatic app on my phone and then layered in Ps. The hand made paper is taken from a notebook I bought in Kenya and it was first attempt at creating a sewn signature.