My latest book/painting

My latest book. This is a sewn-on-the-spine book. Above is the case before I sewed in the signatures (the paper sections). The inside endpaper is shown. That took a while to figure out what color endpaper would work well with the book.

As I was making this book, it seemed much harder than the round spine sewn signatures book. The next book shouldn't take me so long. What I have enjoyed about this is using painted paper for the cover instead of book cloth. Book cloth is at the spine for strength, but the painted paper is everywhere else. I get to paint and it doesn't have to be representational of anything and maybe that will come later? I don't know. Still looking to find the thing that is me.

I signed up for two more book making classes and joined the MN Center for Book Arts to take book making classes and I also signed up for [my weird obsession from that crow and rummage sale print at the MIA] a monotype class and to use their book board cutter. Maybe making books is an excuse to not paint a landscape or an object? I get to make something I can use. Or give away.  Maybe I'll make so many books I'll be like Oprah and soon Everyone Gets A Book!!!!

Cover paper is Fabriano Artistico 90 lb watercolor paper with many layers of acrylic paint. Orange book cloth, turquoise endpaper. Inside paper (the signatures) is Strathmore 500 Series watercolor paper and sewn in with blue waxed linen thread that shows on the spine. The book turned out fine for my first book of that type. It's the book only a mother could love. There are a few blood splotches inside where I stuck myself with the needle while sewing and I had a few other mistakes but I get a lot of pleasure from looking at this book and it's lovely cover.

I've already started on my next book cover and this method is called clean-your-(fancy glass)-acrylic-palette-with-a brayer-onto-some-paper. This is layer 1 (one) and I might be able to get 3 book covers out of this 22 x 30" sheet. I've ordered more book cloth in loud colors to add to the loud orange book cloth I already have. I might cut the paper once I decide on the book size, then what will be the cover size, and gelli print on top. There is so much potential (for success and weird chaos) on this paper.