Rescheduled

Monday was the deadline for sending in a List of Works for my September exhibition Square Dance. I also had to provide three high resolution images, a Short Biography, and a longer Artist’s Statement. I spent a good part of the previous week assembling information and writing, and managed to send everything in by late Monday afternoon.

I did a bit of work on Tuesday, but was still in recovery mode after the deadline. I started back to work in earnest Wednesday morning. After all, I still have to complete some of the works included in my list!

Part way through the day I got a call from one of the exhibition coordinators at the Saskatchewan Craft Council Gallery. There had been a cancellation of a show scheduled to start in January 2021.

Would I like to re-schedule to that time slot?

In my application for an exhibition I had stated that it would take two years to complete the work I proposed, and requested the January 2021 time slot. (Monday’s deadline was 17 months from the time I received confirmation of the show, and I had asked for and received a month’s extension from the original deadline in May.)

I was told that I could not have the January 2021 slot because they had given it to someone else, and would I take September 2020? I agreed, knowing I could make it work, despite  the closer deadline putting extra pressure on me.

When I was offered the January 2021 slot on Wednesday it did not take even a second for me to reply “Yes.” I took the rest of the afternoon, and most of Thursday off, just doing a bit of cutting of book board for the lids for Pelmanism.

Some edges of the heavy board are a bit rough after cutting on my Kutrimmer 1080, and the corners are sharp.

I used sandpaper laid flat on my work surface to smooth the edges, then a sanding block to bevel the edges and slightly round the corners on all forty-eight squares.

I then wiped down all the squares with a damp cloth to remove the last traces of sawdust.

The next step was cutting all the cover paper.

I covered and assembled the first lid yesterday.

I stopped after one as I wanted to make sure it would dry properly, stay together, and fit the spaces in the box after drying.

Success!

Now I just have to cover and assemble fifteen more. And make handles. For both sides. Because the lids are reversible for reasons that will become apparent later.

---

In other book arts news:

This week’s online virtual exhibition is from the Seager/Gray Gallery in Mill Valley, CA.

Doug Beube, Scallop, 2016

 Art of the Book 2020 includes a wide range of artist’s books and altered books.

*****

I have started posting a series of videos on typography and lettering on my Friday Night Flicks. The first, featuring the typeface Cooper Black, was on the 19th of June.

The Public Domain Review has an interesting related article: Aratea: Making Pictures with Words in the 9th Century.

*****

I had never heard of Lapham’s Quarterly until a friend forwarded a link to this article, thinking we might enjoy it.

The Correctors, by Anthony Grafton, introduces the reader to the first editors/copy editors/proof readers. The article will be of interest to anyone wishing to know more about the early history of publishing.