Book Artiste: May 2025

Spring has arrived, the grass is greening, the trees are budding and the tulips are blooming. With this burst of new growth comes some new artist's books.

RENE MAGRITTE, The Surrealist Artist

I really enjoy Rene Magritte's art so I decided to make a book with some of his pieces. I created a pop-up accordion book and decided to take the images beyond the fore-edge. The text is handwritten quotes by Magritte about his work and the influences underpinning it.

Protective cover: Water colour, chiyogami over book board

The Human Condition: Water colours and ink

The Idea and Unexpected Answer: water colours and ink

Secret Life IV and The Face of Genius: water colours and ink

I decorated the back of each piece to look like a window with curtains. The first quote in the book states: "We are surrounded by curtains. We only perceive the world behind a curtain of semblance. At the same time, an object needs to be covered in order to be recognized at all."

Inside of protective cover

Back of protective cover

JOURNEY 2

This book was inspired by Heinrich Heine's poem: The Harz Journey (1824) prefaced by Ludwig Borne's: quote:

"Nothing is permanent but change, nothing is constant but death.

Every heartbeat inflicts a wound and life would be an eternal bleed if it weren't for poetry. It grants us what nature denies us: a golden age that doesn't rust, a spring that doesn't fade, cloudless, happiness, and eternal youth." (Ludwig Borne)

"Black skirts, silk stockings

white polite cuffs,

gentle speeches, embracing -

Oh! if only they had hearts!

Hearts in the breast, and love

warm love in the heart -

ah, their songs of false love pains kill me.

I want to climb the mountains,

where the pious huts stand,

where the heart opens freely

and the free winds blow.

I want to climb the mountains

where the dark firs tower,

streams rush, birds sing,

and the proud clouds chase.

Farewell, smooth halls,

smooth gentlemen!

smooth women!

I will climb the mountains

and look upon you, laughing."

(Heinrich Heine)

The poem is handwritten on the first and last pages of the accordion. The two middle pages are two short stories: A Poised Heart and Elegance in Each Step, which speak about a person's internal journey.

Protective cover: laminated milkweed seed, chiyogami and leather balls for closure.

Open protective cover

Water colour flower with butterfly

Abstract heart drawing with water colours

A lady's profile with large hat

The False Mirror by Rene Magritte

I decorated the back of this book too - this is the front page

Back Page

The decorated back of the book

CLOUDS

I recently created a piece of mail art for an exhibit in Italy. I was happy with the way it turned out and decided to create an accordion book about clouds. I painted six panels and drew patterns on each panel. I cut out a small window in each panel and inserted a photograph and added asemic writing. I used the left-over pieces from the cut out windows to decorate the front cover.

Mail art piece: water colours and ink

Front cover with asemic writing, a photograph of the moon and clouds. Tthe cut-out window pieces, which I decorated with pieces of chiyogami and leather, make up the decoration on the front cover. There are three panels on the front accordion pages and three panels on the back accordion pages.