Happy New Year.

Wow, a busy year was old 2011 and I hope 2012 will be busier.
lots of studio work and new students, projects big and small.


One of the biggest is the Roger McGough, Liverpool Doors Project. More about this later. But, it has meant that I have been working in Liverpool. I find it important to be able to find a comfortable office to work out of. Mine is called the Roscoe Head.



I think it is no secret that the project involves doors... over 30 of them....



And a lot of people.. more about them as time for the opening gets nearer.

Die NIBELUNGEN.

The endpapers are on, the boards and spine attached, ready for sanding.

The boards are shaped to reflect shapes in the illustrations.

Been Very Busy

New post will be up soon....

Book in Progress. Through the Looking Glass.

Book in Progress.

Book in Progress.
I hope to have this on exhibition in a month or so.. in London. But something tells me that the selection committee may find it difficult.

Post L A B 2011...

Images of meditations interrupted 3 and Duplicity, Coleridge and a Cup of Tea in their new home.

Many thanks to the Collectors for the images.

New book on the bench. Die NIBELUNGEN

Love the book... but


It is held with wire staples... a mixture of single folio sections and 3 fold sections. The wire has bitten into the single folio sections ... leaving holes.



A small book with issues... but it is beautiful.

London Artists Book Fair 2011...

The trick £50.00... always a pull at these events..



A few minutes before the doors open...

London Artists Book Fair 2011... At last a use for the Encyclopaedia Britannica...

Yes I realise that there is nothing new under the sun..... but it is fun....

Meditations Interrupted 3 London Artists Book Fair... not long now...

Meditations Interrupted 3 in the natural environment.... see this and more at the L A B 2011...

I mages taken in THE RED LION Public House, Barnes.... my office.

London Artists Book Fair...

starting to prep the work for the show ... lots to do...

Hull History Centre.

As part of The Designer Bookbinders touring exhibition I will be giving a talk about the work of Designer Bookbinders, how and why the books are made and an informal chat about some of the books in the exhibition.

The Hull History Centre, Lunch Time Club, Tuesday 13th of September from 12.30....... see you there.....

Society of Bookbinders Conference.. 2011

Over the weekend I did my stuff........

Society of Bookbinders and Designer Bookbinders workshops....

I am doing a workshop in London, November 19th and 20th.

More details can be found on the Society of Bookbinders web site... please follow the links.

London Artists Book Fair... My MoJo...

The Mo Jo series of Books, I hope to have them at the London Artists Book Fair later this year.

Why Mo Jo ? see the ' Short Movie of the Bookbinder'.....

London Artists Book fair... My MoJo...

Ravilious... Engravings.

Boards on and whited out.. ready for the vellum.

New book on the bench.

Swiss rolls of leather.

The Doctor's Dilemma... Finished.

Well, very nearly finished..
Just a little bit of fiddling.

The Doctor's Dilemma... Guarding the spine folds part 1..

Because of the damage to the spine folds I will have to do repairs. I have used a Japanese , long fibre paper (Toned Kozo) To save time I have fold the repair paper over on its self a number of times and staple the folded paper to a piece of board. I then pre-cut the lot with a perforation wheel, the strips can be removed as and when required.

The cuts have a slight undulation. I find this method to be quick and saves on repair paper.




I am sure that purists will be up in arms at this method but it works. The adhesive I use is a Japanese rice starch paste.

The Doctor's Dilemma... Guarding the spine folds part 2..

Rice starch paste is applied to the repair paper. I use an old window panel to paste out on.



A clean sheet of waste paper is placed next to the repair paper.



The spine fold is placed into position, just under half way to allow the repair paper to go around the fold.



The section and repair paper can then be picked up as a single unit.

The Doctor's Dilemma... Guarding the spine folds part 3..

Fold over and secure the repair paper.



Place the section into the fold of some release paper.



Consolidate the repair paper.



Leave to dry.



When dry cut the repair paper flush with the head and tail of the section.