What Makes An Artists' Book

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot, hang on and swing!
—Leo Buscaglia

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Oceano Beach, Oceano, California. Partly the Inspiration for my new book.

Many decisions on the elements that communicate the idea behind the artists' book had to be made last month. This is the fun Ideate stage where all the aspects that are part of the book need to be studied carefully. Being a bit obsessive-compulsive helps with the details!

How do you start establishing the correct elements (images, text, color, structure…) together to bring forward the idea for your artists’ book?

What method do you practice as you explore and select the elements?

What questions enter your mind to verify each of the elements?

These are some of the questions that I ask myself as I start the design, page layout, and choose text if necessary for any artists’ books.

© 2023 Louise Levergneux. Matching colors a unified look throughout the book. Top two swatches show the colors from the original source photos of different sands. The bottom images come from the same photos but shown after color matching — the process of replicating the hue (the basic color), saturation (the color intensity), and brightness (the lightness or darkness) of the original color.

Deliberating about colors (manipulate color to tell a story), layout, design, and text has been a joy as I relish in the world of Pantone and HEX color codes. I haven’t had so much fun in a while. Colors are an essential component since it sets the tone for the idea.

Another element I play with frequently during the development of the book is fonts. The fonts demand attention to properly present the mood of the concept. I have been trying out these fonts for a playful but readable text.

© 2023 Louise Levergneux. Sample fonts explored while working on the layout and text.

When the elements of the whole work or fit together well, lots of times the rest falls into place and I can start reflecting and planning the layout in more details.

At that moment the brainstorming has been accomplished and most of the images have been chosen and organized. But still, I go through my photo folders to examine, analyze, and make sure there are no other solutions for the visual and written narrative. I recognize the sequence of the images and text to convey to the reader a clear understanding of the book.

I might also do more research to eliminate all other possibilities that will enhance the idea. I’m close to implementing and producing my book by printing, cutting, folding, and assembling all the pages — this will start tomorrow! I’m looking forward to feeling and evaluating my first prototype.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Oceano Beach, Oceano, California. Sand and reading fanfiction stories while on holiday were the inpiration for Incognito.

I will be away from my work table till mid-September but will keep in touch with what is happening with the completion of Incognito! Let’s go! ¡Vamos! Allons-y !

I Made It, Now What?

Last month, after reflecting on Cherry Jeff’s comment on reasons we might get stuck. I jumped over the fence took the bull by the horns and got unstuck. Organizing material and thoughts was needed to proceed.

Various approaches were taken into consideration for the development of the idea to become clearer: like form versus content, structure… I finally identified a potential solution for the design, page layout, and colour of my book in progress Incognito. Thanks Cherry for your interest!

Noticed I was not letting my subconscious connect the dots and in doing so, my mind was all over the place. I find this happens frequently when life gets in the way of creativity.

How do you enable the work to incubate before the creative process can continue?

Another issue came to mind. I was unfinished with all the creative process stages of my most recent book Infatuation. The Publishing/Distribution stage seemed incomplete and I was unable to proceed to the following artists’ book! Whether I dreamed of another fun idea or not!

Writing the prospectus, description, and photographing my artists' book enabled me to feature Infatuation on my website. This Publishing/Distribution stage never seems to end.

How do you handle this stage? Does the distribution of your book self guided or do you engage a bookseller?

The distribution requires months to accomplish and for me represent the most tedious job. I felt at a loss with the work that was before me. I could not see the fun in that?

When one needs to place a book on the proverbial shelf of ideas and wait — often the idea fades in the background. I have been there. The book was to much fun to disappear from my thoughts.

How do you make sure an idea is worthy of your time and effort?

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. Cover for Infatuation.

I understand my book Infatuation might seem irrelevant in the heavy resurgence of all the Covid and political themed artists’ books published in the last couple of years.

But the messages our books convey, are important to society. The reasons I create my artists’ books is to share ideas and my voice. I hope my published books stimulate the sentiment I wanted to express. We tend to forget there are still many private conflicts that are important to share.

Today's teen will one day wonder how they have arrived at the self they live with daily. Therefore, the content of Infatuation — the « coming-of-age » phenomenon — is still clearly relevant. It is a significant unique period of our life which we can’t escape. For me it was a powerful means to study who I am now.

Have you ever researched this theme in your artists’ books?

Let’s see how far I get next month!

---

Getting Unstuck — Alleviate An Issue During The Creative Process

Thank you all who took time to read and comment on last month’s post Baffled, Dumbfounded, Puzzled. It was encouraging to read the responses to the dilemma of being stuck! The questioning of one’s ideas presents itself at any point in the creative process. I constantly seem to be baffled as I leave the INSPIRATION stage — I appreciate being inspired and researching my subject or theme. I thrive in this stage! It is probably the reason that each of my books takes so long to create. For me INSPIRATION is the optimal stage as it captures a dream world that I love to linger within!

A creative opportunity knocked during the process of my most recent book Infatuation which brought another inspiration. An idea took shape. I reflected on the representation of this recent theme. Thoughts where all over the place as my muses came and went, blew hot and cold, appeared and then disappeared. To finally re-surface giving me a yo-yo experience of frustration!

One of the responses received — this one directly from my blog page — was from Cherry Jeffs in Spain.

From my own experience and that of my clients, I’ve noticed that feeling stuck is commonly caused by one of these:

1 - Simply a need for more ‘information’ e.g. research or sketching. We haven’t completed the ideation process. There is still something crucial missing in our idea.

2 - Dissonance. The idea we’re pursuing doesn’t really resonate at a deep level.

3 - A need for more risk in the work. We might be skirting round a really important theme or avoiding a certain approach because it feels challenging.

4 - In fact 3 can also be the cause of 1 or 2!
In all cases, we might be trying to force ourselves into the next stage of developing the idea when we haven’t yet arrived at a worthy idea.

— Cherry Jeffs

Reflecting on Cherry’s comment, I related to number three “avoiding a different approach because it feels challenging.” Lately I find that it is the structure that causes me to pause and wonder how to bring my project to reality.

Life brings many curves. When daily responsibilities are hard to cope with, being in the clouds, dreaming and thinking of the inspired idea may not be practical but so satisfying! Now reality has set in, and I must continue on the path of creativity.

© 2023 Louise Levergneux. Collected sand from Malibu Beach, California.

Thinking of the many comments through emails in my in-basket, I started investigating my idea: what type of structure, what kind of images (colour, texture…), and which genre of narration?

I’m back and ready to work, I’m not saying the « stuckness » won’t repeat itself but maybe the next time I will have fun while putting aside the work and play with a yo-yo to capture a distinct vision.

Conversations with like minded people are one of the benefits from having an entourage of artists who can bring clarity of mind while producing an artistic endeavour — in this case an artists’ book. The reason exchanges and comments are SO important.

Any change in life, even the renovation of an itsy bitsy teenie weenie kitchen, is difficult as our private wold is frequently reflected in our art, which makes going to the following stage sometimes annoying.

© 2023 Louise Levergneux. Pantone color of the year — Viva Magenta.

---

Baffled, Dumbfounded, Puzzled

“The last time I counted four projects were in the works in my mind!” Where did that moment go?

Last month, my mind was filled with options while ideas seemed to blossom in the inspiration stage. I was enthused with many new ideas… I did let the month of February buck! But as the month progressed life interrupted my work flow, and I got baffled!

« Being stuck » is part of which stage? Does « getting stuck » present itself during all stages? What does the expression « being stuck » mean and how do I change my mind set?

My thoughts/ideas have gone from exciting moments to having thoughts/ideas absorbed, and finally fade. I guess I’m at the point of saturation and not enough spark available, or in my case enough spirit to question.

Do you have moments where the fun in your work goes down the drain and your subconscious is too full. Maybe the problem lies because it’s only half full? Is this when stepping back helps the flow to re-establish itself? Or, is this your subconscious telling you to move on to another idea or theme? Maybe seeking other alternatives is the way to go.

Some ideas are worth looking at twice or maybe three times before it all comes together. How do you know how to proceed? Reviewing at this point is helpful. The biggest investigation for me is the why! Why one idea and not the next? Why am I inspired by this idea?

After working, reading, and going with the flow of life, here I am with many questions, pieces of papers with notes, open conversations, materials to explore… ah ha! my idea is still valid.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Point Dume, Malibu, California

I took time to relax and let my subconscious work. This gave me the opportunity to read other blog posts waiting in my email in-basket.

Guylaine Couture’s blog post gave me a push. Being interested in the creative process at the moment, Guylaine’s introduction to a book entitled The Shape of Ideas: An Illustrated Exploration of Creativity by Grant Snider was exhilarating! Merci, Guylaine !

© 2023 Grant Snider

Here I go again as I continue my research for words/text and test different page layouts for Incognito. Yes stepping back can unblock creativity.

A New Project

It has been two months since the completion of my recent artists' book Infatuation. I am approaching other ideas at the moment. No break this time between projects. At my last count, I had four projects in the works in my mind!


Writing on the creative process throughout last year revealed an interest in the knowledge of how my mind translates and develops each phase of the Creative Process intuitively. While waiting and trying to make sense of swirling thoughts, I spent time preparing to present and distribute Infatuation: writing the artistic statement, prospectus, and going over my contact list. I also completed the webpage with online information.


In the studio, I find myself starting the Creative Process all over again, but this time sensing each phase in a different light. Many small sheets of paper and sketches filled with ideas and probable solutions sit on my working table. These ideas play at the back of my mind as I try making sense of an intuition and the beginning of a new theme.

 I am trying to solve the questions on the why and how of my working title Incognito, an idea that came along while creating Infatuation. From this point, the title and all the drawings/sketches will be gathered while researching, reading, developing, determining and absorbing the theme. As the days, weeks, and months go by, some ideas will be discarded and others kept as the solution for the storytelling development comes to light.

Let’s see what the month of February brings as I let her buck!

© 2023 Louise Levergneux. First notes and sketch for Incognito.

© 2023 Louise Levergneux. Sand in a glass vial collected in Sabino Canyon located in the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Coronado National Forest near Tucson, Arizona.

---

Creative Process — Distribution

Distribution

Identify, contact, and market to potential customers. Finally, complete the administrative aspects of the bookwork.

---

I’m finally at the last stage of the creative process and I’m delighted to announce the release of my new artists’ book Infatuation. I did it and happy to have met my deadline. This post is the last post on the Creative Process.

The publication of Infatuation came after a long journey starting in November 2021 using photographs from my family albums and stills from streaming the western TV show Lancer. This book documents the concept of “becoming of age” of a young girl in 1968-1970.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Infatuation wrapped with a red cow suede with skeleton key in pink gold.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Infatuation in a Drumleaf structure.

Infatuation was explored in various ways, through the study of adolescent feelings and investigating the background of the actors and the series itself. I viewed videos of the original TV show and visited filming locations in California last July and August.

I chose this particular book to learn about and demonstrate the Creative Process — the optimization of each phase of the creative process. My purpose was to determine the nature and number of stages present in my own creative visual artistic process. I was seeking to understand the explicit creativity phases associated with my artists’ book. I discerned the need to verbalize and document an implicit process and to document it. Normally the process is instinctual. I felt the urge to expose these feelings and insights.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Infatuation opened in the middle of the book showing the small accordion book inserted at the bottom of the book.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Infatuation seen from the top opened in 360°.

Infatuation is an assemblage of folios bound in the Drumleaf structure. Infatuation is meant to be read in a sequential fashion. The narration begins with: “I have a dream, a fantasy to help me through Reality.” Eventually, the young girl’s reality of the celebrity crush matures and the reader is left with “Memories that remain…”

Now comes the Prospectus, along with the identification of potential customers for the book launch. Collections need to be logged and contacts approached to determine the level of interest in acquiring the artists’ book, Infatuation.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Infatuation, page 3.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Infatuation, page 5.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Infatuation, page 9.

This has been an incredible journey. I can only pray that the blog reader has gained insight into the Creative Process and the intricacies of manifesting a concept into an object within the physical realm.

“Everyone sees what you seem, but few know what you are.” Machiavelli.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Infatuation, last page.

---

Creative Process, Publishing

Publishing

Adapting the idea into reality by producing the finished creative work — the artists’ book.

©2022 Louise Levergneux.

---

I have regrouped my thoughts, this month and a plan of action has started to bring a close to this beloved project. The end of the year seems to be at my doorstep and the need to complete at least four copies of this edition should be imminent.

©2022 Louise Levergneux. Printing of “Infatuation” pages.

©2022 Louise Levergneux. Printing of “Infatuation” pages.

I have printed all the pages plus the endsheets and looking forward to the return of the pages needing laser cutting back from FreeFall Laser in Massachusetts, to prepare the text block. This encompasses the cutting, folding, and “drumming” the pages together. After assembly, I will be trimming the head, tail and foredge. Not having a guillotine of my own, I plan on using Hazel & Violet Letterpress Printers facilities in Phoenix. All the boards (I used Crescent mattboard) and thin cards have been cut and are ready for action.

Next step gluing the spine and using Japanese red paper for lining the spine. Following a lengthy debate, I decided on a red faux leather bookcloth by Lineco to finish the boards and Iris crimson bookcloth for the spine wrapper.

©2022 Louise Levergneux. Materials for binding “Infatuation”

After an even more extensive debate concerning the beautiful red cow suede purchased in Salt Lake City, a decision to create a book wrap was made after a conversation with Judith Serling-Strum in Cincinnati, Ohio.

I can taste the end. I’m excited about the publishing phase now that everything is coming together and I am anticipating the results.

A quote from René Lalique (1925) comes to mind: “I look at; I examine; a tree alive in the sunlight appears as a fish beneath the water; suddenly the harmony of a shape, a gesture, a movement, becomes locked in my mind, combining with other ideas I have already acquired.”

This quote brings me back at the beginning of the process. Ideas, thoughts, feelings, and life experience were mixed with a past that shaped my childhood interests and laid part of the groundwork for “Infatuation.” This initiated a wonderful Creative Process that immersed my soul for the last year.

A model is great to see and pounder during the Pilot Options phase of the Creative Process but interacting with the final product will be completely different and exhilarating!

---

Creative Process, Pilot Options

Pilot Options

Examine and step back from the piece, formulating an analysis and questioning one's own work.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux.

---

September was a month of stress-filled moments trying to complete my most recent book “Infatuation.”

Travelling since the end of May rendered trying to complete the creative process a longer than expected time frame. We have had this trip planned for the last year, but the slow build of our new travel trailer postponed the journey till the beginning of June. We embarked on the trip by driving north to Sumas, Washington, to pick up our Escape 17B travel trailer. Seeing it cross the border from British Columbia was a thrill and the beginning of our journey.

This trip provided me the opportunity to immerse myself in an environment that shaped my childhood and interests and laid part of the groundwork for the artists’ book I’m creating. We spent some time exploring filming locations of the 1968-1970 TV series Lancer. Some of my photos are utilized as background scenes for the fantasy of the theme ‘becoming of age.’ These details help the final product represent my vision.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. The Hacienda in the Santa Lucia Preserve, Rancho San Carlos Road, Carmel, California.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Entrance to the great room was used as background for this image.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. The Hacienda in the Santa Lucia Preserve, Rancho San Carlos Road, Carmel, California.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. The Hacienda in the Santa Lucia Preserve, Rancho San Carlos Road, Carmel, California.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Great room was used as background for this image.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Corringanville Park was a working film studio and movie ranch for outdoor location shooting,

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Malibu Creek State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains. The 8,215-acre park was established in 1974. Opened to the public in 1976, the park is also a component of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, CA

Our other goal was to visit California Missions and view the stunning beaches. An all around fun and fantastic trip.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo first built in 1797, is one of the most authentically restored Catholic mission churches in California.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. Mission San Juan Capistrano is a Spanish mission in San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, California. Founded November 1, 1776 in colonial Las Californias by Spanish Catholic missionaries of the Franciscan Order.

I noticed during the trip that the service provider for my cell was creating havoc with making calls very challenging — any calls. After a month, I purchased a new cell and thought this problems were done. But a week later, I dropped it in the parking lot of the Malibu Creek State Park. Presently I have a major crack and damaged corner, Oh! Well, it still works. Good! NOT!!! The service, though, remained a major issue. The beginning of the end…

My travels came to an end during the last week of August. I finally prepared myself for the sometimes frustrating production of the book, though excitement was in the air! My technology equipment seemed to throw a fracas before I had the chance to experience the numerous frustrations of the work ahead.

After returning to my studio, my Epson Photo Stylus R3000 printer couldn't clean its nozzles, ink flowed to some, but not all nine cartridges. After trying several times, I delivered it to an Epson Service tech in the Tucson area to wait almost three weeks with no sign of life… Since printing was out, I concentrated on finishing some details in each book pages. Then, the power charging cable died on the MacBook Pro. It was dead in the water! I had to make a fast trip to an Apple dealer to purchase a new charger to fully charge my Mac… Thank God, my computer is still under warranty. The printer repair delayed the laser cut job for some of the pages into October… OH! My Wacom tablet no longer wants to track properly!... OK, I have gone over pretty much every equipment that is not manual. Thanks for listening, I’m certain you have suffered days like this.

Whatever I know how to do, I’ve already done. Therefore, I must always do what I do not know how to do. Eduardo Chillida

Not enough on my plate. The little quote above brought me back to the purchase of a beautiful red cow suede in Salt Lake City while on our trip. I wanted to use the suede for parts of the Drum Leaf Binding. I required a look of sensuality and richness that the material conveyed, but that is not going so well. It is not time to attempt something new at this stage, but creativity and vision could not be stopped.

I need to regroup and plan some more before the end of this project. Hopefully, I will end the year with a completed artists’ book.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux. After then 20 years since the beginning of my project City Shields, I’m still finding manhole covers that intrigue me.

© 2022 Louise Levergneux.