A new week, a new dilemma. This world of technology makes our lives more efficient, they say! I use different technologies to create my artists’ books and at the moment I am trying to survive without one of these.

My camera didn’t make it!! After 4 years I felt comfortable with my Sony D-SLR a33. How to replace a beloved camera?

I am sure someone can figure out what is wrong and repair said camera.

Oh No! No Sony repair shops in Idaho. There are repair shops in New York City, but not in Idaho!! There’s Sony but financially unapproachable. There’s always new cameras...

... But mine had tilting LCD screen, panorama setting, telephoto lens... can I get these capabilities in one camera again?

After a few moments of grief I searched the internet and the thought of having fun with the latest gadgets, got me excited–I grinned to myself. Then the prices flashed on my computer screen!

Are these amounts for real? Yes! And on sale!

Prices have skyrocketed in the last 4 years. D-SLR’s can do everything under the blue sky, even take photos. As an artist with no real income to speak of, a camera above $500 is overwhelming, but often match the capabilities I would enjoy. What route to take? What confusion! There are hundreds of models from different brands out there for beginners, intermediate and expert photographers. Will let the last choice go! With a particular budget and certain needs, (not wants, needs), the twine shall never meet.

Why can’t artists have access to free tryouts like photographers or other people in the know. WE ARE IN THE KNOW; and it would be fantastic to try out new equipment. If any of you have an idea on how to achieve free try-outs, please share. Any comments on a brand of camera you love would also be appreciated and make my decision easier or not!

Here I am, no camera in hand and a new published book to document entitled “Conversation” for an up-coming exhibition. Argggh!

I am glad I took lots of photos at the end of December. Here's another snowy shot in Avimor, our little community wild and free.

© 2015 Louise Levergneux, December in Avimor, Idaho

3D printing as been an interest of mine for several years now. The little robot in this video is Spazzi™ imitating me in a confused frenzy over my camera situation. Spazzi™ has plastic parts that were printed on a MakerBot. Check him out at: http://beatbots.net/80750/713698/projects/spazzi

Last year, I designed a flip book on the theme of EXTRACTION to enhance the idea I felt that both binding and slipcase should be translucent. Since I couldn’t find any translucent board or binding cloth, I designed it for 3D printing. The cost was too high to complete the project. How can one sell a flip book for over $700?

On the up-side, after our move I found an organization with 3D printers. My new book entitled “Finding Home” includes a 3D part. Now, I am able to design and create my idea as I saw it in my minds eye. Hurray!

How? you say, Idaho does not have any connection to Sony but has unBound—a place to make, learn and design your creative ideas! This is the key phrase on their introductory webpage. unBound offers help and access to 3D printing, a design lab, a print center, a sound studio and a business nook. With the moneys I will spend on a D-SLR, having access to unBound is a Godsend. Anyone in the area of Boise or Meridian should investigate unBound.

3D printing has been around for years and it has infiltrated the art world. A slipcase for the limited edition of Chang-rae Lee's novel On Such a Full Sea was printed on a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer. You can listen to Helen Yentus, the art director of Riverhead Books, talking on designing the 3D printed slipcase.

Tom Burtonwood an artist and educator based in the Chicago area, creates artists’ books using a 3D printer. You can find more information on Tom's books on his site. Orihon is the first entirely 3D printed book of textures and reliefs of architectural patterning and decoration.

© 2014, Tom Burtonwood,  "Orihon" — © 2014, Tom Burtonwood, "Orihon"

Tom Burtonwood and Tim Samuelson in a humorous way talking on their collaboration of Twenty Something Sullivan at Pecha Kucha at Chicago Architecture Biennial in October 2015.

© 2015, Tom Burtonwood and Tim Samuelson, detail of "Twenty Something Sullivan"

© 2014, Tom Burtonwood, "Folium" — © 2014, Tom Burtonwood, "Folium"

Bill Westheimer uses the phrase book sculptures to describe his work. Bill’s book entitled Silver Sunbeam incorporates some 19th century style wet-plate photograms on the cover of the box and the book. The contents of the book is a USB flash drive with a scan of the original 1864 Silver Sunbeam book which taught the world how to make wet-plate photographs. Check it out! It is worth the time to browse Bill’s awesome work. Here are some tantalizing photos of Silver Sunbeam.

Fantastic work guys!

unBound, a subsidiary of the Meridian Library was a great find, I’m stoked! Need to get back to my ideas and learn Tinkercad.

I must say I did miss one thing this Christmas, lights, lights and lights! Being new to Boise and trying to catch up on work we did not have our traditional Christmas Eve lights drive. For 30 years on Christmas Eve, we drive around and see what the different neighbourhoods offer and of course finish the evening (when in Ottawa, Canada) with the Parliament Building Christmas light display.

From early December to early January, Ottawa sparkles and shines with thousands of lights

As a Canadian, -40° Celsius is not the weather one goes fiddling around trying to coordinate threads of lights–my opinion! Kudos to the obsessed out there, so I could enjoy your light-work!

I found this video to satisfy my craving for lights this Christmas. The season is over, but you can always enjoy lights! So have a look.

At the end of December, nature surprised Boise with a glorious snow fall that covered the landscape and turned everything to crystals. I took this opportunity to take many photos. Here is one of my favourites:

© 2015 Louise Levergneux, winter in Avimor, Idaho

During the holiday season I always take the opportunity to get ahead with the administration part of running a studio. Oh! a little plug here–Outside the Studio is on sale till the end of January with a 15% discount on each book.

Outside of the Studio was started when I felt I was spending too much time in my studio. I needed to get my mind off book production routines, and play a little.

I decided to make a flip book a week for the next year, after researching artists who created flip books as part of their practice. I was confident that the strict time limit and rapid pace would free up my creativity.

I needed a theme to organize the series around, I soon identified a concept, the Four Classical Elements: Fire, Air, Earth and Water. The Fire element would be represented by light; Air, by wind; Earth by people, animals or insects; and Water, by it’s own differing states of liquid, vapor and solid. The Outside The Studio Series was launched!

The whole series of flip books can be seen at: http://www.louiselevergneux.com/#/out-of-the-studio/

Here is the flip book produced on week 48:

The whirlwind of the holidays has finally passed. Now I can continue with my new artists’ books and decorative boxes.

I started the year without my D-SLR, I had to leave it at the shop during the holidays. Hope it is surviving this surgery!!

My camera died as I was trying to photograph my new artists’ books and finish two “Call to Artists” applications. Great timing! Without a camera, it’s like going through withdrawals...

Below is a sample of my new decorative boxes, more photos will be on my website as soon as my camera is back in my hands.

© 2016 Louise Levergneux, Decorative Box

I need to get back to work–withdrawals and all. I will share later.