The Holidays!

Happy Holidays to all my loyal readers!

Since the kickoff of the Half Measure Studio blog posts in December 2015, I have typically shared the Ottawa, Canada, Christmas lights. This year, I decided to produce a short video joyfully celebrating the holidays. Don’t forget to march to the beat of your own Little Drummer Boy!

To those of you who are continued readers of the Incessant Journey posts, sorry for the duplication, but do accept my good wishes.

Soon we say goodbye to 2018, a very active and busy year full of inspiration!

But as the horizon of 2019 draws nearer, I find myself looking back at my continuous travels and visits of artists and collections over the recent year. I’m appreciative to all who were generous in sharing their work through my blog post in 2018. It has been a time full of creative inspiration and wonder. Everyone has helped me to aspire to create more artists’ books and to continue writing my posts. I have been thrilled to meet and talk with all of you.

Let the magic of Christmas bring you peace and prosperity for 2019!

Too all, a good Night...

Austin.5

There is a considerable amount of art to see and visit in Austin, Texas. A few weeks ago I was at the Austin Book Arts Center located in studio #114 in Flatbed Press building. While I was meeting with Linda Anderson, Mary Baughman stopped by to say hello. We met last year, when she created introduction opportunities to other artists in the area.

© 2018 Linda Anderson. Michael Sutton, Louise Levergneux, Mary Baughman, outside the Austin Book Art Center, Austin, Texas.

Mary’s career spanned 40 years at the University of Texas, most of that time caring for unique books at the Ransom Center. Teaching book arts for children has convinced her that children who learn to love books continue to treasure reading and writing, and will support the libraries of the future. Mary is additionally a associate of the Lone Star chapter of the Guild of Book Workers, a founding member of Austin Book Workers, and one of the originators of the Book Arts Fair held for 20+ years at Laguna Gloria Art Museum.

If you are a conservator you might be interested in reading on how Mary spearheaded the effort at the Ransom Center by creating insect ID flashcards.

After my time with Linda, Mary accompanied me around Flatbeb Press, founded in 1989 by Katherine Brimberry and Mark L. Smith. The facility includes not only Flatbeb’s shop, offices, and galleries, but also eleven tenants. The mix of visual-arts professionals provides a "24/7" creative synergy in the building.

Gallery Shoal Creek, CAMIBA Art,

Austin Book Arts Center,

L_A_N D Architects,

Hubbard Birchler Studio,

Daniel Arredondo Studio,

Smith and Hawley, NJ Weaver Studio,

Recspec Design Studio,

Jacqueline May Studio and Troy Brauntuch Studio.

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© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Ericka Walker, exhibition of lithographs and screen prints.

While walking around the galleries, I witnessed Influence an exhibition of recent works by Nova Scotia based artist Ericka Walker, who was born in Hartford, Wisconsin, US.

Her large-scale multi-color lithographs draw on the vibrant history of propaganda, printed ephemera, and advertising from twentieth century Europe and North America. Ericka's work exposes nostalgia as an ongoing rhetorical device in a contemporary sociopolitical climate that clings savagely to destructive birthrights and colonial residues. As a self described “Daughter of Colonialism,” Walker considers the history of her parent nation, her host country, and to her own family’s involvement in settlement, agriculture, industry, and military service as enterprises that are far more complex than any slogan or advertisement can acclaim.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Ericka Walker, lithograph and screen print.

© 2018 Ericka Walker, lithograph and screen print.

© 2018 Ericka Walker, lithograph and screen print.

© 2018 Ericka Walker, lithograph and screen print.

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As I roamed the hallways the exhibition Language of Flowers engaged my eye. This show presents Brooklyn based, West Virginia native, Martin Mazorra’s botanical woodcut and letterpress prints that maintain the Victorian tradition of the language of flowers. Historically, flowers were a means to send coded messages that were otherwise unspoken in public. Specific flowers communicated distinct postures or sentiments. In Mazorra’s Language of Flowers, the choices of particular flowers or bouquets, along with provocative text are a contemporary interpretation to this tradition of cautious exchange.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Martin Mazorra, woodcut with movable type.

© 2018 Martin Mazorra, woodcut with movable type.

© 2018 Martin Mazorra, woodcut with movable type.

© 2018 Martin Mazorra, woodcut with movable type.

Martin Mazorra is a Brooklyn based artist originally from West Virginia. He works chiefly in the medium of woodcut and letterpress, in a range of scales from small books, prints on paper, and on canvas, to site specific print-based installations.

© 2018 Martin Mazorra, woodcut with movable type.

Whenever you can, join me in visiting exhibition in your area.

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Austin, Texas.4

The Ransom Center is a remarkable building, renovated and completed in 2003. When I visit, for me it's the addition of the building’s glass-enclosed atrium on the first floor. The entrance is surrounded by windows featuring etched reproductions of images from the collections. These architectural elements literally take the "inside out" by showcasing materials from the Center's collections and making the images viewable from both the interior and exterior of the building.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. The Ransom Center’s etched glass South windows.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. The Ransom Center’s etched glass windows. Detail of “Horse in Motion” by Eadweard Muybridge, ca. 1886

Enjoy an insider's glimpse into the Ransom Center. This 10-minute video provides a broad overview of collections, scholarship, conservation, exhibitions, and programs. Curators, students, members, and conservators discuss their work and how the Center shares and celebrates the creative process.

Before going up to the 4th floor to meet with Olivia Primanis, I typically sit and enjoy the etchings for a few minutes. The other element that is captivating for me at the Ransom Center is the trees in the gardens surrounding the building. The Quercus Virginiana is everywhere on the University of Texas campus. The Live-Oak as it is commonly called, seems to breath and move! The Live Oak, can also be observed in the Hill Country of Texas.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Quercus virginiana trees on the North side of The Ransom Center.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. The Ransom Center’s Southeast etched glass windows. Details: (middle left) Migrant Mother, Dorothea Lange, 1936, (right) Illustration from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, John Tenniel, 1865, (bottom left) Portrait of Marianne Moore, Robert Stewart Sherriff, 1960s.

Every year, Olivia, an intern from France, and another of Olivia’s colleague and I, get together for (what Olivia calls) a French lunch. It is enjoyable to speak French in Texas! And it is an honor to be asked to join!

Olivia Primanis is the Senior Book Conservator at the Harry Ransom Center. The Conservation Department is charged with the care of the Center's collections. This responsibility poses ongoing and rewarding challenges in the areas of treatment, preventive care, research and education.

Olivia performs conservation treatments and manages the book lab and special projects. She is interested in general conservation and preservation subjects relating to library and museum materials and specific topics such as disaster recovery, the study of minimally invasive book repairs and 19th century photo album history and structure.

After our fantastic French lunch, I took the time to explore the first major exhibition of Edward Ruscha Papers and Art Collection drawn from the Ransom Center's collection.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. American Beautyberry (Callicarpa-Americana) is a Texas native shrub of the Blackland Prairie in Central Texas, also known as French mulberry, sourbush, bunchberry, or purple beauty berry. This bush is also found on campus.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. The Ransom Center’s Southeast etched glass windows.

After our fantastic French lunch, I took the time to explore the first major exhibition of Edward Ruscha Papers and Art Collection drawn from the Ransom Center's collection.

An intrduction to the exhibition “Ed Ruscha: Archaeology and Romance”

The remarkable exhibition Ed Ruscha: Archaeology and Romance, features more than 150 objects. The show presents Ruscha's celebrated books, photographs, drawings, and prints. The best part as an artist was to view his layout sketches and personal notebooks.

It was an excellent opportunity to see so many of Ed Ruscha’s work, like Every Building on the Sunset Strip, Twenty Six Gasoline Stations, Some Los Angeles apartments...

Ed Ruscha's 1966 accordion-fold book "Every Building on the Sunset Strip" stretching more than 20 feet long, being installed for the exhibition "Ed Ruscha: Archaeology and Romance."

Ed Ruscha: Archaeology and Romance was organized by Dr. Jessica S. McDonald, the Nancy Inman and Marlene Nathan Meyerson Curator of Photography, the exhibition examines the stages of conception, design, and production leading to the publication of Ruscha's groundbreaking artist's books and provides audiences with an unprecedented look into his creative process.

The show continues till January 6th, if you have a chance to visit, you should! Looking forward to more French speaking with Olivia and her colleagues.

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Austin, Texas.3

While being in Texas, I communicated with Olivia Primanis at the Ransom Center. After a lovely French lunch and a visit, Olivia generously shared contacts of other binders in the Austin area.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. A Live Oak in Dripping Springs, Texas

Being appreciative of Olivia’s suggestions, arrangements were made to meet with these binders. To begin with, I met with Linda Anderson a book creator, who creates artists’ books, art out of books, bind books, and design books. She equally makes book illustrations using traditional printmaking techniques. We met at the Austin Book Arts Center.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Linda Anderson at the Austin Book Art Center.

Linda has studied and achieved her MFA in printmaking. Later, she worked as an adjunct art instructor, and in book conservation at a university. Then as a fine binder at BookLab and finally Linda thought art in the Austin public school system and lately at the Austin Book Art Center.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Artists’ book by Linda Anderson.

At this point, Linda is focusing her creative activities on all things BOOKS —including reading — because that is what she loves most. The familiar images in her work come from the traditional folk tales and fairy stories she grew up with and still reads.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Artists’ book by Linda Anderson.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Artists’ book by Linda Anderson.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Artists’ book by Linda Anderson.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Artists’ book by Linda Anderson.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Artists’ book by Linda Anderson.

Linda is presently working on a recent installation; a hundred chatting books are at the core of this series.

Imagine a hundred books, a gallery full, chatting to each other. There’s Thor, an open painted book with a raven on his shoulder speaking to Scheherazade, made from a binding of Arabian Nights. The Green Man sits for tea with a child’s poetry book, flowers in her hair. Iron John stands partially open looking on. At times, objects spill from their pages. Their covers are faces carved and painted, the pages sewn or folded within. They communicate their stories. There is Rapunzel with her long hair flowing to the floor coming from leather-covered wooden book boards. The cover in a tall tower shape, and the Barber of Seville in deep conversation with Wordsworth.

© 2018 Linda Anderson. A hundred chatting books.

In this current scenario, faces carved with a scroll saw, covers gessoed and painted, insides creatively enhanced or left to portray their story. Fine handmade art papers become new end sheets, and silk book cloth may resurrect their spines, giving them better “book action.” Audible whispers enhance the scene as gallery wanderers might mingle within the clusters of book friends. Discreet LED lighting could appear as a surprise center of focus within an open structure.

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Ensuite, I connected with Lindsay Nakashima who works under the imprint Nakashima Books. Lindsay has a fully equipped bindery in East Austin.

Trained in paper making and bookbinding at the University of Iowa Center for the Book and the North Bennet Street school. Lindsay offers private instructions in coptic bookbinding, box making, and Japanese bookbinding.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Lindsay Nakashima’s bindery.

I have been greatly influenced by my Japanese heritage in the “minguren” Lindsay Nakashima.

With deep roots in craft and art from her family, Lindsay also enjoys teaching the history of how books are made. Additionally, she instructs courses at the Austin Center for Books Arts.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. The equipment in Lindsay Nakashima’s bindery.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Lindsay Nakashima’s bound book samples.

We met at her studio during the East Austin Studio Tour, EAST is a free, annual, self-guided art event that spans two weekends in November.

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Have you met any interesting artists, binders, papermaker lately?

Next week lets talk about the Ransom Center exhibition!

Austin, Texas.2

Next, on my tour of artists in Austin was handmade paper maker Yamandu Ploskonka. Yama makes paper under the distinct imprint Papel Texano. He is everything related to paper, but, in addition, a trainer, a fixer, a communicator, an inventor, and an innovator. He loves materials, arts, crafts, creative ideas, design, electronics, mechanics, people, prototypes, and tools.

In late 2017, Yama made a breakthrough regarding an ideal charcoal, pastel paper surface and achieved the Cinque Tooth Paper, Papel Texano’s specialty “finish.” A new/old paper; new because it’s being presently produced and old since it is a reinvention of the textured renaissance papers that the masters drew upon.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Yama demonstrating the pulp used for his handmade paper.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Yama demonstrating home made pulp beater used for his handmade paper.

These deep grooves of Cinquecento paper are ideal for charcoal, chalk and sanguine artists. Typically made by hand with 21st century methods in Austin, this very classic surface on handmade paper is again available to artists and everyone!

Why so much tooth in Renaissance papers?

Would you like to appreciate the history of paper?

Why so much fuss?

How to make paper pulp with a garbage disposal?

Have you ever asked yourself any of these specific questions, the answers are here at Papel Texano.

Visiting with Yama was a valuable experience! I had a delightful afternoon and evening. We talked candidly about paper and more paper. Yama’s humour is to savour as he endeavours to share his knowledge. We were shown around his outside studio with lots of homemade equipment which was fascinating. I naturally enjoyed the elaborate description and the key reasons behind his first artists' book entitled Touch This Art! The Book as Yama explained the intricate details.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Yama’s CNC router at work.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. The finished styrofoam mold.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. The result from the mold to create Touch this Art!

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Another cast paper print using the CNC router. Gorgeous to the touch!

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. The bookbinding design of Touch This Art! The Book is an accordion structure that reminds us of Aztec and Mayan codices. The 100% cotton, handmade cast paper pages in light pink/red hue is from iron oxide. The pages are mounted on a lengthy piece of amate (a type of bark paper) paper.

Yama also explained the machine that made Touch This Art! The Book, a CNC router — Computer Numerical Control machine — a computer-operated carving tool.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Yama joking as he prepares a lovely meal for us.

After much conversation about his studio, paper, and art, Yama made my husband and I a great pasta meal before we left. Yama was amazingly generous with his information and practice. Yama even took the time to gave me the excitement of making handmade paper, elbow deep in pulp. Before leaving, I purchased several sheets of paper to reproduce an image on my Epson Archival Ink Jet printer. I may have found a papermaker for the end sheets of my upcoming book on Live Oak (Quercus Virginiana).

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. My first try at stirring pulp with Yama’s help.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Yama showing me how to drip the water from the mold.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Seeing the results.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Yama’s vat with signatures of visiting artists to his studio. Recognize some of them?

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Yama laughing!

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Adding my signature to the famous vat.

If you ever find yourself in Austin, a stop at Papel Texano is a must!

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Austin, Texas

To begin with, I sincerely wanted to thank all of you who responded positively to my inquiry through the BookListServ on visiting studios while trekking in and around Texas.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Quercus Virginiana in a field in Dripping Springs, Texas

My first tour was to Cloverleaf Studio, a book arts business located in Austin. Jace Graf, owner and operator of Cloverleaf Studio, was approachable and generous with his time. I was given an extensive tour of the studio which was exciting and wonderfully equipped. Jace showed me some of the specific bindings and luxury boxes created by the studio.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Cloverleaf Studio hallway entrance.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Lots of box spacers on a shelf in the hallway. What patience!

His work is held in many private collections, library special collections, and museums across the country. In the past 20 years, Jace has done business with hundreds of commercial and fine art photographers to create portfolios, limited-edition books, and deluxe versions of trade editions.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. One of the rooms of Cloverleaf Studio.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Cloverleaf Studio’s equipment.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. The back room of Cloverleaf Studio. Now that’s a press!

Jace worked for five years at BookLab, which at that time was the premier edition bookbindery in the country. In 1996, Jace started Cloverleaf Studio where he specializes in hand bookbinding, box making, and book design.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Jace Graf’s office at Cloverleaf Studio.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Jace Graf’s office with the many samples of his work.

This was a terrific visit, and I’m glad I had the chance to meet with Jace and see the exciting work that is crafted by Cloverleaf Studio. This helped inspire a new book I have in mind about the Quercus Virginiana. Maybe bound in Texas!

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Quercus Virginiana on ranchland in Lexington, Texas

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Ardmore, Oklahoma

In mid-October I paused in Ardmore, a business, cultural, and tourism city in the county of Carter County, Oklahoma on my way south to Texas. I sojourned for two nights at Basecamp — a lodge house that offers adventurers a pleasant place to downshift between epic excursions. We parked in the driveway of Jerold and his wife Sandra Wells as boondockers.

As I mentioned in the past in various blog posts, traveling brings me in direct contact with many artists. Steadfastly keeping my eyes and mind open means meeting people that frequently introduce a fellow artist in my life. This is precisely how I met Jerold W. Wells, the talented artist and successful creator of beyondART.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Jerold Wells talking about his new sculpture

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Steel sculpture by Jerold Wells

Jerold is a self-taught artist who has mastered the art of turning trash to treasure, creating wonderful functional sculptures. His generous and passionate nature is clearly seen as one looks at his work. As I walked leisurely outside his studio, fire-pits created out of old propane tanks stood out. Jerold’s attention to detail varies from theme to theme.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Propane tank waiting to find new life

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Steel sculpture by Jerold Wells

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Steel sculpture by Jerold Wells

One can see his bronze sculpting, up-cycled, functional, architecture all around downtown Ardmore, even in the form of art signs, real-estate designs and sculptures!

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Steel sculpture by Jerold Wells

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Steel sculpture details

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Steel sculpture details

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. A private tour of Jerold Wells’ studio

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. A private tour of Jerold Wells’ studio

© 2018 Sandra Wells. This post is in memory of Molly, a Schnauzer, who created good vibes in the few hours we met. Unfortunately Molly passed away while we visited Basecamp. She will be missed by Jerold, Sandra and brother Airedale Evans.

Traveling cultivates many ideas. How do your ideas come to mind and to fruition?

Tulsa, Oklahoma

My journey is partly creative; but mostly administrative these days by promoting, advertising, marketing... Being involved on both sides of my career is not always easy. At the moment, I have a need to make and publish an artists’ book. When living in a brick and stick house, I required six months to get inspired and create, and the next six months to share and sell my artists’ books.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Driving around Minneapolis, Minnesota, I found this Frank Loyd Wright architecture, The Wiley House

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Visiting this beautiful structure of the St Paul Cathedral in St Paul, Minnesota

On the road, 365 days a year has created a lack of time to do all the necessary jobs to keep my career going. But traveling has also created opportunities to communicate with artists in various cities and librarians who collect for universities. 

At stopovers, I photograph what inspires other projects. At night, dreaming of a concept for a book is not unheard of. I research book structures online. My blog post is written between campgrounds... At this point, I have conceptualized four artists’ books, waiting to be published and shared. The road has brought me many ideas. I just need more time to enjoy the process of publishing.

Last June, while in Ohio, I completed three copies of my last book Shadow Me. Once I arrived mid-August in Ottawa/Gatineau, I had the possibility of publishing number two of a second edition of Finding Home. Finding Home is popular and this last copy was purchased by the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Alberta, Canada.

© 2017 Louise Levergneux. Shadow Me

© 2016 Louise Levergneux. Finding Home

The Paul D Fleck Library at the Banff Centre has over 4,000 artists’ books and multiples. It is one of the largest collections of artists’ book/book art in Canada.

The Library has bought a few of my books in the past. The collection holds my very first artists’ book entitled My Memories of My Memories, the miniature version created in 1999. City Shields (the original seven volumes), Seattle Visité and 1234567 Violette were purchased in 2001. Reciprocal, Windows of the Soul, and Beside Me were acquired for the collection in 2007. This year Shadow Me was reunited with Beside Me in the collection of the Centre. These two books were made several years apart, but Shadow Me is still considered a sequel in my mind.

© 1999 Louise Levergneux. My Mmories of My Memories

© 2000 Louise Levergneux. Siattle Visité

© 1999-2017 Louise Levergneux. City Shields

© 2000 Louise Levergneux. 1234567 Violette

© 2001 Louise Levergneux. Reciprocal

© 2003 Louise Levergneux. Windows of the Soul

© 2005 Louise Levergneux. Beside Me

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At the beginning of October while passing through Oklahoma, I communicated with Marc Carlson, Librarian of Special Collections and University Archives of the McFarlin Library of the University of Tulsa. I was received in the Satin Rare Book Room—a treasured showpiece for The University. I presented my books to a private audience of two librarians and an artist.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. McFarlin Library of the University of Tulsa

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. The Jack H. and Tybie Davis Satin Rare Book Room of the McFarlin Library were I presented my books (on the table in the foreground)

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. A Reading Room at McFarlin Library

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Rodger Jacobsen’s The Reader (2010) is the latest work of art to make its home in the Frances O’Hornett Grand Foyer of the McFarlin Library. (This one is for you Jim!)

Marc, with his co-workers, chose a few books for the collection. I’m happy, that my book 26NOV2006 created after being subjected to an interrogation by US border crossing guards; Faux-Pas a documentation prompted by a curiosity about the psychological effects a flag has on a nation’s landscape; a flip book on the sun rising over the Wasatch Mountains entitled 6:45; obsession, where I portray the obsession of Topaz’s daily routine; and Traverse a narrative on an annual journey across the country to my home town of Gatineau, Québec, are presently part of the wonderful collection at McFarlin Library of the University of Tulsa.

© 2008 Louise Levergneux. 26NOV2006

© 2012 Louise Levergneux. Faux-pas

© 2012 Louise Levergneux. 6:45

© 2012 Louise Levergneux. obsession

© 2015 Louise Levergneux. Traverse

Considerably appreciative of my sales, I leave Tulsa knowing that my books are well housed at the McFarlin Library.

What do you call a successful art day?