Winter Comes

I have been wanting to make some more hand-made artist books for a while, but commitments to making prints for open studios and an exhibition for next year, has meant they have had to take a back seat!

My latest monotype prints continue to have a moody, atmospheric feel to them, which I love. Many have focussed on themes of light in the landscape and have additional hand drawn trees as their final layer.

The two processes of hand-made books and printmaking compliment each other so beautifully. I never throw away prints which don't make the grade, preferring to keep them to cut up later for book covers.

I love being absorbed in the ideas I have, especially when the overlapping print and book processes collide with my creative writing! 

I have just been inspired to write a poem about winter and this, I feel, needs to be made into a book soon.....!

Winter Comes.

One of those still days

where the earth in respite, 

rests its bones

and the loss of leaf is a reprieve

for trees

who sigh their last breath into 

breathing space.

And the wind's intermission,

like time holding it's breath,

listens to birds without song

who watch

as the muted drizzle

rolls a veil over the year.

Clare Rogers 2021

Eavesdropping

I produced a list of phrases from parts of one side of an overheard conversation. The lady whose voice I could hear talked ceaselessly for over an hour, with her companion barely being able to get a word in!

It was hard to distract myself from the sound of her voice, and this was made more frustrating by only being able to hear snatches of her spoken sentences.

'Eavesdropping' was an appropriate title and the addition of the 'blah blah, blah' repeated phrases, gives the handwritten list a visual quality of laborious repetition.

There are eight copies of this small concertina book.

'Eavesdropping'

2021 Concertina book

Handwritten on square paper

  

The Lost Weekend BABE2021

The Bristol Arts Book Event (BABE) was postponed last year and was due to take place in April2021, but continued restrictions due to the Coronavirus, meant that the event was placed online instead of live at the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol.

Although this was a huge disappointment, the organisers did a fabulous job connecting people via the internet and social media. Books and videos were available to view online and there were activities to take part in.

Kurt Johannessen, a visual artist, works with performance, installation and book arts. The Lost Weekend offered one of his 'Exercises' to take part in over the weekend.

    "Bake a loaf of bread int he shape of an aeroplane.

     Put it outside for the birds to eat."

the wood itself

 'the wood itself' is an A6 book inspired by my love of a silver birch tree that grows in my garden.

The tree is fully mature and I love to watch it change through the seasons. It offers habitat to many birds and wildlife, which is a part of nature in which I've become much more interested in recent years.

The cover is made from recycled brown paper with a layer of tissue paper glued on top. This, I think, resembles the peeling, flakey bark of the trunk.

I have extracted text from information about birch trees at RSPB.org to create the poems/phrases, some of which are lists of words that are beautiful when read out loud.

Cover: 'the wood itself'

2021

Title page

Extracted text from 'the wood itself'

Extracted text from 'the wood itself'

Salt in the Wound

Salt in the Wound is a small concertina book with a short poem about truth and loss.

The sea metaphor suggests a loss of life as the final act at the end of a relationship.

I stretched a large sheet of thick paper on a board and using a brush, washed oil based printing ink and water based drawing ink over the surface. The oil and water repelled in areas, created an effect of the sea, waves and ocean depth. 

Once dry, I cut the paper off the board and drizzled water based ink down from the top to create the back of the book.

The text was printed onto newsprint, then cut and glued to the folded book.

There are 6 copies of Salt in the Wound.

Salt in the Wound 2021

9 x 25cm Concertina book

Handpainted cover with inkjet printing on newsprint.

Salt in the Wound 2021

Back.

Salt in the Wound

My thoughts, once reasoned,

Now flying, tossed on blown spume.

Undertow calling.

The ragged untruths,

Spilling over my edges.

Drawing me under.

Your silence completes.

Surrendering, drowning cuts

Like salt in the wound.