Sophia’s Journal

Sophia's Journal

Custom Design Binding

“No Risk, No Story.”

Golden Flower, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

About the Project

Design bindings are fun to create, especially when it is for someone who is doing such wonderful work. This project is a gift to my niece to celebrate the wonderful path she is on and the ambition she holds for her future. 

Combining modern aesthetics with traditional tooling, this project provided a chance to express an artistic vision that captures the elements she enjoys the most. I’m happy with how it all came out and I’m exceptionally proud to give this to her.

Princess Mononoke

Princess Mononoke

About the Project

Princess Mononoke is an excellent film, one that holds a special place in my heart. I first saw it when it came out in 1997, going to the theaters with my brothers and even owning a VHS copy when it was released. We watched it repeatedly any chance we got. Beloved by many, this film captured the historical and mystical elements of Japanese lore while balancing themes of environmental corruption at the hands of modernity and progress.

A few years ago, my family and I began watching all of the Studio Ghibli catalog, however, my daughter was particularly enthralled with this title. We’d watch it again and again, every day for months. We’d play games centered around the plot as my daughter ran around on her pretend wolf-mother, battling the forces of the evil “Lady Eboshi”. As the titular Princess, she assigned the role of Prince Ashitaka to me, and we’d run with wild abandon as we’d rally the spirits of the forest to our cause.

The creation of this journal is an expression of our precious time together. My only goal was to keep those memories and blend them with my art. While I originally thought about selling it, I quickly realized that it’s best to keep it at home and use it to share travel memories with my daughter.

The Process

I decided to execute this design with cuir-ciselé, giving me a full range of custom expression and color choices. Each cover design was hand-drawn first before being transposed onto the veg-tanned sheepskin leather. For the back cover “mask” design, I employed a water-based dye of both yellow and red, giving the final look a subtle but striking aesthetic. The overall coloring was accomplished with a “saddle tan” gel antique, which has a red/burned feel when finished.

Artist Book

Custom Leather Green Book

Custom Artist Book

About the Project

Working with an artist is always a treat! My client contacted me and wanted to commission a book where she can focus her artistic vision in one place – which is something I am acutely aware of. In my life, I’ve found that it’s hard for me to just have one journal for everything I think of or want to express. Thus, this client wanted a place where she can just draw, paint, write, etc. Anything that helps her grow as an artist. 

We started with that mission statement and evolved from there. Using the highest quality Morocco leather (emerald green) I decided that a cuir-ciselé approach would give us what she was looking for. Capturing of the fine details and giving an esoteric, tactile experience. For the spine I decided to try something new in a free-placement of stamps. Since the tower design emphasized “decay” (renewal), I found stamps that give a look of a flower wilting and the petals gathering at the bottom of the book.

The Process

Brothers Journals

Brothers' Journals

About the Project

A client contacted me to commission two journals for her grandsons. She said that she wanted to give them something that will help encourage their art and writing, both of them being young and developing as artists. So we set out to create these journals with the mission of making them both durable and aesthetically pleasing – a classic design for the spines and high-quality paper that will work for drawing and writing.

With a few of her grandson’s preferences in mind for colors, I began drafting the idea and put together journals for them that will last a lifetime. It was a fairly straightforward approach, using hand tools that I’d had made for me many years ago from Kevin Noaks with Bookbindesigns. We decided to work with silver, rather than gold, for a look that stands out and holds space on the shelf.

We were able to finish the project before Christmas and they were delivered on time for Christmas morning. This was an incredibly satisfying project to work on and I am thankful to have helped bring her vision to life.

The Process

My client asked me to take as many pictures as possible during the binding process, so I have a lot to share with you all! She wanted to include them when they received their books. She also sent me a note to include with the packaging when I sent them out, which was very sweet.

Bapa’s Journal

Bapa's Journal

About the Project

A long overdue visit with my father turned into a lovely adventure and creating a book for him. We had a great time working together and it was wonderful to share my world with him for a few days. What sets this book apart is that he had a hand in it’s construction! Sewing the signatures, rounding and backing, even hand-picking the color motifs for the final product. 

Overall, it was a time we both will never forget.

The Process

Working with my father on this was a blast. I shared the inner workings of book construction, recreating the classes I teach with Arbutus Folk School on Introduction to Bookbinding.

Polar Latitudes

Polar Latitudes

Explorers Experience Log

About the Project

In early June I began working with a client who contacted me to create a custom logbook for their expeditions to Antarctica. They represented Polar Latitudes, a group dedicated to introducing people to the wonders of Antarctica. With regular trips to our Southern Continent, they help reveal the beauty and majesty of a vast landscape, full of awe-inspiring locations seemingly untouched by time.

As we set forth to bring this idea to life, I dedicated myself to creating the book this group deserves. The results of our work together will hopefully be something their travelers will enjoy, allowing them to record their experiences on their journeys.

The Process

The client was clear in their vision, which always helps. I could tell immediately that they knew what they wanted and it was up to me to bring it to life. They came armed with drafts of potential results, giving me options to work with. Additionally, we knew the size of the book would be quite large – 12”h x 15”w. The surface area alone presented the challenge of sourcing enough leather to cover the required space. Using a quarter-bound approach, where the spine and part of the covers are bound with one hide of leather and the remaining space of both front/back covers are encased in another. For the spine, we chose a fine morocco (goatskin) with a “garganey” color. For the covers, we decided to work with veg-tanned sheepskin to accomplish the design. Since the background compass rose was so large, rather than commissioning a custom stamp to be engraved (which would have been costly and unwieldy), I suggested we employ cuir-ciselé to carve it out. Since that technique is my specialty, I knew it wouldn’t take much work to make something nice that would complement the overall feel of the finished product. The center logo was created with custom-engraved stamps, breaking it into two elements – the Antarctica “P” and the nautical star. We did this to allow the aqua-blue metallic stamping for the star, leaving the Antarctica “P” as a dark depression.

Another fun aspect was the bookmark. I usually include a satin/silk ribbon with all my bindings, but the client had someone in mind to create a custom knot-work cord for the marker. It arrived shortly after I began work and I included it into the binding. Since it was made of cord I was able to actually sew it into the spine, securing it to the book itself.

The Endleaves

I don’t normally write much about the endleaves, but in this case, it’s a bit different. I personally like working with marbled paper from Hollander’s, however, my client had particular images they wanted to use for this book. Welcoming their future travelers into the logbook, the images they provided helped bring out the full breadth of the book’s mission.

Front Endleaf

Back Endleaf

Proximus Experimana

Proximus Experimana

Custom Grimoire

About the Project

I began this project by polling my followers on Social Media. Every so often I have a gap between work and I try to fill it with something new. So, I had some ideas of what I’d like to make but I figured I’d reach out to everyone to see what they’d like to have me do. The options all centered around a blank book (internally), focusing mostly on the outward decoration. The overwhelming majority was for a Grimoire, followed closely by a Norse design of some kind.

I immediately began researching what I’d like to include on the covers. Personally, I enjoy making a book with some kind of story embedded in the decoration – preferably one that spans both covers. I scoured through reliquaries, artifacts and witchcraft collections. I did my best to veer away from modernity, choosing to focus on symbology with historical roots to actual practices. Yet, allowing the design to be transmutable for its future owner.

The Process

Essentially, the imagery depicts “secret knowledge within”, the front cover beckoning the user to open the book to reveal its contents. The back cover relays the message of “knowledge attained”. Certain elements are missing from the front cover design and the “flame of knowledge” is replaced by an all-seeing eye.

The gold stamping is abbreviated Latin, taking inspiration from the engravings of the Novum Portis (aka the Nine Gate of the Kingdom of Shadows). It says IGNISOR ACCENDI “The Fire is Lit”

Life As I Know It

"Life As I Know It"

South Bay Forgeworks
Custom Journal

About the Project

This is a custom journal I made in collaboration with Bret Childers of South Bay Forgeworks. It is a project that has been long in planning and I’m happy we could finally work together.

I met Bret a few years ago when we connected over our shared interest in blacksmithing. He does amazing work in his forge and regularly hosts classes on a whole range of topics surrounding the art. The class I took focused on tradition “Viking” axe making and was taught by Bret Childers and Dale Thorson of Thorson Forge. 

During our time together we became instant friends and we often connect over our mutual respect for each other’s art. When the opportunity arose for him to take a one-on-one class with me, he jumped at the chance.

We spent two days together in my bindery and I walked him through the entire process. It was a really fun time and I enjoyed every moment of it. It was really great to see someone working with the equipment in the bindery – watching his face light up with amazement at how it all works and how each step in the process leads to a single artifact. 

His book turned out wonderfully.

The Cover Art

We worked with two kinds of leather to bring this book to life. The entire book is covered with a Chestnut Russell’s Oasis Goatskin, a fine Morocco that is considered by most to be a gold standard in the bookbinding industry. For the cover art, we used a nice strip of veg-tanned sheepskin to achieve the cuir-ciselé Norse Dragon piece.

Fatherhood Adventures

Fatherhood Adventures

About the Project

Being a father is full of memories that we never want to forget. Photos and videos have taken center stage in our ability to capture individual moments and it is up to us to recall how they made us feel at time of recording. However, I’ve always felt that there is so much more nuance that flows into each memory we make. How we feel changes over time, but capturing that moment is just as precious as the moment itself. While time is a rare commodity these days, especially when self-employed, I’ve found that the day-to-day adventures are beyond priceless.

My wife and I are blessed with an amazing being. She is creative, confident, curious, and often bombastic. The games we play require an open and imaginative mind, playful beyond age and timeless with FUN.

This book is an extension of all that. 

I have many journals for myself. Either made out-of-hand or surviving from some previous experience. The memories I’ve written down feel scattered and “placeless”, finding homes among the blank pages of books I have on my shelf. This journal is my response to the frustration I’ve felt. Much like a photo album, I wanted a place where I can fully express the memories we make together and revisit them when needed – and, hopefully, be a record for her, if she ever wants to.

The Process

The process began with a vision. While I wanted a book I could write specifically to record my memories with my family, that was only the inciting incident. 

Thankfully, my daughter is a prolific artist and she creates countless pieces to work with. The piece I decided to work with for this is a recent rendition of her collaboration with my wife and their interpretation of “Dragon”. 

They worked together to bring this to life and the original piece really showcases the life they bring to the art they make. My wife is a wonderful artist herself and has been such a great teacher for our daughter. She is kind, patient, and encouraging – everything I hope to be for her someday. I’ve learned a lot just by watching them work together!

The book was much larger than the original artwork, so I had to break it down into two pieces

I then began penciling out the design. I used a very nice Morocco leather (veg-tanned goat), which has a great showcase of the pours and ridges from the animal. After carving (cuir-ciselé), I used a tan gel antique and both color the leather and fill in the pours with a deep shadow to replicate the original design.

Thorson Journal

Thorson
Custom Norse
Journal

About the Project

This book was created for a close friend as a gift for his wife. He and I have been working together for a long time and I am happy to see it all come together exactly as he envisioned it. It started with a simple conversation about influences and design motifs and evolved into a sweeping design for both the front and back covers. A key aspect of this design was the inclusion of the Berkano Rune, which has special significance for him and his family.

I was deeply honored to make this and bring it all together as a wonderful gift for his wife. I’ve admired his work for quite a long time and I feel thankful to have some of my work featured in his collection.

The result gave us exactly what we were looking for. After finishing the carving I applied an “evening blue” leather dye and a Japanese antique gel to really make the design pop and give it an overall aged look. While making the book I also thought it would be a good idea to have nine spine fillets (raised bands), instead of the tradition five or seven. Nine is a particularly important number in Norse cosmology and I wanted to bring as much as I could to this project. On a personal level, I and the client have a deep connection to the Norse belief structure, so these small touches help connect this book with our wider world.

Gallery

Methods

Cuir-ciselé is my favorite approach to decorating books in which the client has a desire to make something completely customized. While tooling or hot-stamping could have achieved this, as is often practiced in today’s world of bookbinding, I find an immense joy in working with this style. It’s how I got my start in bookbinding and I love coming back to it. 

We started with a very basic Norse design and I expanded it from there. Using this file a baseline I then connected the flowing lines naturally to make the piece fill out the cover. I’ve been studying Norse design elements for many years and this project allowed me to stretch that knowledge I’ve been practicing. Thankfully, I’ve been working with “The Anatomy of Viking Art” by Jonas Lau Markussen, a wonderful book made by a modern master. His studies of the subject are quite unparalleled and I’ve really enjoyed his work.

After we make the decisions needed to compile a picture of the final product, I always prefer making a second-phase mock-up of the design. This helps me determine how much time it will take, what techniques I need to employ, etc. First drawing it out with pencil directly on the leather, I then use my swivel knife to carve out the major features of the image. After wetting it, generously, I take my hammer and chisel’s to work out the details.  

Design