Waking to Nightfall

Waking to Nightfall

About the Project

This project began in the Summer of 2024. The client contacted me with a clear vision of what he wanted to make, sending me a digital mock-up of what he had in mind. The key component of this design, aside from the intricate knotwork, are the contrasted areas between light and dark blue and the 12 “studs” on both covers. I immediately began working with ideas of how we can make this project happen. My first instinct was to run with a cuir-ciselé approach, followed by custom engraved stamps where needed.

While it took some time to finish this project, I feel like we made exactly what was intended. A custom leather book, traditionally bound, with bold design features.

The Process

I first needed to isolate the design from the digital mock-up the client sent me and size it to the text-block, which gave me an opportunity to extract the Moon Design and the Title/Author for the spine. I knew we needed a custom stamp for the spine, however, I initially thought I could carve the moon myself. Unfortunately, the carved moon design didn’t translate as well as I intended, so we decided to make a second stamp for that part. 

When I made the first draft it didn’t feel like the contrast of color was present, so I went back to the drawing board for another draft. I took my time with it, experimenting with different dyes and finishes that would stand out and give us the contrast we were looking for. Thankfully, I found a solution. Using a turquoise dye, I put down a base layer over the entire hide and let it dry overnight. I then focused on the border areas we wanted to emphasize and finished them with Atom Wax. Once that dried, I went over it again with an “Evening Blue” to give us the darker blue. For the final step, I applied a Japanese Gel Antique to smooth out the coloring and blend it all together. 

Once the coloring was completed I attached the boards. Before turning the edges in, I then punched holes for the studs. Since I don’t often work with these, I asked around to some of my colleagues for their advice. It’s always fun to collaborate with the community, whenever the chance arises. For this design aspect I chose to go with “Chicago Screws”, finding the exact size that matches the boards and leather thickness (approximately 4mm).

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.

An Imperfect Light

An Imperfect Light

About the Project

This year kicked off with a fantastic project that was commissioned as a gift for the author! In early January, I received an email asking if I’d be willing/able to create a one-of-a-kind edition, designed specifically with the author in mind.

I am always thrilled to get work like this because I feel that this is one of the foundational motivators for me as a bookbinder. I work on countless books throughout my day, often for personal libraries of special collectors. While it does not happen very often, I personally love creating special books for the authors who wrote them. There is something hermetically balanced about doing this and I always derive great joy in the finished work.

Design

Methods

To achieve this design, we rely on an old and seldom practiced technique in the worlds of both traditional & contemporary bookbinding: cuir-ciselé. Working with veg-tanned sheepskin, we’d carve the design on the front cover, then dye it Forest Green. The client also requested a decorated border to be stamped on both the front and back covers.

One of the main reasons cuir-ciselé is often avoided is simply due because of how time-consuming it is. While the design is relatively simple, drying and wetting the leather repeatedly takes a few days to fully work itself out.  The leather needs to be 100% dry before any coloring is applied.

 

Finished

The result was a book that was both elegant and tasteful, with a boldness that strikes character in any shelf it sits on. As a large-format book, approx 8.5″ x 11″, it sits well in the hand and feels lovely. This book was commissioned as a gift for the author’s personal library. We were honored to work with the raw manuscript that the author worked on herself. She’d already sent the manuscript to her publisher, however, this book was created as her own special edition.