Dragonriders of Pern

Dragonriders of Pern

Anne McCaffrey

About the Project

This is one of those special projects where I was given full latitude to express an ambitious design. 

The client found me a few months ago and we began discussing how we could transform his beloved book. As it happens, I was given a similar book by my Aunt when I was a child, so I was familiar with how unique and cherished this story is. My client gave me a clear directive – “I want you to go full-on; let’s art!”. So I began looking around for inspirations and artwork that I can translate onto leather.

The Process

While looking for nice artwork, we found two pieces by the same artist. Melissa Hudson (https://mhudson-illustration.com/) is a brilliant artist and we felt her depictions of Lessa and Ramoth were perfect for this project. I found both the original sketches and the finished works to be used as references for our translation onto leather.

We wanted the back cover design to feel like Lessa and Ramoth we climbing onto the book over the cover, so we had to flip the original artwork to make this happen. After centering the front cover design properly, I was then able to measure and size out the proportions for the back cover design. It all came together perfectly, fitting to the edges precisely.

I also decided to do something special for the book’s endbands. I normally work with a silk/cotton endband, sometimes sewing them myself for a little added security. However, I wanted this small detail to stand out, so I recalled a method my late bookbinding master taught me during my apprenticeship with him. I took a small strip of goatskin leather, skived it down to a paper-thin weight, and wrapped it around a small cord of bamboo. The result is a matching leather band that it truly unique to the book. No other endbands exist like this – because these are the only ones!

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.

Laws of Media

Laws of Media

Marshall and Eric McLuhan

About the Project

This is a special book and I am honored to be showing it here in my portfolio. This is a pre-first edition (direct from the press, before publication) of Marshall and Eric McLuhan’s “Laws of Media”. The owner of this book has had it for many years and it came to me in unsewn signatures.

To have worked with such a treasured piece of history seems surreal and I am happy to have been up to the task. The front cover design is a cuir-ciselé rendition of the first edition cover art.

American Indian Medicine

American Indian
Medicine

About the Project

From my personal collection. My wife gave this book to me as a birthday gift and it’s always held a special place in my heart. One day, many years ago, my Uncle sent me some skins from his adventures in Arizona – he is a hunter/trapper and sends me things regularly. This particular gift was a large Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (complete with the rattle attached). I was, of course, blown away by its beauty and his generosity – and I immediately began planning how to incorporate it into a binding.

The book itself was a modern “perfect binding”, so I disassembled the entire block to rebind it with archival materials, giving it structure and functionality. The snake skin was also surprisingly translucent, so to adjust from my typical methods I strengthened the backing of the skin so it wouldn’t wear out with repeated use. Half-bound with a fine Morocco “copperhead brown” goatskin.

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.

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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

Clamshell Enclosure

Clamshell Enclosure
A Pima Remembers

About the Project

Sometimes we’d like to have custom work done on a treasured book in our library, however, that may not be the best way forward. A clamshell enclosure is a bedrock expression in the fine binding world and I am excited to begin offering it as a viable option. 

This project came about simply because I desired to expand my horizons and better serve my clientele. Over the years, I’ve been asked to work on many books. However, there have been some people that I had to refuse and refer to a more capable binder—depending on the needs of the project—and I’ve often thought to myself that a clamshell or slipcase would’ve been the perfect answer.

So, I began experimenting! I own a good assortment of books on bookbinding and pieced together the techniques that fit my style and needs. Additionally, I leaned on my dear friends in the bookbinding world, all of whom were so kind and thoughtful in their responses to my questions.

The project turned out to be a huge success, with many lessons and notes I can take into my future work in this arena. With practice I know I will not only improve but I can help more people/collectors in the wider community.

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Norse Journal

Norse Journal

$275 USD

Before Taxes and Shipping

About the Project

A journal infused with tradition, intricacy and durability. 

How to Purchase

There a couple ways to purchase this book. You can send me an email by clicking this link or check my listings on Etsy:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1485160396/norse-journal-green-morocco

Methods

One of my specialties of design is Cuir-ciselé and I wanted to work with some of the fine leather I have in my shop that I acquired from another well-respected bookbinder. Using Russell’s Oasis Goatskin as the base cover I recessed two panels for inlays of vegetable-tanned sheepskin with intertwined Norse dragons in the Urnes style of Viking art and design.

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