Liz Mitchell

Playing with a new book binding

In my practice, I begin a project with the mind of a story teller. I imagine a character or element that would exist within a particular setting. What would it take to make that element authentic within the storyline? The answer for me lies in the materials I use to create atmosphere and context through content and design. This approach often challenges me to explore new materials and processes, learning something new along the way. You don’t know what you don’t know until you are challenged.

I began a project that will tell the story of a Catholic missionary trip to China in the mid-1900s. As part of the creative process, I have made small models (3” x 4 1/2” x 2” with some variations) of medieval style books as I am considering this book format for the project. Here, I am using dictionary pages as my text block and book board as covers. I use a sewing stand and sew across the spine using a packed binding process.

And then… I began experimenting with a new book form modeled after an ammonite, a small now extinct animal often found as fossils. The curiosity to make this form was based on my hike to the Burgess Shale in Field, Canada…