Alison-Art-Blog: Bookmaking and Handmade Photobooks

The last few weeks I've been working on a client's order. This client also is a good friend and has allowed me to take my time to work with the photos I took of his cherished cat, Harley. Normally I don't plan to mull over an order for too long but I'm just starting out in freelancing.

One of the things the client requested were a number of small prints to put into a photo album. He mentioned purchasing an album at the store and I make the prints. While I admit that I have done the same for my own snapshots, I decided that simply would not do for my clients. One of the things I've wanted to incorporate into my freelance work is a touchstone, a way to show that what I provide for my clients is art. And one of the things I love as an artist and admire in other artists' practices is the handmade book. Beautifully executed handmade books capture my attention and I'm always loving/feeling jealous of what other artists do. Ultimately, adding handmade photo books to the repertoire for my clients gave me another reason to make more books.

For Harley's album, I decided to do 16 prints on matte paper, all archival inks and paper. And for the book construction, I chose to do one of my favorite bindings: a Japanese stab binding. It is perfect for prints on individual pages that you don't have to fold but can stack together. And, the binding is very visible and very aesthetically pleasing. There are so many ways to approach a stab binding. Check the Internet and you'll see.

I drew where the holes would go.

Then I pre-drilled for easier stitching

Below are some process shots once I got to the actual binding phase. And me flipping through the resulting book. My hope is that the client will keep this out, on the coffee table for instance, to look at when he chooses. It's handmade construction, decorative papers, and original prints inside will make it a cherished keepsake, almost as cherished as the kitty herself.