It’s not very often that my book life and my day-job life intersect, but this month I have an artist’s book included in an exhibit at the Pendleton Center for the Arts because I was also a resident at Pine Meadow Ranch.

Past, 2022 began when I found a child’s toy drum at the thrift store during a trip into Sisters, Oregon, about two miles from the ranch. The vellum drum heads were so beautiful – clearly well played, probably to the chagrin of parents and neighbors. Once the center sections were removed to create a pair of limp vellum bindings, the remaining sections cried out to be included in the piece, hence the boat-like sleeves. Of course, building a housing for little gems like this is one of the facet of book arts that I love the best. The painting was inspired by our trip at PMRCAA with Pam, the farm manager, to see fields of cover crops they were experimenting with. The interior storage structure uses magnets to allow the boats to be securely nestled below deck when stored. When displayed the boats can take on any configuration. Available for sale ($650), email robertalavadour (at) gmail for more information. (Enclosure dimensions 13.75 x 11.75 x 4.5″)