In 1998 I was invited to exhibit work in my first juried exhibition. The montage above shows a fraction of what emerged in the ten years that followed. In the years since, many more works have come to life.
I’ve always loved books. There’s a vivid memory lodged in my brain of the first book I ever made. It was a story about Joe Namath facing off with Roman Gabriel – Jets vs. the Rams, if that tells you how long ago THAT was. That feeling of power – of being able to create my own story and have it enshrined in laminated pages held together with a comb binding – has never left me.
My training includes a mix of relentless independent investigation and workshop sessions with some of the best practitioners in the field. Active studio practice and a rampant curiosity continue to move my work forward.
It’s crazy to have things that I’ve created out in the world and in the hands of students, collectors and the general public. Each time I get an email from someone asking permission to use one of my books for a college assignment, it evokes both pride and humility.
I publish my artist’s books and bindings under the Mission Creek Press imprint, and my toss-off, fun work under the Desultory Press imprint. If you’re interested in a peek at the invitations and custom guest books that I created in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, check out the Wayback Machine for the old Mission Creek Press site.
Want to make your own version of the early work Gyromancy? Printing links and instructions are available HERE.
You can learn more by watching OPB’s Oregon Art Beat, checking out the Spring 2008 issue of The Bonefolder, or search for my name in the podcast list HERE. You can also watch a recent web lecture for the American Bookbinding Museum HERE.
Teaching artistry is something I’ve also pursued in over the past three decades. Classes range from one-day introductions to artist’s books to multi-day skill building workshops built around a single structure. Check my workshop page for the latest online and in-person offerings. I make much of the instructions for the structures I’ve innovated available on my tutorial page.
I’ve spent the past 22 years working in arts administration at the Pendleton Center for the Arts and am slated for semi-retirement in July of 2027. Being able to use my privilege to help artists succeed is the best part of that work. I continue to serve on the Oregon Arts Commission and encourage anyone who gives even a modest contribution to an Oregon cultural nonprofit during the year to make a contribution to the Oregon Cultural Trust. (Don’t forget your local Friends of the Library or OPB – they qualify!) You’ll get the entire match back as a tax credit, and nonprofits across the state will receive support as a result.
Thanks for being here.
