muse:
to consider or meditate upon something at length.
to consider reflectively. a source of inspiration. a poet

creative adj.
have the ability or power to originate things/ideas.
make, produce.
characterized by originality and expressiveness; imaginative.

musing on paper The invention of paper is credited to T’Sai Lun, a Chinese, circa 105A.D. Some credit the wasp with the invention of paper. Observe the wasp’s nest to understand the cohesive properties of saliva and fiber working together to form a mesh. Paper is either machine made or handmade. Machine made paper has two important qualities - weight and grain. One means of measuring paper weight is by grams per square meter, meaning a square meter of paper weighs so many grams. The main advantage to the grams per square meter measurement is that you can compare any paper, regardless of the sheet size. Generally, most papers fall in the 80 to 120 gsm range. Medium to heavy weight stock ranges from 150 to 250 gsm. Cover stocks will generally fall in the 250 gsm range. Handmade tissue paper falls in the 10 to 40 gsm range. Grain is the direction in which the individual fibers have been aligned during manufacture. Paper will fold, curve, tear and crease more easily along its grain. A sheet of paper will bend easily when the bend follows the direction of the grain. It is easier to tear paper when it follows the grain than when it runs across the grain. All materials used in the binding of a book should have their grain running parallel with the spine of the book. A book made with this in mind will hold its shape, open easily, not buckle, warp or gape. The pages will lie flat under their own weight. Paper folded with the grain will crease sharply and without damage to the fibers; paper folded against the grain will crack. Four ways of finding the grain: fold, curl, moisture and tear. Folds more readily parallel with the grain direction. Curl the paper in both directions and, while pressing gently with one hand, feel which way bends more easily. Moisten one side of a small strip of paper. It will curl across the grain. Tears more easily along the grain direction. For a great book on paper read Which Paper: A Guide to Choosing and Using Fine Papers Silvie Turner. Design Books

musing on the making of a book The process of creating a book involves a system of thinking about or planning for. Of bringing your image, your idea into the physical reality. It is the ongoing movement toward the production of the idea. Play with presentation. Invest with your meaning, imagination and sensibilities. Consider the content, the subject matter, the meaning, significance, words, visual message. Consider the intrinsic meaning to the piece. Bring form to another level with use of text, poetry, prose, coming out of the object as naturally as color and shape. How can text be integrated into the images? How can image suggest text? Consider the book product. The form the work takes on. Consider the broadest range of materials and formats as are meaningful to you and your idea. Preserve and access ideas and images with paper, fabric, wire, beads, sticks, stones, boxes, covers and wraps.

ezra pound: "A book should be a ball of light in one's hands."

what is a book The Oxford English Dictionary entry for ‘book’ is surprisingly wide and covers over seven pages. A most interesting aspect of the O.E.D. definition is the fact that the concept of a book has always been ambiguous, with comments such as “without regard to the material forms in which it actually exists”.

what is an artist's book Artist’s Books may not conform to the checklist of what makes a traditional book. The definition of Artists’ Books is one full of controversy. When the movement developed in the 1960’s and 1970’s an Artist’s Book was thought of as a unique object made by an artist in the book format. This expanded to an artist’s book is an object created by an artist as an original work of art. I believe an Artists’ Book is conceived with intention and executed as a work of art. It exists as a composite of design, form, content and context. The major emphasis may be visual, textual or both. Often conceptual, intimate, bold and sculptural the artist’s book gives attention to both personal expression and quality craftsmanship.

what is book as art Book as Art combines both intellectual and artistic message in design and sound structure. The expression and form must meld together. Aesthetic consideration and artistic expression may be more important than conventions of bookmaking. As an art object, the book can be a playful manipulation of structure, imagery and text. Opened or closed, the artists’ book is full of meaning whether stated, implied or inferred.

how to write your artist's statement An artist’s statement is a testament to your art; an authentic communication about your work. Your artist’s statement can be anything you want it to be, but primarily, it should help others understand what you believe to be important aspects of your art. A short paragraph is all that is needed. Begin with some brainstorming and journaling. Perhaps respond to the following questions. Write, review, cut and compile until you arrive a few clear sentences relevant to your work.

• Why do you make art?
• What processes do you use?
• What favorite techniques, tools?
• How is your work unique?
• What do others see?
• Where do you find inspiration?
• What are you exploring?