“I was introduced to this structure fifteen years ago,” Kit Davey told our class, “by a Japanese student who visited the Bay Area. She made this book with 50 pages of beautiful diaphanous paper and photo transfers. Over the years, I tried and tried to make it and finally adapted it to my own style. Once you know how to create the basic structure, you can have a lot of fun with it.” And that is exactly what we did!
Seven TBA members were present for TBA’s second Zoom class with master teacher Kit Davey on May 18, 2024. Seven other members elected to make the book using the recording at a future time. Kit taught in her usual step-by-step style, regularly asking what questions the students had or whether anyone needed more time before moving to the next step. While we were measuring, marking, slicing, scoring, folding, and weaving, she told us that the Bay Area Book Arts Group (BABA) has a mini-book exchange, and that Kit works in her studio full time, completing one to two books a day.
Patrick Beggs brilliantly put the structure’s measurements on his pages, thereby making an instructive template for future projects. “I love this book,” he said. “It would be great for pop-ups.”
Linda Marshall mentioned that it is a satisfying structure.
Carole Hans described her book as fun and chaotic because she used a variety of papers. “I learned a lot, and I’m going to make another one right away!”
Sylvia Miller punched holes in her colorful pages to make windows and rounded the corners. “I love this structure,” she shared.
Betty Haskin stated, “It was good to get this book into my head,” and used paste paper she’d made last week, depicting curves and squares.
Class members thanked – and some actually applauded – Kit for the class, which ended with Kit sharing her new motto: “Make Books and Get Happy.” We certainly were.
Post contributed by Helen Spielman.
Triangle Book Arts 