Leeds International Artist Book Fair 2014

Although I was full cold and feeling a bit separated from my own body, I didn't let this stop me get to the International Contemporary Artists' book fair the other week. This year it had moved venue to the new Tetley Art gallery, formerly the Tetley brewery. Not overly impressed with this gallery when I went to the opening, I have to say that it works much better as a space for a large fair. Although boiling inside, it was much lighter that the hall at Leeds University. I also though the book fair fit really well with some of the original details of the building such as climbing the old steps next to an original grille-door lift shaft, and things like the wood panelling on the walls. It was almost like walking back into an old library.

I didn't spend as much time as I would have liked at the fair this year due to my broken body, but I did stumble upon the gem of Incline Press. They are a private press who commission writers and illustrators/printmakers to create limited edition books' typeset, printed and bound in the traditional way. I met Graham Moss, the owner of Incline press, who generously shared the finer points of his self-taught book binding techniques and was a great inspiration through my fluey headache fog.

I also bought this delightful little chapbook, 'Toad Poems.'

Inside was following poem 'warty bliggens' by Don Marquis:

In a moment of Serendipity I discovered these poems were part of a newspaper column, 'Archy and Mehitabel,' where Archy was the cockroach typing the poems and Mehitabel was his best friend, an alley cat. Now where does that name sound familiar? Yes, from my latest commission under the name of Mehitabel Press! I take this as a sign that I must be doing something right at the moment.

Behind the scenes: recent commissions

So I've been a bit quiet on here over this last month as I've been busy with lots of delightful commissions. I thought I'd share a couple of them with you and a bit about how they evolved into the finished works.

This was a really fun piece, creating a watercolour portrait for a lovely customer all the way in Tel Aviv!

But the project that has got me really excited has been this one.. I was asked to illustrate and bind a collection of poems for a lucky ladies birthday. We were having so much fun with it that it turned into my first editioned publication and the creation of the fictional Mehitabel private press!

binding up the first copy of the book

last book in the press - excuse the mess!

the finished book, buzz buzz

I hope all the recipients enjoy reading their books as much as I did making them. Here's to many more publications for Mehitabel press.

final poem

Illustration for 'Undone' © Laura Long 2014