About My Work

The first bookbinding class I ever took was in making a hardbound, cased-in book, the kind you’d find at a library or bookstore—not exactly the best project for a rank beginner. Though the book I made in class certainly had its flaws, I could see the incredible potential this art form offered. Books could be functional, sculptural, filled with surprises and secrets, tell stories, or all of the above. By the time the class was over I knew I had found my passion and purpose. 

Since then, I’ve explored countless aspects of book and paper art, creating a variety of bindings and structures that incorporate new, repurposed, and vintage elements, and taking all kinds of paper to its limits via sculpting, folding, and cutting. Each piece I make is unique, and much time is spent conceptualizing the design and intention. When I include vintage and repurposed materials I’m not only honoring them, but also giving them new life so they can become part of even more stories.

When someone adds their writing or artwork to a blank journal, that book comes alive and fulfills its purpose. Often people tell me that handmade books are too nice or precious to be written or drawn in. The opposite is true! Hand-bound journals are functional items that are just waiting for your creativity. We have to remember that with technology, much of the evidence of our humanity has been lost, such as our handwriting, and even doodles on a page. I’m certainly not anti-technology, but I hope that using journals helps remind people that our creativity—your creativity—is precious and always needs to be explored and encouraged.