Bettina Pauly Bookart and Letterpress

BookOpolis began in 2004 as the inaugural event for Asheville BookWorks. BookOpolis has become a signature annual event showcasing a weekend of Book Arts. The first year, BookOpolis exhibited 60 entries and the next year it rose to 80 then in 2009, they received over 140 entries. Artists’ Books and Prints arrive for BookOpolis from all across the United States and beyond, and exhibited books from Canada, England, Mexico and Australia. During the weekend, BookWorks hosts an ‘open house’ for people to view the BookOpolis exhibit, talk with artists, watch demonstrations, participate in cranking the letterpress or learn a simple binding technique. BookOpolis has introduced Book Arts, Letterpress and Print to many people who never knew. Artists send their BEST work to BookOpolis, work that best integrates Concept and Craft; merging Content and Ideas with Creative Use of Materials, Inventive Construction and Technique.

If you’d like to see the Curator’s Selection, a collection of 36 pieces from the entire group of 101 entries, you can view it on-line at Picasa Web, or view it up-close, in-person, at BookWorks Gallery through November 27th, 2011.

Picasa

In addition, a full-color catalog of BookOpolis 2011 featuring artist statements and nine extra images of books from the Small Book Edition, entitled, Parallax, is available for sale.

BookOpolis catalog

September 15, 2011 – November 25, 2011

We are proud to present this exhibition celebrating SFCB’s 15 years of building the book arts community in the Bay Area! We will highlight some of the best work from our past 15 years of innovating and creating in the book arts.

Gallery hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm and Sat 12-4pm

Cista Nova Bestiolarum is on exhibit at this show.

Clockwise: Peter Rutledge Koch and Debra Magpie Earling. 
The Lost Journals of Sacajewea, 2010. Photo: Peter Koch.
Art Hazelwood. Tora Bora: An Opera in Three Acts, 2011.
Bettina Pauly. Crazy Carousel in a Box –”Sea World”, 2009-2010.
Photo: Bettina Pauly.

REBOUND: A Survey of Contemporary California Book Art

At a time when mainstream publishing houses are questioning the very need for books published in traditional, physical formats, artists who create books continue to creatively push the limits of the genre. Made primarily by Bay Area artists, the books included in Rebound survey a variety of formats and display a wide range of processes that currently interest the contemporary artist engaged in making artist’s books. Curated by Simon Blattner.
at the sonoma valley museum of art

I am always inspired when I go to exhibitions and am able to enjoy great artwork by other artists. Sure there is art I prefer, pieces I would like to have created, and some where I just think they are not that exciting to me – and that is what it makes it so much more interesting. Having your own style I would never come up with some of the work I see at museums, galleries and other exhibitions. Living in the Bay area is like paradise for book artists. There are so many places to go. Following a few I have been to lately and which have nice work on display.

‘Unbound’ a national exhibition of book art, Bedford Gallery, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, CA

July 11 through September 19, 201

Hand Bookbinders of California: 38th Anniversary Exhibition, Skylight Gallery Exhibit Area, Main Library San Francisco, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA

June 8 through August 15, 2010

Donna Seager Gallery, 851 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA – Gallery has a wide selection of artist books

San Francisco Center for the Book, 300 De Haro Street, San Francisco, CA

Arion Press, 1802 Hays Street, The Presidio, San Francisco, CA

Book Club of California, 312 Sutter Street, Suite 510, San Francisco, CA

the three books have been accepted to the show

‘Bay Area Women Artists‘, at the O’Hanlon Center for The Arts, August 3-28, 2010

The Center is located at 616 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley, California 94941

Opening Reception: Tuesday, August 3, 6-8 PM

Last Wednesday, July 28, late afternoon, a friend said, ‘Bettina, you really should submit some of your pieces to this show’. The deadline for delivering was Saturday, July 31….

That gave me about a day to get my act together. The O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, upcoming show is ‘Bay Area Women Artists‘, juried by Donna Seager.

Good to know that I have friends who really support me when it comes to my art. They will – when ever possible – help me deliver on time. Yesterday was one of those days. My friend Theresa was designated driver. We left at 12 noon, downtown San Francisco, to get to Mill Valley before 1 PM. Google maps quoted about 29 min for 14 miles (23 km). OK – it is a Saturday and it is the Bay Area and the Golden Gate needs to be crossed… we barely made it by 1 PM. Luckily there were still some other artists who came around that last minute of ‘drop-off’ time.

I will be notified tomorrow, Monday, August 2, if my work has been accepted. The exhibition dates are Tuesday, August 3, to Tuesday, August 28.

The artwork I submitted to this exhibition:

‘To See The Moon’, ‘The Wild Book’, and ‘Crazy Carousel Book Sea World’

‘To See The Moon’, AP (Artist Proof)

Box: 1” x 19” x 6.75”

Book: 6.25” x 18.25”, accordion fold

Medium: Bookcloth, Lettra Paper, Braille, Letterpress

It is part of Rumi’s poem ‘In Silence’ which seemed to be just perfect  to set in Braille. I made plates to print the Braille before adding letterpress. Help in creating and proof reading the Braille was provided by the Light House in San Francisco, with special thanks to Greeta Arhart.

‘The Wild Book’, Unique – Open Edition

Box: Slipcase with tray

Book: Four-panel tunnel-book; 6” x 8.5” closed, approximately 8” deep when opened; each panel 8.5” x 6”, window cutout 5-5/8” x 5”, book can be opened from both sides

Medium: Nepalese Lokta paper, Lettra paper, glassine paper, copper sheeting, rubber-stamped pictures, stitching

Pictures rubber-stamped by hand on Lettra paper, using stamp pads with archival ink. Small pieces of copper sheeting sewn to the paper. Panels cut by hand using razor blades. Machine-stitching used as design element and to add stability to the structure.

‘Crazy Carousel Book Sea World’, Unique – Open Edition

Box: 1.25” x 3.75” x 5”

Book: 3.25” x 4.75” three layer accordion fold – Carousel Book

Medium: Bookcloth, Mohawk Superfine Eggshell Paper, Rubber Stamped Images

Hand-stamped rubber stamp pictures on Mohawk Superfine Eggshell paper, using stamp pads with archival ink. Panels cut by hand using sharp razor blades. The book structure used is the carousel book; three layers in different length are folded as an accordion. Once they are decorated the three layers are nested together and sewn together. Box is made to size to hold the carousel book, with magnets ensuring closing.

STUDIO Gallery

Mischief – characters, critters & cartoons under $400

July 21 – August 15, 2010

This unique musical-puzzle box is handmade by Bettina.
The bunnies, carrots and cupcakes came to life when they were first scratched in film, made into a photopolymer plate and then printed letterpress.

Painted with watercolors and cut out with use of extremely sharp razor blades.
Absolutely no bunny was harmed during this process.
They will be wishing you a Happy Birthday for many years to come!

size of the box:

(w) 4 inches x (l) 4 inches x (h) 2.75 inches

(t) 10 cm x (l) 10 cm x (h) 7 cm

mechanical windup music box plays ‘Happy Birthday’