Giant: A Deity with Leaves
Simi Valley, CA: Pie in the Sky Press, 2019. Softcover. Number 34 of 50 copies signed and numbered by the book artist. Rebecca Chamlee is a book artist, printer, writer, and bookbinder who has published innovatively designed, letterpress printed, limited-edition fine press, and artist’s books under the imprint of Pie In The Sky Press since 1986. Her work is in prominent special and private collections throughout the U.S. and has been exhibited widely. As a self-taught naturalist and citizen scientist, Rebecca’s artist’s books examine the intersection of her artistic and scientific interests by collecting and cataloging the natural world. Rebecca retired in 2023 as an associate professor at Otis College of Art and Design where she taught bookbinding, letterpress printing, and artist’s book classes and headed the Book Arts minor program for over 20 years [from the artist's website]. This work is a beautiful and moving tribute to a massive oak tree that Chamlee loved and admired. She describes it: "A towering native oak has stood in a nearby wildland park for over 400 years. This is the story of how the ancient tree became a cherished presence in the life of the artist; a source of wonder, mystery and connection to the natural world." In her text she writes: "The natural landscape of California was once alive with native oaks....Most impressive of all is the massive Valley oak - reaching heights of more than 100 feet with trunks measuring over seven feet in diameter. Mature specimens have been known to live over 600 years." She visited her special Valley oak for more than twenty years, observing its seasonal changes and growth. This exquisitely conceived book in homage to this oak is adorned throughout with print and photographic images of leaves, silhouettes of trees, and beautifully printed text. The letterpress printing was done on the Vandercook Universal III power press using Centaur and Arrighi type, cast by M & H Type Foundry and Swamp Press, wood French Clarendon and photo polymer plates on Zerkall Book Wove, handmade Kitakata and Korean Hanji papers. The botanical pages are contact prints on Strathmore Aquarius II watercolor paper. The longstitch binding, sewn with hand-dyed Kinglet Cottage linen thread through a white oak spine, has a cover of contact printed and dyed handmade Indigo watercolor paper with images of leaves. Housed in a protective blue stiff paper box with title label on cover. In fine condition. Measures 7.75 x 11.25 x .75 inches. Unpaginated [64 pages]. ARTB/030424. Fine. More