Listless

I've been listless and frustrated in the studio lately. The heat has been oppressive and I just want to read and eat nectarines. So I have been. I found a couple of bottles of ink I didn't know I had and I was playing around with them last night. I did this quick little chair study on some very thick handmade paper from India.






My fascination and love of chairs is notorious and my good friend Barbara did this page in her sketchbook recently. I love it.



top copyright Kate Castelli 2010
bottom copyright Barbara Geoghegan 2010

Pressed

My miniature book press in action. It measures a mere 3 x 4 inches. Buried under all the wax paper are the pieces of a new book...

Luna

Luna 424
accordion structure with hardcovers
sumi ink, and ephemera with hand-stitching
6.5 x 19" opened

This book came together rather unexpectedly. I was enamored with the color of the old letter and the rest of the pieces quite literally fell into place. Why is the moon so fascinating?





The exquisite handwriting and blue grey paper belong to the outer envelope of a letter from March of 1861. It was postmarked in Florence and arrived in Bordeaux 5 days later. I happened upon the letter at the stamp market in Paris. For a few Euro I bought a packet of 20 letters from France and Italy spanning from the early 1820-1860s. I was elated with the find. Ephemeral indeed. They seem almost too beautiful to use.






Luna 424 opened (top) and detail of the cover (below).



copyright Kate Castelli 2010

Sketchbooks!

I was thrilled to find my sketchbook (middle spread) on the promo for The Sketchbook Project from ArtHouse Co-Op. The spread they featured is from the 2nd sketchbook I did for them, entitled "The Aftermath Of..."

My sketchbook entitled "Lines and Grids" will be among those on tour throughout the USA in early 2011.

The Sketchbook Project is a great opportunity (what's not to love about a blank Moleskin and you very own library card?) Click on the promo above for more info!

Spectacular

I hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July.

I had the amazing opportunity to canoe down the Charles and watch the fireworks on the river. I could hear the Boston Pops and had a front row seat to the breathtaking spectacle. I felt like a little kid again...completely in awe of it all. And then we paddled up the river in the darkness with hundreds of other boats and our little FM radio. It was a magical night.