Please join me at Daniel Smith (Seattle location) on Sunday, May 3rd, from 12-2 pm, for my book signing. I will have on hand lots of projects from my book, CARDS THAT POP-UP, FLIP & SLIDE, talk about basic tools and techniques needed to make interactive cards, and walk through the construction process for one of the cards. Click on the Daniel Smith link above for store location and a complete list of current demos (free) and workshops at the Seattle and Bellevue Stores.

Click here to view complete instructions (with supply list and photos) for making my versatile Photo Flip Card. You’ll see several Flip Cards up close and personal at the book signing/demo.

Artist Timothy Ely in front of FOUR FICTIONS ©2007 - dry pigment and gesso on Arches Cover formatted to match the Golden Rectangle

DIAGRAMMING FATE • Tim Ely • March 30 – May 1, 2009 • Everett Community College

EVERETT, WA – Hand-created books and watercolors by Everett Community College graduate and internationally recognized artist Timothy C. Ely will be on display at EvCC’s Russell Day Gallery until May 1.

Tim Ely creates unique manuscript books that are lavishly painted and drawn visual narratives, often including maps, cribiform writings, odd arcana and are about such topics as natural sciences, mathematics, architecture and sacred geometry.

He is influenced by comic books, Steam Punk design, and the study of history, religion and sociological and psychological phenomena. The works often include soil, sand, pigments, metals, inks, resins and wax. In addition, Tim is a 21st century bookbinder and printmaker who has developed bookbinding tools and equipment. His work is in library special collections and private collections worldwide. Tim lives in Colfax, Washington.

Tim's artwork is beautifully displayed in the Russell Day Gallery on campus

I’ve been a big fan of artist Tim Ely since my introduction to his work through books, periodicals and journals about 18 years ago. Back around 2000 I taught workshops at a store in Portland, Oregon, and the owner, well aware of my interest in hand-made books, asked me if I’d like to join her for the opening of Tim’s exhibit, ‘The Bookbinder’s Apothecary’ at a gallery in the Pearl District. I was thrilled that my workshops coincided with this exhibit, and readily accepted her invitation.

ROOT 9 ©2001 - Drum leaf binding with leather spine, tooled and relief rolled. Interior is ink, graphite, pastel and pigment pencil on offset custom printed graph paper

JUPITER EFFECT ©2005 - Full black leather drum leaf binding with gold tooling. Interior drawings are ink, watercolor and pastel on paper

The opening/reception took place in the evening on the day I arrived, and was a very special treat, to say the least, as I met Tim for the first time. Most of Tim’s work I’d seen up to that time consisted of incredible, meticulously crafted one-of-a-kind books and slipcases, and based on the title of the exhibit, I figured I’d be viewing this amazing artist’s most recent book structures. My assumption was dead wrong – there was nary a book in the entire show!

TABLE OF JUPITER ©2004 - Ink, paste, dry pigment on Arches Paper

BLACK MAPS ©1992 - Prepared paper, ink, acrylic, graphite, dry pigment on BFK Rives Paper

The exhibit featured wall hung panels, many of which had narrow shelves along the bottom edge with an assortment of tiny objects. The upper portions resembled renderings of outer space, with diagrams and formulas and planets and equations and dirt and sand from various parts of the known world and bits of brilliant color. These beautifully executed pieces had a mesmerizing effect on me and literally seemed to be otherworldly.

BLACK MAPS ©1992 - Prepared paper, ink, acrylic, graphite, dry pigment on black Rives Paper

DIAGRAMMING FATE ©2009 - Ink and dry pigment on Fabriano Paper

Fast forward nine years to May 16, 2009. I arrived early at Tim’s reception for ‘Diagramming Fate’, and talked with him then and several times throughout the evening. He graciously allowed me to take the photos in this blog post.

‘Diagramming Fate’ is fantastic, and, again for me, absolutely mesmerizing, with approximately 30 pieces spanning 20+ years. And this time, in addition to beautiful wall hung pieces on paper, there are lots of unique bookworks and some of Tim’s numerous sketchbooks. Don’t miss this exhibit!

Seattle’s Art Not Terminal Gallery has two exhibits up and running through May 7th – the 20th annual ‘Functional Art Show’ and competition

an exhibition of work that has utility as well as visual interest

on the main floor just inside the entrance, curated by Kamilla White, and a group show in the cavernous basement curated by Jadd Davis titled ‘No trace – a Celebration of Eco Art’

…created in response to the overwhelmingly chemical and wasteful state of art products around the world. Artists and art collectors comprise some of the most responsible minds in the world; they deserve to see an other option to help our ailing planet while staying focused on artistic integrity.

The Art Not Terminal Gallery is huge, with a variety of art on display – sculptures, paintings, drawings and mixed-media. I attended opening night festivities on April 4th and the place was jammed – the artists were on hand, of course, and lots of viewers.

In the photo above, artist Liz Sheets is standing by her stunning piece, a finely tailored cutaway tail coat (these were in vogue from around 1890 to 1910) size 38, made from hand-painted Red Edge Linen. The coat is lined with silk from Thailand, with hand-lettered lines from Shakespeare’s plays Romeo and Juliet, Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest and King Lear.

Liz constructed the supporting armature from 1/4″ copper tubing treated with gold leaf and india ink, and fabricated the hands from textured copper sheating with a finish of gold leaf, india ink and turquois acrylic. Congratulations, Liz, on placing in the top three in the functional art competition!

Functional art created by 2008 1st prize winner Geoffrey Globus (above) and 2nd prize winner John Osgood (below).

Two Boxes with Scrolls ©2009 Michael Jacobs. Each box (in sleeve) measures 2 5/8" T x 3 3/4" W x 1" D. Box on right has two tiny books on back that swing out to each side. Each opening has a polyester film 'window'. Scrolls are made from hand-painted tyvek glued to dowels.

The Everett Arts Council Gallery is hosting an exhibit titled

Art Education in Action: The Mathematics of Art (May 7th – June 25th)

with an opening night reception on Thursday, May 7th, from 5-8pm. I will have two interactive sculptures in the exhibit – tiny boxes with working scrolls in each. I will be on hand opening night to demonstrate how I designed, measured, cut out and assembled all the components for these pieces. I’ve participated in this exhibit in the past, and it is always exciting to see how ‘Artists present fractions, formulas, and angles in a whole new light’.

Two scroll boxes inside sleeves. The window on the sleeve at right and cut out areas in doors reveal part of hand-lettered alphabet on scroll.

Two boxes with scrolls have been removed from sleeves. Each box has two 'doors'. Doors on box at left open left and right, and doors on the box at right open to the top and bottom.

Letters on this scroll move back and forth horizontally.

Letters on this scroll move up and down vertically.

When you go to the exhibit, be sure to visit the Gallery Store. Great Stuff! The following images and descriptions of the work by currently featured store artists are on the Arts Council Gallery Website – click here for additional information.

Jules Anslow

Jules Anslow’s sculptural painting style encompasses multi-level paintings, three-dimensional murals, and smaller figurative pieces.

Binky Bergsman

Binky Bergsman loses herself in ‘in the smells, the colors, the depth, texture and luminosity’ of her encaustic paintings.

Kim Groff-Harrington

Kim Groff-Harrington’s work comes from her ‘desire and need to reduce/reuse/recycle, and the challenge of using discarded and surplus materials to revive and continue in the folk art tradition of taking broken, unwanted, discarced materials and bringing new life to them’.

©2009 MAN EATING SHARK • In this relaxed position, the man's mouth is closed, his arms rest on his knees, his feet dangle freely just above the ground, and the shark's tail and mouth are up. Interactive mixed-media sculpture measures 28'' h x 24'' w x 20'' d.

OK – I’ve finished my automaton! The obvious answer to my earlier question ‘One Shark + Headless Man = ?’ is MAN EATING SHARK. And, if you look closely at the photo above, you’ll notice that the man’s head does float above his neck! So, in a way, this dude is headless.

I shot the photos below from various angles and have included a few closeups. Have fun viewing these images. If you want to see additional photos and some of the construction steps for MAN EATING SHARK check out my posts of February 3rd and March 7th. This automaton is for sale – click here for details.

©2009 MAN EATING SHARK • When you turn the crank at the lower right, the man uses his hands and arms to raise the shark, his mouth opens hungrily, his legs move up and down and back and forth, and the shark's tail and mouth wriggle up and down furiously.

©2009 MAN EATING SHARK • I sculpted the head from papier mache and molding paste with eyes from a thrift shop doll. I made the cap and eyebrows from recycled tin and formed the teeth from steel wire inserted into 'jaws' made from foam board covered and texturized with Golden Molding Paste. I coated the recycled wood body with Golden Light Molding Paste, and painted the head, body, chair and base with custom mixtures of Golden Acrylic paints.

©2009 MAN EATING SHARK • Close-up of man's face with mouth open. Wires visible at rear are screwed to head and back of chair, so head 'floats' slightly above neck.

©2009 MAN EATING SHARK • Close-up of tin cap with killer shark on crown. I pop-riveted the band to ten textured tin pieces that form upper part of cap, and I added texture to the bill with a ball pein hammer.

©2009 MAN EATING SHARK • Close-up view of right side of crank mechanism. Main shaft consists of three 16-gauge galvanized steel wires bent to identical shapes and wrapped with 18 gauge copper wire.

©2009 MAN EATING SHARK • I modeled these copper hands after my own hands. The thumbs and fingers on each hand are movable, held together at the center with a copper pop-rivet. The hands themselves are slightly movable, too, and are joined to the wooden arms with looped wire pins, which I also used to attach the shark to the arms.

©2009 MAN EATING SHARK • Close-up angled view shows delicate balance of shark's body on arms.

©2009 MAN EATING SHARK • Detail view of shark's head showing hinge join to main body.

©2009 MAN EATING SHARK • Recycled tin plaque at rear of base. I used a ball pein hammer to create texture over entire surface, punched holes to create title with a nail, then painted the interior of each hole black, and hammered my name and date into the tin with steel punches. Four aluminum risers, from Boeing Surplus, raise the plaque about 3/8" from the surface of the base. I formed a 16 gauge wire frame to fit the curved edges of the plaque, and steel screws hold everything securely to the base..