Catherine Anderson Book Arts

House of Sky and Earth

In creating this artists book I have used portions of a vintage book and old fabric to create a place to “house” vintage photographs which have been collaged using paper, found objects and paint. In this book the story is “housed” on the collaged pages. The words used are few, as in a storybook for a child, and so allow you to interpret the images for yourself. The pages have been attached to the fabric spine of the book using thread. The buttons are decorative.

We dwell between earth and sky and I have used organic objects found in nature to give the feeling of earth, while using wings to give the feeling of sky. I have constructed pockets from wire mesh and used natural mica. In the process of making this one-of-a-kind book using old materials I have become more aware of the deeper meaning of life, which becomes easily hidden by the barrage of advertising and mass produced products which tell us that acquiring more new things is the purpose of living. The book shows me the beauty in the old and the natural.


House of Sky and Earth	sprinkle stars over the earth	speak to the winds - flight of wings

awake the dreamland tree - dream within a dream	quiet spirit of earth and sky	embers of the day that went away

I have always loved everything about books - the smell of them, the texture of them, the way they look. When I was a teenager I loved being in my father's law office library. There was just something about the smell of the old books that made me feel at home. Even though I will probably never have the time to read every book on my many bookshelves they seem to have an energy that I love to have surrounding me. From my love of books has come an exploration into the book form. I love making mini books, altered books, paper bag books. In fact anything that resembles a book intrigues me. This led me to create my own book using my photographs and quotations I have collected over the last eight years which have inspired and encouraged me to move towards my creative dreams. The book was my reminder to myself that I need to have courage to follow my passions, that all I need to do is take one small step at a time, and that in fact I have a responsibility to share the gifts that had been given to me. I return to the book whenever my "I'm not good enough" voice visits. I started giving the book to friends as gifts and was often asked if they were for sale. So I have now had the book pages printed and bound so I can sell copies. The book is 20 pages of photographs and approximately 60 quotations. The book is coil bound so that it can stand up on a desk, is approximately 8 inches by 5 inches in size, and is made from cardstock. Many people place them on their desks as inspiration and change the pages from time to time. The cost of the book is $14.00 (including shipping) and it can be purchased by emailing me at cathy@catherineandersonstudio.com or you can order using the Paypal button below .