Artist's Items:
Marcia Engeltjes
During my Art Major studies in Iowa, a creative and inspiring college professor introduced me to Bookbinding. I was hooked from the first book I bound.
Initially, my book compositions included recycled class eight diesel truck engine parts as design elements - an influence from my father, a parts manager at a repair shop for semi tractors and heavy hauling equipment. I continue to incorporate mechanical parts, now expanding my interest to motorcycle, telephone, camera, typewriter, clock, and airplanes components.
I enjoy combining ancient bookbinding methods with contemporary design.
Non traditional aspects of my binding focus on askew shapes, curved edges, and moving parts. I hand-carve sculptures from binders board using razor blades and emboss these forms under the leather. A press is not used to achieve the wrapped three-dimensional shapes. Rather, each sculpture is hand worked to situate the leather, a small portion at a time, into each crease and crevice. I regularly utilize this method of carving and embossing for Custom Designs.
My Architectural Series features functioning doors with stained glass windows. All glass elements are individually cut and soldered. Fine jewelry tools are used to fabricate metal components and door hardware from copper, silver, and aluminum sheet metal and wire. All metal elements are sewn with fine silver or copper wire onto the cover. Covers consist of 2 to 15 layers of binders board to create deep three-dimensional qualities and to build the intricate internal structures needed to frame and secure the leaded stained glass windows.
The binding process includes folding acid-free papers in half, stacking them into 'signatures', and then hand sewing each signature around leather cords with a needle and thread. Random serigraph and intaglio prints on rag paper are bound within some of the books for added color and texture. The spine is then clamped, brushed with archival permanently flexible glue, and immediately hammered to round and tighten it. 55 pound tensile strength tear resistant fabric reinforces the cover hinges to ensure heirloom durability. I finish the outer edges of the papers by clamping and trimming then with a straightedge razor blade, one page at a time. Or for an organic shape, I hand rip each sheet to sculpt it into a curved ascending deckled form. Headbands serve as spine protection and are stitched directly onto the spine ends. They are comprised of leather cords wrapped with two or more complimentary colors of cotton or silk thread. I've enjoyed hand making paper - from Kozo fibers, for example (inner tree bark from the Philippines). These and other handmade papers are applied to the interior of the covers as end sheets - the final step which completes the binding process.
I am the sole creator of each hand-bound leather book and box. I do not have any employees or assistants. Let me create that unique keepsake binding especially for your life event or daily enjoyment.