TRAVELING IN A TINY HOME THAT IS REALLY AN ARTISTS' BOOK ON WHEELS

Peter and Donna Thomas have been making fine press and artist's books for over 40 years. When they started, as craftspeople at Renaissance Faires, they fell in love with the graceful beauty of "gypsy wagon" caravans that other vendors had made to sleep in or use as booths for selling their wares. In 2009 Peter and Donna built their own tiny home on wheels, designed after a typical late 19th century Redding Wagon. This blog documents their trips around the country, taken to sell their artists' books, teach book arts workshops, and talk about making books as art; as well as to seek out and experience the beauty of the many different landscapes found across the USA.

Peter and Donna started their business in 1977 and made their first book in 1978, so from 2017-18 are traveling to celebrate 40 years of making books with shows in a dozen libraries across the country. See the schedule on the side bar to find if they are coming to a town near you....

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Thursday, March 3, 2011

Wanderers ready to go!

Paloma in warmer times in Salt Lake City

In just a few more days we will fly back to Indiana where the gypsy wagon "Paloma" has been cooped up in a garage for the winter. Although it was a freezing cold and snowy winter there, the wagon should be ready to head down the road again into some spring weather. Luckily there is a good heater inside and the walls are insulated. I imagine we will still get some cool nights for awhile. I can't wait to be traveling in the sweet little wagon once again!

First thing we'll do is head to the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina to teach 2 weeks of classes. In the first week's class we will be making a book: papermaking, printing and binding a limited edition for each student to take home. We are looking forward to the serene surroundings and the inspiring atmosphere of tons of creative energy at the center.

The second week Peter will teach, guess what: UKULELE playing!!!! If you want some real good times learning this fun instrument, come and join us the first week of April
Peter playing in front of the giant uke, Big Sur.
More news:
We have finished the portfolio of broadsides that we printed on the first part of the wandering. It is titled, "The Wandering Book Artists' Collaborative Broadsides." The broadsides are housed in a beautiful gypsy wagon-colored clamshell box. 
We made paper especially for a letterpress printed booklet with information about each collaboration which is included with the broadsides. We will carry one with us to show and we will ship them out to folks who order them when we get back to Santa Cruz in the summer.
I worked on the blog site a bit while I was home and now you can see a calendar on the bottom of this page as well as a map link to see where we have been and where we are going.

A very nice article was recently published in an online journal called Fine Books Magazine. Check it out.

Hope to see you on the road!

PS, here is a picture of our new granddaughter Emily, the reason we went home for the winter....
Emily, 4 months.


1 comment:

HumbleUker said...

Howdy Donna & Peter... It sounds like another great wandering adventure. I love to explore new places but for now I'll just be watching you two have fun while I play my uke.

Jeff/HU