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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Click here to see a digital exhibit of all the books Peter and Donna have made since 1977.


Thursday, August 31, 2017

The Wanderer's Eclipse Among the Blackeyed Susans

a beautiful stop on the edge of the plains, Nebraska

We have been traveling for the first two weeks of our 40 year celebration. We are pleased that many special collections libraries will be showing our work. This trip around the country is to visit the shows that are up, show the new books we have made, and talk to students about the rewards of living the book artists' life.

Peter with Jennifer Duncan, Head of Special Collections and Brad Cole, Dean of Merrill-Cazier Library at Utah State University in Logan

Tami Hert, head of Emmett D. Chisum Special Collections, University of Wyoming, and Donna check out some new acquisitions especially pertinent to the history of our National Parks in the west.

The exceptionally beautiful morning driving out into the western Nebraska sandhills.


The encampment we were a part of for the eclipse, in the Crescent Lake National Wildlife Management Area

Always a few inquisitive admirers of the caravan

  Just a couple of eclipse horizon shots from our little hill in Nebraska. I know you have seen some fantastic shots of the sun in totality already!

11:45 am

11:50 am
Unfortunately, the deadbolt lock on the caravan door busted shut, and after struggling to get in for hours, we went to the locksmith to get it broken out and replaced. We were somewhere in Nebraska.


"Pistol Pete" Murphy helped us replace a broken dead bolt on the caravan door. A technical difficulty that resulted in a night in a primitive hotel in the sandhills and lots of hours pounding on the old deadbolt to break it apart, but in the end we have a smooth functioning lock. At least we know that the caravan is very difficult to break into.

In Lincoln, Nebraska, we were hosted by Karen Kunc, who has built a fantastic gallery and studio space: "Constellation Studio"  and is looking for more subscribers. YOU could share this brand new papermaking and printmaking studio! This is one of the prints hanging on the wall now.
Goodbye Nebraska and we will say hello to Iowa next week with a visit to University of Iowa. Click here for info about the program we will be presenting there.


Ken Sanders Rare Books in Salt Lake City
Peter jumping around with the mural at Constellation Studios

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