Smell the coffee
Gwen Simpson, UK
| Smell the coffee:
Gwen Simpson, Leigh on Sea, Essex, UK, November
2012 Trying to understand something that happened in a place that at first felt so different from mine, was difficult, until I began to think about my own town and the coffee shops, booksellers and print shops. After a few false starts and complicated beginnings, I stumbled upon the idea of re-using dried coffee filters, cleaned, folded and torn into four with Coptic stitch to hold the pages together. Using only the coffee filters from my one morning cup of coffee, rather than set up a production line was important, as the message/poem on the inside of the front cover alludes to this ritual and meditative quality of that first peaceful morning cup of coffee. Re-used coffee filters. Covers: tea bags and coffee filters. Coptic stitch binding. Closed: 3 x 31/2 x 21/4inches (8 x 9 x 5.5 cm) After leaving art college Gwen Simpson worked for 10 years as a freelance illustrator, followed by teaching in art school, adult education and also with children, followed by a change in career as an art therapist in the NHS. Gwen is now retired and exploring the wonderful world of book art. |