Four Views of Kealakekua Bay
Being a book artist is more than just making books, it's living and breathing them. It's
about becoming so involved with the subject matter that the physical attributes of the
book reveal themselves. It's about listening to the materials invoke the proper text. It's
about loving those materials and knowing them so well that you feel their desire to be
used in the book you are making.
We didnšt begin our artistic careers planning to be
artists of the book. It was more a case of being called, inspired with the desire to
make a Good Book: one that through the materials in the text, by the visual and
tactile impact, will move the viewer from the everyday to a new place, a place that
stirs the soul.
About the Artists
The Thomases are native Californians. Peter was born in Los Angeles and Donna in
San Francisco. In the late 1970s, Peter earned a BA in Aesthetic Studies from the
University of California Santa Cruz and Donna earned her BA in Expressive Arts from
Sonoma State University.
The Thomases are active in leadership of the Miniature
Book Society (MBS) and the International Association of Hand Papermakers and
Paper Artists (IAPMA). Their research into the history of modern and ancient
papermaking is internationally recognized. Their miniature book, Forty, an innovative
“stick structure” binding, was chosen as one of the three Distinguished Books in the
1997 Miniature Book Exhibition. They have been self-employed in the book arts since
1977, making books, teaching workshops, giving lectures, and training apprentices.
They currently reside in Santa Cruz, California.
Other highlights of their careers include:
Professional Career
1977 Established the Good Book Press
1988 Changed press name to Peter and Donna Thomas
Publications
128 limited edition books between 1976 and 2007
73 one-of-a-kind books between 1983 and 2007
31 published articles 1987-2007
1 commercially published book 2004
31 reviews of books printed 1983-2007
Other Activities
50+ Lectures to various organizations and classes on papermaking
and the book arts 1995-2007
Teaching Experience
50+ workshops taught between 1995 and 2007
Exhibitions
170+ solo or group shows between 1983 and 2007
Professional Societies
Founding member MBS, member Friends of the Dard Hunter (FDH); past officer
IAPMA; member Printers Chapel of Santa Cruz; president, Ukulele Club of
Santa Cruz; Chairperson Mount Lassen Journey Farthest Out.
Awards
MBS Norman Forgue Award
MBS Distinguished Book Award 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002
Helen De Golyer Triennial Award for American Bookbinding 1997, 2000
Major Research Interests
The history of hand papermaking
The ergonomics of hand papermaking
The work of John Muir as it relates to Yosemite and the high Sierra