Kristina Komendant
Artist Statement – About the Book
Tree Talk is a “peg book” structure which pivots around a peg (actually a wooden dowel). When opened, it looks like a fan.
I wanted to write quotations about trees and leaves on poplar wooden boards to give the piece a three-dimensional shape as well as a connection to wood itself. The poplar boards were cut with a fret saw designed and made by Leo Prachtler. The design for the cut boards are from American Elm leaf patterns. Bold Italic calligraphy is done with a metal pen nib and Indian ink. The coloured leaf print transfers are made with gouache pigments. The board surfaces are coated with a thin layer of varathane. The dimensions are 7.5 x 4.25 x 5.5 inches.
I made this book as well as a number of subsequent books about trees, because I want to remind people about the inherent beauty and importance of our forests. We must all steward them safely for future generations.
Biographical Information
Bookbinding: hand binding, design binding
Calligraphy: lettering arts, illumination, pen-nib and brush calligraphy, embossing
Papermaking: pulp painting, sculptural, sheet production from cotton, linen, denim, or natural materials, ie. cattails, straw, etc.
Paper Decoration: marbling (watercolour, acrylic)
Artists' Books: one-of-a-kind using wood, lotus leaves and other unusual materials
Illustration: pen and ink, watercolour
Collaborates with other artists. Teaches workshops.