Reader’s Books: Barbara Laws

I am delighted to share with you today the work of book artist Barbara Boswell Laws. During her 44+ year career as an art educator, Barbara taught simple bookmaking to elementary students, classroom and art teachers, and preservice teachers. Barbara was inspired to explore making artists’ books after being a facilitator and participant in an art teacher book arts workshop led by Ginna Cullen two years in a row. Lucky for us, when Barbara retired in 2016, she decided to take a deep dive into the world of creating artists’ books.

When I asked Barbara about her process, she responded:

Ever since I can remember, I have stitched, sewn and explored other fabric processes. Making books allows me to incorporate many of those techniques. Finding my path within the constraints of bookmaking processes – and pushing those boundaries – is important to me. It’s the “figuring out” part of artmaking that keeps me interested and making books provides endless challenges.

Evidence of Barbara’s love of stitching and weaving can be found in many of the books she creates:

I really like how Barbara finds ways to use different bindings and construction techniques while creating a cohesive series, such as this non-objective watercolor and blue paper series below:

You can connect with Barbara on Instagram or in the free Facebook Group, Crafting Handmade Books.