tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195340502011-12-12T21:03:53.378-08:00Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comBlogger1811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-32187178391616089412011-12-07T19:43:00.001-08:002011-12-07T19:48:07.142-08:00

Two of my photos, appear in "Play! Toy Camera Photographers for Tots: A Collection of Sixty-three Toy Camera Photographs Made by Thirty-six Photographers in Twelve- Countries" published by CWIPress, edited by Jody Shipka with Nic Nichols. They are "In my Dream the Boy and I are Chased across the beach by a huge dinosaur," taken with Oneiro and "Photo of the Late Cretaceous by Tyrannosaurus

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-12481849002023694052011-12-04T15:18:00.001-08:002011-12-04T15:28:10.575-08:00

I'm working on a sketchbook for the 2012 Sketchbook Project. In part I'm using photos of my plastic dinosaurs, so I'm also having some fun taking quickie digital shots. I love this plastic dinosaur - he's so uncorrect yet so amusing. He's got this great all-over texture, plus some warty bumps. His pose is stiff, his tail drags on the ground. But he's my favorite.

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-80629152651783266802011-11-19T10:48:00.000-08:002011-11-19T10:49:08.953-08:00

This was the Google doodle for Italy on October 15th, 2011, the 88th birthday of Italo Calvino. The image illustrates "The Distance of the Moon," the first story in Cosmicomics. This is my all time favorite book and story. It's beautiful, poetic and full of imagination. I was so inspired by the story I made an artist's book to illustrate it.

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-56813297743017245292011-11-09T19:05:00.000-08:002011-12-07T19:52:26.298-08:00

Spectacles for Viewing Christmas on Mars. ©2011 Life size paper Christmas card spectacles. This pair was printed on Epson's double sided Premium Presentation Paper. The slip case is red cardstock. The pattern is a free download here. On the same page there is also a plain pair (no collage) that you could decorate yourself or use as a pattern to design your own. Merry Christmas, really early!

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-21208188769508351202011-10-24T09:19:00.000-07:002011-12-07T19:49:14.087-08:00

Above: At the Book Arts Jam, 2011. I didn't take a single photo at the Jam. Luckily Jim took this one, so I have proof I was there. It was a great day - fairly steady crowd all day. I got to talk to a few people a bit, but only saw a tiny portion of the Jam. That's Lila Wahrhaftig to my left. She had wonderful collages and funny artist's books. Jim was on the other side of me with the

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-50941604487180471672011-10-06T21:11:00.000-07:002011-12-07T19:48:49.532-08:00

Above I'm working on the pages for Spirits Under Glass, the one-of=a-kind artist's book that will hold the photos from my Zymo 127 pinhole camera. This photo was taken last weekend, right now I'm cutting out the letters for the title in brass. Next I have to make a bezel for the glass that covers a photo that will go on the cover. Before I forget, I want to tell you about the Jam. I will be at

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-32709608857764846432011-09-28T19:57:00.000-07:002011-09-28T19:57:58.969-07:00

Another photo from the Zymo 127 pinhole camera. This one was taken in The Quiet Parlor of the Fishes, which resides in our living room. Not many people see the QPOTF in person. In my previous blog post I showed you the Zymo 127 pinhole camera I've been using to take photos in the Zymoglyphic Museum. I could keep taking photos, but I also want to wrap this up and go on to another project. Now

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-12049882330074979262011-08-28T14:51:00.000-07:002011-08-28T14:51:21.414-07:00

©2011 Zymo 127 pinhole camera. Altoids tin, brass, found spring, wooden dowel, brass nuts, fabricated. 127 film format. This camera was built to take photos in the Zymoglyphic Museum. Light levels are low in the museum, I wanted to use Tri-X, which only comes in 120 and 35mm format. So I cut down Tri-X 120 to 127 format and usually get 19 shots on a roll. Photo of the diorama, "Getting On."

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-41174783312889403452011-05-18T13:18:00.000-07:002011-05-18T13:18:49.922-07:00

One of our guests this past weekend was René Roberts, seen above, wearing Now she is the moon.  René is a fellow artist and collector. She has two of my brooches, from a one person show I did at Art and Soul Gallery, in Mill Valley, in 1995. I was delighted to see her, and to see "my" brooch. We met during the opening of California Metals North, where we both had work. I don't know if this is

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-25184127897394237562011-04-28T21:36:00.000-07:002011-12-07T19:53:03.855-08:00

Tyrannosaurus photo ventris is working on a new series of photos taken in the late Cretaceous. This one was snapped on Sunday, April 24, Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day and is the official entry on the WPPD website. Another view of the late Cretaceous. This is the first shot ever of Imperialsaurus. There are also pinhole photos from WPPD on flickr's photo pool Worldwide Pinhole Day:

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-893841849529373622011-04-24T08:51:00.000-07:002011-04-30T15:30:25.384-07:00

Above: my entry in the Me, Monarch/Oyamel Fir Project in honor of Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day, 2011. Today is Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day. Because it is also Easter, photos taken between April 23 and May 1 will be accepted. You can upload photos to the WPPD site, or on flickr to the Worldwide Pinhole Day group. It's nice to be on the big pinhole day website, so many people all over

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-45352057971334145572011-04-13T16:13:00.000-07:002011-04-13T16:13:58.633-07:00

I hear the voice of my mom in my head, saying "It's time to clean up your mess, young lady." There is a big event coming! On Saturday and Sunday, May 7 & 8 and 14 & 15, Studio 19 (myself and the Zymoglyphic Museum) will be participating in Silicon Valley Open Studios. We will be open from 11 to 5. At 1pm each day I will demo "Primitive Wire Edge Binding." A large selection of my artist's books,

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-77126593260968342312011-04-03T20:33:00.000-07:002011-12-07T19:54:32.373-08:00

I just mailed my book, In my Dreams We travel in Boats to Abecedarian Gallery for the Artist's Book Cornucopia II show. Alicia Bailey, book artist and owner of Abecedarian, says "Juried this year by Brea Black, Special Collections Librarian at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library in Topeka, Kansas, Artists Book Cornucopia II includes work that is traditional, non-traditional, unusual,

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-38983687536609191992011-02-01T16:27:00.000-08:002011-02-01T16:27:32.673-08:00

I found this cookie cutter in the back of a drawer - my Dad made it many years ago. I remember him sitting at the table with pliers working on them - there is a unicorn too. It's made from the top of a large tin can. The bends are definitely hand made - not at all parallel. I did use them some, back when I made cookies with little kids. Mostly they are just too precious to part with. You can

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-43494806236613672692011-01-24T19:39:00.000-08:002011-01-30T07:53:49.182-08:00

Above is an ecard for the Photo Book Works show - click here to view the card full size on a web page. Partial text from the card: "Photo Book Works - An international exhibition of artist books using photography as a primary image element. Featuring 31 artists from the United States, Great Britain, Switzerland and Australia. January 27 to March 12, 2011 Opening Reception: First Friday,

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-58245152031276193492010-10-25T11:58:00.000-07:002010-11-05T09:44:28.517-07:00

The Book Arts Jam was wonderful, as usual. I came home tired but very inspired to make books. Several conversations I had made me think I need to re-commit to making time for some kind of art almost every day. For the people who came to my talk on pinhole cameras and artist's books at the Jam, here are links to two different direct positive papers: Harman and Efke. Note: I haven't used

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-24809990793144944652010-09-21T17:36:00.000-07:002010-11-05T09:44:06.126-07:00

Oneiro was accepted into the Photo Book Works show at Abecedarian Gallery, 910 Santa Fe, #101, Denver, Colorado. The show goes from October 1 to the 30th, 2010. The reception is October 2, 5 to 8 pm. From the press release: Photo Book Works is an international exhibition of artists’ books incorporating photography as a primary element. Photo Book Works was juried by Mia Semingson whose

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-1502832852560150562010-09-19T20:43:00.000-07:002010-11-05T09:42:52.304-07:00

The Book Arts Jam will take place on Saturday, October 16, 10am to 4pm at Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, California. You can download a pfd flyer, visit the web site to learn more, or just plan to attend! There is no charge for the Jam, but there is a $2. parking fee. Bring quarters or dollar bills. Over 50 book artists will show their work. There will be an exhibit of

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-81416539684562991732010-08-03T10:20:00.000-07:002010-11-05T09:42:18.924-07:00

After finishing Oneiro, I got out the parts to a book I started sometime last year. It went pretty fast, since I was already half done. However it's taken me months to get it on my web site. Dinosaur Wave is based on a dream I had several years ago. It is also the first dream photo in Oneiro. 4/10/97 I'm on a wide beach. The ocean is far away. I look off toward the hills and see a huge grey

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-22744926426126517882010-07-16T20:04:00.000-07:002010-11-05T09:41:07.320-07:00

Oneiro ©2009-10, 5 x 4.75 x 3.5 inches (closed). Brass, copper, found winding knob, Arches cover paper, photos, tin can. Bound with a variation of wire edge binding. Techniques include soldering, etching, pinhole photography. The cover of this book is a pinhole camera that takes photos of dreams. The book attached to the camera contains ten photos of my dreams. The book/camera was inspired by a

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-27857627660604197792010-05-01T18:21:00.000-07:002010-05-01T22:38:24.860-07:00

"He was taller then." Pinhole photo taken by Memory Cam on Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day - April 25. There is a huge gallery at the web site, more of my photos in my flickr WPPD set. And more photos by everyone in the Worldwide Pinhole Day photo pool.

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-58281468636897116812010-04-28T12:46:00.001-07:002010-04-28T12:50:43.452-07:00

This blog is now located at http://judithhoffman.blogspot.com/. You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here. For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to http://judithhoffman.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-11230670001246609532009-12-14T18:49:00.000-08:002009-12-14T19:02:48.226-08:00

Christmas gnomes ttv photo. There are a few more in my flickr ttv set. If you like ttv check out the flickr group. However you celebrate the holidays, remember to enjoy the people you love, and who love you.

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-85992062719984217562009-11-05T17:33:00.000-08:002009-11-05T17:40:57.425-08:00

A few photos of my "Simple Wire Edge Binding" demo for the Book Arts Jam. Taken with a Brownie Hawkeye camera. It was also World Toy Camera Day.Jim stood on a table to take the first two shots. The film is Tri-X, respooled onto 620 spools. Processed in D-76 in my garage. Before the demo - looking at the samples.

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-26392014439090935372009-09-25T20:09:00.000-07:002009-09-25T20:12:35.673-07:00

Some photos from the opening, taken with a Brownie Hawkeye camera. Ilford Delta 3200, developed in D-76.

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-12856873029901183082009-09-03T20:14:00.000-07:002009-09-04T14:46:59.595-07:00

Tyrannosaurus photoventris, ©2009, 7 x 4 x 6.5 inches. That's a lens cap/shutter on his navel. He takes pinhole photos of the late Cretaceous using paper negatives. My two brass pinhole cameras, some of my old snapshot camera collection, my funky pinhole cameras and one of my father's cameras will be shown in the collections room of the Peninsula Art Museum until November 22nd. You can also see

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-6229146879721949892009-07-15T11:12:00.000-07:002009-07-15T11:35:26.292-07:00

I am working on a project I want to finish by the end of the month, so I haven't been posting. But I wanted to tell you about the Book Arts Jam, which happens in Los Altos, California, US.The deadline to apply for a table at the 2009 BABA Book Arts Jam is July 31. Speaking as a member of BABA, I'd love to have you exhibit and/or sell at our eighth annual fun, educational, lively, interesting,

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-13711154181395421322009-05-30T19:21:00.000-07:002009-05-30T19:32:37.769-07:00

The forecourt of the Zymoglyphic Museum. The Museum is in the yellow shed at the right, my studio is through the gate.Another view of the forecourt.My studio.Some of my dinosaurs and Godzillas.Some of our visitors. I loved getting to talk to people about the book arts. I have a new, and supposedly better camera, but it's too much for me. . . In these indoor shots I got a lot of noise, and I have

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-48194751039849976952009-04-28T14:58:00.000-07:002009-05-02T19:09:24.992-07:00

Bird Life ©2009 - 2.75 inches high. My original drawing was scanned and resized in Photoshop. I used a Canon Pixma inkjet printer to print it on either Wassau Cottonwood or Balsa. The cover is museum board and Thai banana paper. $10. Click on either book title to see more views of the book.As part of the BABA book share meeting, we exchange simple books. The only requirement is that they are (

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-26883576389457931472009-04-26T12:57:00.000-07:002009-04-27T14:20:39.102-07:00

The members of Studio 19 (myself and the Zymoglyphic Museum) will be participating in Silicon Valley Open Studios May 16 and 17, between 11am and 5pm. I will be giving away 20 copies of my one sheet artist's book, "My Studio" (shown above) to the first 20 people.We will also have some interesting stuff to give away: old books, found objects, old comic books, magazines, basically the kind of junk

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-91803284921665572832009-04-05T20:55:00.000-07:002009-04-05T20:59:15.101-07:00

I'm working on this box. It's 3 inches tall and 2.25 inches on each side. At first I couldn't get enough heat from my acetylene/air torch to solder on the bottom.Here's the solution. The walls and base are solderite pads. I can build a lot of heat around the back left corner of the brass box.

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-68494936347185994492009-03-27T13:34:00.000-07:002009-03-27T13:36:07.745-07:00

Recently we went to the de young museum to enjoy the ethnographic collection. Jim is particularly a fan of the New Guinea works. I have come to appreciate them more and more by seeing them through his eyes. I took my Gameboy camera, and he took our "big" digital camera. Photography is allowed, but no flash or tripods.My de Young flickr photoset is here. Jim wrote a very thoughtful blog entry

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-57894577714697401052009-03-19T17:29:00.000-07:002009-03-19T17:42:35.971-07:00

World Wide Pinhole Photography Day is on April 26th this year. This poster will be available on the website for download. Now is the time to make sure you have your gear together. And it doesn't have to be a film image, you could make a solargraph. There are lots of links on the WPPD site under "resources." A few more links:Solargraphy on FlickrDiego Lopez Calvin's beautiful solargraphs. Memory

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-80664941989729467032009-03-16T15:02:00.000-07:002009-03-16T15:08:31.498-07:00

Dreaming made Easy, included in Free For All, an exhibit of downloadable artist's books at Fiji Island Mermaid Press. If you have a computer and a printer, you can have, for free, books made by eight talented artists. It's a fantastic show - wonderfully varied and inspiring. Below is Marc Snyder's press release:"The Fiji Island Mermaid Press is proud to present “FREE FOR ALL”. This online

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-84077273546810745022009-03-09T15:11:00.001-07:002009-03-09T16:27:44.887-07:00

From Sally Cruikshank's blog, here's a font generating web site that will make a free font in your handwriting. Download a template, write your letters on it, scan it, upload, and presto-chango! you have your own font. Imagine making a "handwritten" artist's book on the computer.There is a part 2 of the template that allows to to make unusual characters - like an "a" with a tilde over it. Instead

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-78895356034638551212009-03-04T19:37:00.000-08:002009-03-04T19:41:38.971-08:00

Synasthesia, (check out his photo set Abandoned Haven) on flickr, asked me "I am curious how you came about your decision to experiment with your GBC (Gameboy camera). Are you a gamer?"Two Jennifers, taken in 1999, probably scanned from the Gameboy Color. I am a gamer, sort of. My gaming experience goes back to Pacman on my son's computer. When I tried my nephew's Tetris on the old grey brick

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-81799603221048204962009-02-26T18:57:00.000-08:002009-02-26T18:58:29.746-08:00

Two chairs, taken with Japanese version of Gameboy camera.I put a five page Gameboy camera tutorial on my website. Since then I have discovered the Japanese version of the camera. As you can see above, the images are four shades of brownish orange, not the green and blue of the American version below.The sun creeping across the floor.Same image in greyscale.

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-11534403905660005692009-02-22T15:10:00.000-08:002009-02-22T17:06:59.935-08:00

My first solargraph scan. Joanne Koltnow sent me a link to an site on solargraphy. It's such an amazing process. You expose a piece of photographic paper in a pinhole camera for a long time - weeks or months - depending on the size of your pinhole and your patience. Then you remove the paper in dim light and scan it. No chemicals! Repeated scanning degrades the image pretty quickly.The images can

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-36055346101417874452009-02-11T20:56:00.000-08:002009-02-11T20:57:00.046-08:00

Karen takes a digital photo. The first Sunday of this month, Linda Stinchfield and I presented some techniques and gadgets -- ttv (through the viewfinder), Gameboy, Lensbaby, and zoneplate/digital pinhole -- to the Bay Area Book Artists. It was a fun day, and I think we piqued some interest.Karen, Meggie and Diane working on a set-up.Part of the enthusiastic BABA group.Joanne is an accomplished

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-39205083491810056292009-01-20T14:44:00.000-08:002009-01-24T18:54:28.811-08:00

Thursday we met for the bimonthly book share meeting. Lots of interesting discussion, before, during and after the meeting.There is always a little time for socializing.We meet in a Foothill college classroom, this one seems to be a geography class.The hallway. Cubberly is a typical California grade school (now decommissioned). The halls are covered walkways, but open to the air. You can view

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-893884007475855122009-01-05T20:24:00.000-08:002009-01-07T11:46:31.606-08:00

Making a primitive wire edge bound book.My book arts group, the Bay Area Book Artists, is a volunteer run organization. We are affiliated with Foothill College, in Los Altos, California. Most of our classes and programs are presented by members. On Sunday I did a short workshop for them. First, as part of a series on content, we discussed using dreams as inspiration for artist's books. I was

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-51563762481487953272009-01-01T09:17:00.000-08:002009-01-01T09:38:47.705-08:00

The new year starts with some grey and gloomy weather here at Studio 19. But it's cozy inside. I'm surprised how many people tell me they read (and enjoy) my posts. Thank you. I hope you all have a Happy New Year, with plenty of time to make art and plenty of time with the people you love.

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-22420469809300139392008-12-28T04:45:00.000-08:002008-12-28T04:45:48.417-08:00

When I posted my last blog entry I thought I wanted it to stand with no explanation. However, I do try to stick with the topics of book arts and metalworking. So why is there a poem on this blog? Well, in the bigger picture it's potential material for a book. Or it's the background/inspirational stuff. The things that never come to fruition are just as important to me as the ones that do. There

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-18348824822754220672008-12-20T19:38:00.000-08:002008-12-20T19:38:45.588-08:00

My mother holds me in her arms, smiling, squinting at her father, the photographer.She is very young, her hair in two braids on top of her head, her cheeks would be rosy if the photo was in color.I am 3 months old, gazing away from both of them.Behind us, a corner of the white clapboard garage, green trim around the window. A glimpse of roses, beech trees, and a compost heap full of big fish-bait

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-27558865107606121782008-11-29T01:07:00.000-08:002008-11-29T01:47:39.445-08:00

Gameboy camera photos from a walk in the park on Thursday. The actual screen is 1.75 inches square. Except for the large koi, these are 200 pixels wide, about 2 inches. The camera has adjustments for brightness and contrast, and will store 30 photos. I import them into my computer by putting the gameboy on my scanner, then I increase the contrast and brightness in Photoshop.I think these have a

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-41253840698112791572008-11-15T21:44:00.000-08:002008-11-15T21:47:54.780-08:00

I did an artist's talk. The audience was nice, lots of questions. I love giving my opinion, I guess that's why I have a blog.My books on display in the member's exhibit. It was hard to take photos, or I'm not an accomplished photographer. But it's a nice setting.More of the member's exhibit.The dramatic book with the prayer flags is by Lark Burkhardt.The crowd in the member's exhibit. Everytime I

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-34656915176529134642008-11-02T19:09:00.000-08:002008-11-02T19:36:06.729-08:00

Yesterday morning I woke from my dreams hearing a song I listen to frequently in my studio. It was the Offering Chant on Rain of Blessings by Lama Gyurme and Jean-Philippe Rykiel. I'm sure it's well lodged in my head, along with most of his other music, but am still surprised to find I was dreaming it.Part of the text from the liner notes: "Offering Chant - Offering is an essential aspect of

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-24501490606826078672008-10-10T15:46:00.000-07:002008-10-10T19:48:47.415-07:00

"The Starry Night over the Rhone" 1888, Vincent Van Gogh, 28.5 x 36.25. From a show of nocturnal Van Gogh paintings at the New York Museum of Modern Art. "The sight of the stars always makes me dream. Why should the spots of light in the firmament be less accessible to us than the black spots on the map of France? Just as we take the train to go to Tarascon, we take death to go to a star."

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-90057478548482138862008-09-24T16:03:00.000-07:002008-09-24T16:22:37.325-07:00

Click here to see a larger view of the front and back of this postcard. Please note: the artists and designers hold copyrights for the images and design. See the back of the postcard for details.The Book Arts Jam will happen this year on Saturday, October 18, from 10:00am to 4:00pm at Foothill College 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, California. Free admission, parking $2.From the website (

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-38045678319675827632008-09-02T21:27:00.000-07:002008-09-02T21:27:08.258-07:00

Recently I asked members of the Bay Area Book Artists mailing list about criteria they use to apply to exhibits. I recently applied to several shows, and didn't get in. When I was doing metalwork, I felt pretty good at picking shows to apply to. I certainly did get turned down plenty, but I had a sense of which shows would be likely. I knew for example that words like "elegant" or "refined" ruled

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-77918378938127232752008-08-16T13:34:00.000-07:002008-08-16T13:53:22.092-07:00

We Travel in Boats, 9.5 x 4 x .5 inches closed, ©2008, Davey board, Hahnemuhle Ingres paper, Prismacolors, acrylics, Dr. Martin's white ink. Larger view on flickr. (click "all sizes") This will be donated to the Book Arts Jam silent auction. I had this drawing left from my tests for In my Dreams We travel in Boats. The cover was cut from Davey Board with a jeweler's saw and painted with acrylics.

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-33467645104829146182008-08-04T20:06:00.000-07:002008-08-04T20:08:51.748-07:00

In my Dreams We travel in Boats ©2008 6.5 x 3.25 x 1.75 closed. The open book is about 17 inches long. There is no real front or back in this book. It is based on dreams I have had about boats. They are large, simple boats, like rowboats with no oars, or lifeboats. They are always white. The web page includes text from parts of the dreams. There are three pages of notes and photos showing the

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-63621706776321980782008-07-21T04:42:00.000-07:002008-07-21T04:55:32.266-07:00

Another binding test. This one is 2.75 x 3 inches. I made it with black Arches Cover, steel wire and black waxed cord. The drawing was done with Dr. Ph. Martin's white Bombay India ink.To make the cover I cut out a piece of paper 3 inches high and 5.5 inches wide. I folded it in half and punched two holes in the fold. I always make a template for the holes so they are spaced the same (more or

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-3362062414738479002008-07-05T09:39:00.000-07:002008-07-05T09:52:19.583-07:00

7 Extinction Events ©2006, 7 x 7 x 3 inches. Cover: copper. Pages: Arches watercolor paper, collage, acrylics.I received a rejection letter earlier this week from the California State Fair Fine Art Competition. I submitted Dream Focusing Device and Tooth Icon. I have won prizes there before, and for some reason felt confident that I would get something in. But jurying is so subjective and there

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-54591312129829910502008-06-18T20:16:00.000-07:002008-07-05T09:51:13.503-07:00

Wire edge binding test.Aine Scannell asked about using single sheets for wire edge binding. Here's a test I did to see how lighter paper would work. I think the paper was Super Fine Text from Daniel Smith. There are larger photos and scans of my notes to myself in my flickr set, Tests, Tools, Tips.You can see in this detail that I wasn't consistent about tying the knots.

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-1978892209239223582008-05-23T19:42:00.000-07:002008-05-23T19:44:24.171-07:00

Levert/Casanova, 6.5 x 5 x 2 inches (closed), copper, brass, record found on the street, mechanical parts, broken mirror, acrylic paint, Prismacolor pencils, book covers, fabricated, wire edge binding. It may look like I'm being incredibly productive, but actually I'm finishing things that were abandoned in mid-stride. I'm also trying to think of going to the studio as work, so I don't make

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-59928630007528986382008-05-20T12:46:00.000-07:002008-05-20T12:46:01.627-07:00

Instruction Manual for the Moon III, 2.75 x 4 x 2 inches (open), Brass, copper, copper, clock parts, rulers, found objects, fabricated. This little book is the third of a series of three, probably the last I will make. It may be my favorite of the three. There is a web page here with more views. Instruction Manual for the Moon III, pages 3 and 4. The gear at the upper left actually turns. Here

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-44047687173950189492008-05-10T20:31:00.000-07:002008-05-10T20:31:35.059-07:00

7 Extinction Events ©2006, 7 x 7 x 3 inches.This book is about the extinction of the dinosaurs, but also about my own personal extinction. It's the one that matters the most to me. 7 Extinction EventsI have always thought a lot about death. As I get older, it gets more real to me, and makes a bigger appearance in my art. I wonder where we came from before we were born, and where we go when we die

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-39060616044802117352008-05-09T14:21:00.000-07:002008-05-09T10:05:18.582-07:00

Dream Focusing Device, ©2007, 8 x 5.5 x 6 inchesI would love to have tools to solve the problems in life that are so vexing. How can I remember more dreams? How does the moon work anyway? Wouldn't it be nice if there was an instruction manual for all of life? Why are we here? You can look it up in the index.Instruction Manual for the Moon II, ©2005, 2.75 x 3 x 2.5 inches.Instruction Manual for

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-78456862796877116392008-04-29T20:57:00.000-07:002008-04-29T20:58:48.045-07:00

This is part of a series on my sources of inspirations. There is an index here. These posts are greatly expanded from my 8 minute talk for the Conceptually Bound show. Sometimes the text taken from books and titles of articles will spark the idea for a book. I find it pays to keep a collection of these phrases, both as inspiration and possible book titles.Comet Found, ©1987, 2-3/8 x 3-1/2 x 1-7/8

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-56561106512254199012008-04-28T08:55:00.000-07:002008-04-28T08:51:54.405-07:00

This is part of a series on my sources of inspirations. There is an index here. These posts are greatly expanded from my 8 minute talk for the Conceptually Bound show. zero to twelve, ©2007 4 x 2.5 x 3.5 inches (closed).There are so many things I remember fondly from my childhood. Many of them seem to have informed my art-making urges. I have always treasured things I find, on the street or in

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-73306965453522198972008-04-26T19:02:00.000-07:002008-04-26T18:58:30.093-07:00

I keep thinking of more I should have included in the last post. How did I compress this into 8 minutes for the original talk? Many of my ideas about creativity come from a class I took years ago with Jacqueline Thurston at San Jose State. She's very good at helping artists find their own personal imagery. The Findings of the Expedition to an Unknown Land by Ludmilla Paulsdotter ©2005, 8 x 7 x 3

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-83625191039221022992008-04-16T17:31:00.000-07:002008-04-20T19:32:22.256-07:00

Sometimes people say to me "I'd like to get inside your head for a day, how do you get your ideas?" My 8 minute talk for Conceptually Bound 3 tried to answer that question. I have greatly expanded it into 5 blog posts. Each post deals with one way I find inspiration. Most of the books I use to illustrate these posts were included in the two CB shows I have participated in. The exceptions are Bear

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-11648124487682957242008-04-12T03:41:00.000-07:002008-04-13T20:33:39.605-07:00

Last night I went to the Mohr Gallery for the panel talk and opening for Conceptually Bound 3. Each artist determined the subject of their talk. We each had 8 minutes. Slides were projected on a screen. There must have been 35 or 40 people in the audience.Nanette Wylde, the curator, talked a little about the series of CB exhibitions. "The theme, Conceptually Bound, refers to the idea that the

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-85250876049366287302008-04-07T17:00:00.000-07:002008-04-08T08:02:19.363-07:00

Ancient Book from the Zymoglyphic Museum collection. "The text of the book is only found in the natural patterns of the creases, folds, and patterns in its pages."I'm taking a break from my usual Open Studios exhibit this year. However, the Zymoglyphic Museum will be open for two days, Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd and 4th. I will probably be hanging out in the museum forecourt for most of the

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-5267330616772003902008-04-04T16:13:00.000-07:002008-04-04T16:49:49.558-07:00

Zero to 12, Judith Hoffman, 2007I will have work in Conceptually Bound 3, in the Mohr Gallery at The Community School of Music and Art in Mountain View, California. The show runs from April 1 to May 25 2008. There will be a reception & panel discussion Friday, April 11, 6 - 8 pm. The panel includes: Lark Burkhart, Kent Manske, Melissa Kaup-Augustine, Peng-Peng Wang, Nanette Wylde, and myself.Zero

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-80727997169046802182008-03-29T11:16:00.000-07:002008-03-29T11:13:28.848-07:00

These are through-the-viewfinder photos of The Quiet Parlor of the Fishes, in the Zymoglyphic Museum. I think as photos they are "okay," but the subject matter and the atmosphere help make them interesting. This one benefits from both dust on the viewfinder of the Kodak Duaflex and dust on the terrarium itself. It's flaw is that the most interesting part is almost dead center. I took these

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-82808401811739484192008-03-11T10:00:00.000-07:002008-03-11T09:57:21.849-07:00

Here is an uncropped, straight from my camera, through-the-viewfinder photo. You can see where light leaks through between the camera body and the chimney. When I took this photo I hadn't made the little ring that keeps my camera level, so I need to both straighten the image above and crop a lot. Since taking this photo I put a little ring on the top of my chimney to hold my camera level. This

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-74796877584902297302008-03-04T14:25:00.000-08:002008-03-04T15:30:38.632-08:00

In Portland this past fall I found this wonderful little Coptic carved stone icon. The recesses for the doors are about 3/8 inch deep. This is one side, the doors open, see below. I think this would make a fantastic book structure. I do plan to copy the format at some point.Some artist friends came to visit this weekend. There was a lot of talk about where inspiration comes from. One of them is

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-80781141278984980022008-02-23T16:05:00.000-08:002008-03-12T13:38:05.979-07:00

One of my first ttv photos. Ttv stands for through the viewfinder photography, my new distraction.You take an old camera with a large viewfinder and focus your digital camera on the surface of the viewfinder. Some fiddling must be done to figure out the right distance. Russ Morris's tutorial and the discussion page of the flickr group through the viewfinder will be helpful. These photos of my

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-23660205366450356902008-02-16T08:15:00.000-08:002008-02-16T08:12:24.038-08:00

While making Bear With Me, I made some mistakes and changed my mind about what to include. I also made some tests to see how I would like a certain effect. So I had a lot of pages or pieces of collage parts that didn't go into the book. I hate to just toss these leftovers. If I add them to my stash of collage material, they often don't get used. Occasionally I make postcards or greeting cards

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-86205575632733117642008-02-09T10:44:00.000-08:002008-03-09T20:23:06.758-07:00

Bear With Me, ©2008, 5.5 x 4.5 x 1.5 (closed). Museum board, topo maps, collage, photos, handcarved rubber stamps, handcarved pencil eraser font, transfers, memories, dreams. Wire edge binding. More photos of Bear With Me here.This book started as a quick project to do over the Christmas holidays. I wanted it to be fast, reproducible as black and white photocopies and very cheap. I planned to

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-52713901721572252232008-01-01T16:12:00.000-08:002008-03-10T20:21:41.230-07:00

I like to start the new year by watching the sun come up on the first day. It's a time to reflect and feel connected with the natural world. The sunrise this year was not dramatic. But the sky was clear and peaceful. Let's hope it's a sign. 2007 turned out to be a very tough year for us. It's looking like 2008 might be just as difficult. My only resolution is to try to find more inner peace so I

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-16102663684911901742007-12-27T10:18:00.000-08:002008-02-16T08:56:55.056-08:00

This was my Christmas card for my family this year. I made it from photos of our 2005 Christmas, mostly taken by my son. There were several rules I tried to follow: include at least two photos of everyone, include random shots from walks, and field trips, no page should have just one photo. Oh, and I culled out the most unflattering photos. I think my sisters will thank me for that. It's all

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-54428377041772024002007-12-20T12:59:00.000-08:002008-02-16T14:49:16.515-08:00

Ursa Major, Staedtler MasterCarve carving block, image is 3 x 4 inches. This is the most complicated eraser carving I have done. I ground the point of a large needle flat and polished it to make a small carving tool for the detail around the stars and the eye. You can a larger version on my flickr page. Searching the web to find stars charts to use for this carving was fascinating. The asterism

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-58035116570153025552007-12-16T19:31:00.000-08:002008-02-16T14:51:04.387-08:00

I am working on a book and needed a bear, so I carved the one above. He was traced from a photo with a 2B pencil and transfered directly to the carving block. I like the stray marks a lot in this one.I keep fussing over this, probably because it is from a favorite photo, taken by my son two years ago at a family Christmas. The arm is terrible, so I started another. I thought I would like the

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-52007317603369172952007-12-09T14:31:00.001-08:002008-02-16T14:53:03.129-08:00

My husband received this Tatebanko made by "It's a Beautiful Day" in his office gift exchange. On their "about" page you can see more images. Here is one of the pages - they are very attractive before they're cut out.A definition from Osaka Prints:"tatebanko-e: "Standing printing-block models," a paper-craft hobby featuring three-dimensional constructions made from woodblock prints. The

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-73061522175220999262007-11-23T20:49:00.000-08:002008-02-16T15:53:07.080-08:00

EnlargeYears ago I had a neighbor who made these occasionally, and passed them out to anyone who wanted one. Another neighbor, a childhood friend of his, said that he was "shell shocked" in WWII. Unfortunately she intercepted them when she could because they embarrassed her. Of course I found them so wonderful. I blacked out all family names.Enlarge

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-261702331131529562007-10-31T12:28:00.000-07:002008-02-16T14:58:52.669-08:00

Above: The Distance of the Moon, ©1990, 2 x 3-3/4 x 1-3/4 inches, brass, silver, formica, copper. This little book is based on a story in "Cosmic Comics" by Italo Calvino, my all time favorite book.Recently I added a "what's new" page to my web site. I've added pages for 7 Extinction Events and The Distance of the Moon. Also added many new links and updated the old ones. When I did the matchbox

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-1677827544190401532007-10-24T17:05:00.000-07:002008-02-16T15:13:34.118-08:00

I was browsing around Flickr the other day and came across magnifik 2.0's kidz lab pinhole camera set. I found this on the internet and it came today. Here are the parts. The white arrow points to the little springs that work the shutter. They sent a spare. This was the hardest part to assemble. I found the spring a little flimsy. It didn't make the shutter snap up all the way, allowing light to

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-41827068997694667722007-10-23T12:58:00.000-07:002008-02-16T08:58:09.982-08:00

As usual, I didn't see everything, not nearly. But I enjoyed the day. I did get to the PodPost table to make a purchase, bought a wonderful book from Joanne Wilson, and some papers from Nancy Welch, the author of Creative Paper Art. I also bought some cards from someone whose name escapes me. I have the receipt, but there isn't any name on it. Hopefully the cards will show up.Every time I left my

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-2417123275129043952007-10-11T04:31:00.000-07:002008-02-16T08:59:31.622-08:00

Another partially finished project, finally done. My son gave me two teeth 5 or 6 years ago. The deal was that I would make him something with one of them, and I can keep the other tooth. This is the first completed project. I'll probably keep it around for a few years, enter it in some shows, and then offer it to him. I don't have any more toothy plans right now, but I'm sure some ideas will

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-66547517172219191802007-10-07T09:18:00.000-07:002008-02-16T15:15:20.475-08:00

Matchbox pinhole camera demo, 2006. On Saturday, October 20th I'll be at the Book Arts Jam at Foothill College in Los Altos California. From their web site: "The Book Arts Jam is a one-day celebration at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California at which you can view one-of-a-kind handmade artist books, zines, letterpress books and broadsides, mailart, calligraphy, fine art prints, handmade

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-8732564348633278562007-09-18T19:25:00.000-07:002008-02-16T09:00:48.149-08:00

From Wikipedia: "Purple Mountain Observatory, also known as Zijinshan Astronomical Observatory, is an astronomical observatory located on the Purple Mountain in Nanjing, China."I started this book in 1999 as a test for hinged pieces of stiff watercolor paper that could be sewn together with a Coptic stitch. When I left it I was very unhappy with some of the imagery and thought I wouldn't find a

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-51891222380790623712007-09-01T16:24:00.000-07:002008-02-16T09:01:45.377-08:00

Prayer Icon and Instruction Manual. 7.5 x 6 x 4.5 inches. The little book is 2.5 inches high. Prayer flags, candles, gas tank float, old iron, doll face, bee's wax, found objects, watercolor paper, collage, acrylics.Instruction Manual for Prayer Icon, pages 6 and 7.My work is changing, I'm having a hard time with it right now. Sometimes I don't feel very connected to it. And sometimes I don't

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-72335636652751153572007-08-11T19:06:00.000-07:002008-02-16T15:16:12.410-08:00

James Castle in his work shed, around 1950. From James Castle: His Life and Art by Tom Trusky. The book contains 172 pages and 100 color and black and white photographs and illustrations. Tom Trusky spent 10 years researching James's life and piecing together a story that is both touching and interesting. James Castle was born in Garden Valley Idaho, in 1899 or 1900, depending on who you ask. He

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-14632420233181641142007-07-28T10:47:00.000-07:002011-05-07T14:28:42.653-07:00

We went up to Ukiah (California) this past weekend for the opening of Metal Works North at the Grace Hudson Museum. My repair on the Lorgnette for a Fish Goddess was deemed acceptable by Marvin and Colleen Schenck, the curators. You might be able to guess, I am delighted. Here I'm talking about Dream Focusing Device with my friend Jennifer. She is an accomplished artist (taking a hiatus to

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-8566864823267838912007-07-15T17:01:00.000-07:002008-02-16T15:19:31.147-08:00

The little band on the handle of the lorgnette is my final repair. I am tired, and can't judge how it looks. I think it's okay, but I have been wrong in the past. Tomorrow I will ship it to the Grace Hudson Museum. The curators, Marvin and Colleen Schenck will make the decision. I'm glad it's out of my hands.I tried two other solutions to repair the lorgnette. The first involved cutting a piece

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-25994561611415748002007-07-13T18:49:00.001-07:002008-02-16T15:20:32.850-08:00

I will have some work in the Metal Works North exhibit at the Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah, California, July 21 to October 14th. The opening, which I do plan to attend, is on July 21st, 5 to 7:30 pm. The announcement is very nice. Click here to download the front of the announcement and here for the back. When I got the work out, I was very embarrassed to notice a crack in the handle of the

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-15727642290862751452007-07-11T04:54:00.000-07:002008-02-16T15:22:37.437-08:00

Don Drake gave a fantastic box making demo at a BABA meeting a few weeks ago. Over many years he has developed a simple box plan that is quick and easy, as boxes go. His instruction was so clear my demo box came out impressively good. In the photo above I haven't glued down the bottom liner yet. After watching him measure box parts with a caliper, I decided I needed one.My caliper came from

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-54040795431105616362007-06-30T15:35:00.001-07:002008-02-16T15:23:38.001-08:00

This is how I organize little bits of tracing paper, sandpaper and labels. It's a business card box, I cut the dividers from a manila file folder. I got an email today from someone asking what tools he should buy for his girlfriend. He says "Would you be willing to make a list for me of some nice equipment that would help her get started in her field as a metalworker? I want to get her a flex

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-90596426288051862007-06-16T11:54:00.000-07:002008-02-16T15:24:50.533-08:00

Because I like to include a picture with my blog entries, this is a homemade holder for my flex shaft accessories. You can make all kinds of simple tools to fill your needs. For this one I found a drill bit slightly larger than the shafts on my tools, and made rows of holes in a scrap of wood. One of my favorite places to shop for the tools I don't make, MicroMark, is having their summer sale. It

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-76854705771376415472007-05-26T21:12:00.000-07:002008-02-16T09:04:30.302-08:00

Dark Matter Ring Modeled around Galaxy Cluster CL0024+17Credit: NASA, ESA, M. J. Jee & H. Ford et al. (Johns Hopkins U.)From Astronomy Picture of the Day.This post is for my brother-in-law, Alan, who died suddenly last week.Gravity holds together clusters of galaxies, otherwise they would fly apart. But there isn't enough visible matter in galaxy clusters to account for the gravity that holds

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-35112439955309655072007-05-23T21:02:00.001-07:002008-02-16T15:27:47.634-08:00

set up overview 1 Originally uploaded by bertmac. Open Studios was fun! We had about 20 people, about half our usual number. Unfortunately, there were many other events happening on the same weekend. But this year we definitely had quality over quantity. On Saturday someone drove over from San Ramon, probably an hour each way. She was so enthusiastic and asked tons of questions about my

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-44792689187107263122007-05-16T10:14:00.000-07:002008-02-16T15:29:04.621-08:00

This week I'm making earrings. These people were my part of my jewelry line several years ago when I had a lot of work in galleries. I thought I would like to have a few pairs out with my other jewelry for Open Studios. They are $60 per pair. You can buy a pair, an individual ($30), or I can custom make two women, or two men. Each person is about 2 inches high. They are sterling silver and

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-90383029389724573822007-05-13T21:34:00.000-07:002008-02-16T15:30:14.609-08:00

Since I don't post daily, I thought it would be good to have ways for people to subscribe to this blog. Once you are subscribed, you will receive notification in your email program when I post a new entry. There has been a Feedburner link since I started the blog. You can subscribe using a number of services, including Yahoo and AOL. I haven't used this one.This week I added a FeedBlitz

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-37490875309245795262007-05-08T07:38:00.000-07:002008-02-16T15:32:24.042-08:00

Wandering around from link to link to Layers of Meaning I found a link to an animated section of the Bayeux Tapestry on YouTube. The medieval drawing style is much more appealing to me than accurate, perspective-enabled drawing. I have always loved the section where Halley's Comet is seen. The caption says "Isti Mirant Stella." "These ones are wondering at the star". There are also interesting

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-39263901598308809462007-05-05T15:22:00.000-07:002008-02-16T15:48:20.013-08:00

Okay, now it's time to panic. I need to clean my big worktable and make some kind of display. I am tired of my old one, but I don't think there will be time to make a new one this year. Then I will get boxes of stuff out of the closet and set up. I hope to have a lot of the found objects I love around the room, like the dinosaurs above.Keeping in mind last year's meltdown, and my general stress

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-63699026765879880752007-04-29T14:06:00.000-07:002008-02-16T15:49:09.807-08:00

Memory Number 436, taken with my Memocam on Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day. Exposure: 6 minutes, you can see my setup here. Black and white photo paper used as film, scanned into the computer. The subjects are a combination of photos and toys. The paper film is 1.5 x 3.5 inches. The ends are cropped off a bit because the circle of the image is more like 3 inches wide. Larger version here.Today

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-58584265319089031042007-04-22T13:16:00.000-07:002008-02-16T10:37:52.732-08:00

Dream Focusing Device, Judith Hoffman, brass and sterling silver, 5.75 x 8 x 6.25 inches, fabricated. How to use the DFD: Exposing the Dream Focusing Device to moonlight during the full moon activates the metallic priciples in the instrument. It will focus dreams for 28 days after a 2 to 3 hour exposure, but will lose power slowly over that period of time. Short exposures to moonlight throughout

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com3