So I’m working on a new book. I know, I know… too many books at once! But this is different because this one I’m making. This is not a book that a publisher is making for me. This is going to be a very small edition of 5 handmade artist’s books. Very fine. Very involved. They will all be slightly different because they will all be somewhat original works of art.

It’s called Houses, based on a poem of the same title. It’s a poem I wrote a long time ago and it’s basically chopped up amongst the pages. The pages are french folds, some are letterpressed, some have etchings, some are original watercolor paintings, one has a block print, some are digital prints. The covers are cereal boxes. 2 of the pages will be embroidered. That’s going to be tricky, but I’ll do it. It’s gonna be expensive. It’ll be a Japanese stab binding and have some nice handmade, flower-pressed paper in it. 6 x 9 inches. You’ll see.

I’ve only made the dummy books so far. And just got the plates for the etchings. I haven’t even filed the edges yet. I was gonna do that today if I don’t fall asleep soon. I’m going to etch them myself in the garage with hard ground, then in a tupperware bin with ferric chloride. Then I’ll print them with Poli Marichal at Self Help Graphics. I’m gonna have Bill Roberts do the letterpress work, and I’m going to “die-cut” the covers by hand. I just have to eat a lot of cereal now.

I don’t know what else is going on. I’ve written a 5-year plan, but I haven’t done much in the way of any artwork. I’ve just been planning out this new art book, signing and drawing on the Monsters on Jasmine St. book, and just taking a break, waiting for the well to fill back up. I have ideas roaming around in my head and I’ve been trying to decipher which plans to execute and which to trash. I have a couple lingering projects that need finishing up, namely my Ethereal Research Labs Project. That will be finished this year for sure – without a doubt. That’s been a long time in the making. It involves launching the first 7 editions and a virtual domain. The one that’s been parked there for a couple years now is just a taste.

I looked back on my 2010 plan and I got most of the things done, minus a couple things. I feel pretty accomplished, but I would have liked to have finished the above mentioned project and built a large paper sculpture I have been planning for years. I suppose I will try for that in 2011. I also wanted to do a big embroidery on a hospital gown. Everything else I wanted to do got done thanks to circumstances I don’t think were all in my control really. Well, maybe a little bit.