• • • LEAHMACKIN•COM • • • • art, books, & book arts • • •

Bloggin' about blogs

2008-08-12T17:07:00.003-05:00

Just some blogs that I am participating in...

GOOD WORDS Blog
http://listofgoodwords.blogspot.com/
Contributing authors are myself and friends/former classmates Mike Ryan and Julianna Lose. In our shared studio at school, amongst the other always tasteful wall decorum, was a list of "good words". Brush up on your vocab or have a funny sounding word to read out loud.

Processing the Chew Family Papers at HSP
http://chewpapers.blogspot.com/
In August 2007, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania received a two year grant for the processing of the Chew Family Papers from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Last week, I began working at the HSP performing conservation on the Chew Family Papers collection. Expect posts from myself to come and in the mean time, read up on the past year with the Chew Family.

Conservation of the Wedding Album at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania

2008-08-12T16:25:00.003-05:00

Last September, I began an internship at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Conservation Department. This was my second internship at the HSP and my third internship learning and practicing book and paper conservation. Under the supervision and expert advice of Tara O'Brien, I undertook a colossal project that stretched my 80 hour internship to well over 250 hours!

The project was to recreate an album containing 120 marriage certificates dated from 1640s to 1860s. The original album was bound in 1920 and had been known in the HSP's Library as the "red marriage album". In its new form, the album received ice blue pages, a blue spine and beautiful golden printed covers. In addition to creating this new book to house the certificates - the individual certificates each required attention: dry cleaning, washing, humidifying, mending, and/or encapsulating!

Here is a before shot:

And you want to see the finished product?

See it in person at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Research Library!

And while you are there, check out the display case that I put together with Tara about the project:

(Look at the photo in the center of the display case to see the size of the completed book! I used some mystery muscles lugging the book around the Conservation Lab...)

Travelling Wares at the Memphis Taproom

2008-07-29T09:26:00.002-05:00

Hope to see you at the Memphis Taproom this Saturday August 2nd from 12pm to 6pm! I will be selling all of the good stuff: Blank Books, Scrapple stuff, you know the drill. Stop by and say hi and grab a good bite to eat at the Taproom! I highly recommend the Fried Dills! Yeah, that's a fried pickle!

GIANT Etsy Update

2008-07-06T16:40:00.000-05:00

Check out my Etsy shop over at leahmackindotcom.etsy.com for LOADS of books, including some new styles recycling plastic shopping bags and vintage book covers! MORE to be added, as well.

Sneak Preview for PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET items

2008-06-25T16:56:00.000-05:00

screen printed tshirts sizes XS-XL on American Apparel tees

"An Ode to Scrapple: Part Two", 10 pages of fun with screenprinted covers, edition of 80 books

Punk Rock Flea Market

2008-06-18T14:16:00.002-05:00

I am pressing on in full gear to make things for the Punk Rock Flea Market on:
Saturday, June 28th 10am to 5pm
At The Starlight Ballroom
460 North 9th Street (Just Below 9th & Spring Garden)

I will be selling blank books, artist's books, playing cards, book spine bracelets, all the usual stuff. New styles of books, too! I'll post a pre-sale preview next week.

Also, Julianna and I will be presenting SCRAPPLE ITEMS, including a bunch of surprises!! A second edition book, more stickers AND MORE! Get excited, okay?

2008-05-30T08:52:00.002-05:00

I FEEL GREAT
and my website will see results sooooon, this neglected thing.

look at TEAM SHARK ATTACK!!! photos on my flickr.

The International Day of the Book Celebration

2008-03-13T20:17:00.002-05:00

I am looking forward to participating in The International Day of the Book Celebration 2008 in Kensington, Maryland!

The International Day of the Book Celebration
Sunday, April 27th 12pm to 5pm
Kensington, Maryland

The Book as Literature * The Book as Art * The Book as Music

(Did you know that I liked books?! I know it probably comes as a shock!!!)

See you there!

Show - This Friday!

2008-02-10T22:23:00.003-05:00

I am excited to show off some new pieces (the start of a series, perhaps?) in a group show coming up this weekend!

Art Glut, curated by Alex Gartelmann
at The My House Gallery (2534 S. 8th Street (at Porter))
Opening Reception: Friday, February 15th 6pm to 9pm
Show runs until the 17th, with gallery hours 10am to 3pm Sat/Sun!

Not only does the salon-style exhibition of over 50 artists (!!) investigate one's experience of viewing a large amount of imagery/visual information, it is also making a statement about the abundance and availability of information today. Oof!

Hope to see you there.

New Website!

2008-01-20T20:58:00.001-05:00

How does it look on your end?

Thank You!!

2007-12-24T10:46:00.000-05:00

Hello neglected Blog readers!

Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who came out to the Punk Rock Flea Market this past Saturday. It was an amazing experience! I entered the building at 9am heaving this overstuffed plastic bin and was absolutely thrilled to have a nearly empty box when leaving at 5:30pm!! I hope everyone enjoys their items as much as I enjoyed making them!

I am especially excited that I did so well at the sale because this means I get to make all new items! I have been tinkering around with some new blank book designs and some more designs that I think people responded well to.

Hopefully I can keep updating the Etsy site regularly and maybe someday I will have this website complete... (Do I smell a New Year's Resolution????)

Best to you all in the New Year!!

Items now For Sale on Etsy.com !

2007-11-22T22:43:00.000-05:00

Select items now for sale on etsy.com!

leahmackindotcom.etsy.com

This Saturday 11/17 - Artist's Book Fair

2007-11-14T00:45:00.000-05:00

This Saturday, Nov. 17th
10am to 4pm
Free Library, Central Branch (19th & Vine, Philadelphia)

I will be there selling the usual: artist's books, limited edition handmade playing cards, blank books, book safes, book spine bracelets, prints, and I don't think I forgot to mention anything, did I?

See you there!

Saturday October 6th ! Lovingly Bound Book Fair

2007-10-03T00:08:00.000-05:00

The 215 Festival presents:
Lovingly Bound

Saturday October 6th
Noon to 4pm - free!
The Latvian Society (Google Maps)
531 N 7th Street

Lovingly bound brings together small publishers, book artists, literary activists, and Philadelphia independent book stores for one big book bash! Browse tables of handmade blank books, fine fiction, and art books while enjoying tasty Latvian beer and music from DJ Hi-Res.

more information about other 215 Festival events that happen all weekend: 215 Festival

I'll be selling handmade blank books (reasonably priced $5 to $18), artist's books, handmade playing cards ($15), and prints (>$20). I will also be selling Book Spine Bracelets and Book Safes from Well Read Books!

Come by and say hi.

Punk Rock Flea Market - SATURDAY July 21st

2007-07-19T12:14:00.000-05:00

This Saturday, I will be at the Punk Rock Flea Market selling my wares!

The event information is as follows:

Saturday July 21st
10am to 5pm
At The Starlight Ballroom
460 North 9th Street (On 9th Street Between Spring Garden and Callowhill Streets)
Philadelphia, PA
All Ages / 21+ To Drink / $3 Entry Donation
OVER 100 VENDORS!!!!

I will be selling (ahem) BLANK BOOKS, limited edition PLAYING CARDS, PRINTS, PRINTED T-SHIRTS, and OLD CLOTHES (for really, really, getthemoutofmyclosetalready CHEAP!)

Sean & I will be selling BOOK SAFES and BOOK SPINE BRACELETS!

It should be an enjoyable time! Come out and say hi!

Well Read Books

2007-06-17T23:59:00.001-05:00

I updated the Well Read Books site with some photos and information about the wares.

Check it out!

Art for the Ca$h Poor 8! Tomorrow!

2007-06-08T17:55:00.000-05:00

Check out the Art for the Cash Poor 8 tomorrow for your second chance to support myself and a bunch of other artists and art organizations!

I will be selling my prints, playing cards and artist's books AND Sean & I will be selling wares from our collaborative project, Well Read Books.

We will only be there on Saturday, even though it is a two day event.

Saturday June 9 and Sunday June 10
1pm to 6 pm

The Crane Arts Building,
1400 North American Street
Philadelphia, PA

Should be a good time, I hope!

No Time for a Breather (Yet!)

2007-05-25T08:22:00.000-05:00

First off, I graduated college yesterday!
I wore a funny outfit and now I have a piece of paper with my name on it. Woo!

No time for a break, yet though. There is a lot to do! Between a few binding and portfolio making projects I am working on, I plan on making a lot of great items to sell at various functions throughout the city. Besides the blank books and prints and printed items I usually sell, I have an exciting project coming along. My boyfriend Sean and I are collaborating on something we both think is really cool! More information coming very soon.

Get a sneak peak this First Friday in Old City! From 5pm to 9pm-ish, we'll be set up on the sidewalk looking forward to seeing you and showing you what we're working on.

ANNNNNNDDDDD

SATURDAY JUNE 2nd & 3rd
is the
ART STAR CRAFT BAZAAR!

Click the above link for more details.

Hope to see you there!

Thesis Photographs Now Online!

2007-05-01T09:32:00.000-05:00

Senior Thesis Exhibition

Now online!

The show came down this past weekend, but I have to resetup my work for an award competition this afternoon! I am competing against one other senior from each of the other majors in the College of Art & Design, so this should be interesting! Wish me luck.

Scrapplefest!

2007-04-18T09:13:00.000-05:00

When I first found out about Scrapplefest, I could hardly contain my excitement! A day devoted to my favorite breakfast treat??? Yes. In honor of the event, my good friend, Julianna Lose and I are making a book! Entitled An Ode to Scrapple: the Supreme Ruler of the Gods of Breakfast Meats/Processed Pig Deliciousness -or- We Love Scrapple Enough That We Made This Book, the book will be on sale at the event for $10.

This Saturday, April 21st
10am to 4pm
Reading Terminal Market
12th & Arch, Philadelphia

And, here's a little promotional image I threw together from the flats for the book that repeats the information listed above:

Mmmmmm.....

Post-Thesis Show!

2007-04-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

So the Thesis Exhibition Reception was a success! Thanks to everyone who was able to come and check it out. For those who could not make it, I will have photographs online in the next week, or so. The show is still open for another week and a half though! It comes down the 27th. Then, on the third, I have to reinstall all of my work at school for an award competition! Wish me luck.

The First Friday event was great! A bit overwhelmingly crowded at times, but it was great exposure. We got a few mentions in Fallon and Rosof's Artblog. One of the blog contributors, Caitlin, photographed one of my pieces. You can see it in her Flickr set.

Thesis Exhibition Information

2007-03-19T11:11:00.000-05:00

April 6th - 28th, 2007
Reception: First Friday, April 6, 6 to 9pm
Gallery Hours: Wed. - Sun. 11 to 6

Havana Lofts
301, 303, 307 N. Third Street
Philadelphia, PA

---
and, to pay for that:

TOMORROW
Tuesday March 20th

Thesis Fundraisin' Fest 2k7
Flea Market/ Craft Fair/ Concert
320 South Broad St. Hamilton Hall
Broad & Pine
10am to 10pm

10am to 5pm
Flea Market
Craft Fair (jewelry, ceramics, blank books, prints, wallets, etc!)
Bake Sale!

5pm to 10pm
CONCERT:
- The Bees and the Birds/Naughty Naughty Nurses
- Broken Trees
- Cityscapes
- Mat Eiland

ONLY $5 dollars to get into the whole event!

all proceeds go to helping the Senior Printmaking and Sculpture majors pay for their Senior Thesis Show.

lines, lines, lines...

2007-02-20T10:21:00.000-05:00

I updated the Art section with some prints from last semester that I am itching to work on again. The photographs, while nice, fail to capture the intricacies of the plates. When I recovered photographs from my camera the other day, I came across these:

and

That is how the zinc plates look with the asphaltum ground on them. The scratched lines in the ground create places for the metal to be eaten away when placed into an acid bath. I love the look of a grounded plate because the exposed metal gleams in the light.

As ordinary as they can be, though, I seem to like lines an awful lot. My focus on those repetitive line etchings last semester provided some insight into lines I had drawn in other works. If you poke around the portfolio portion of this website, perhaps you will see what I mean. The line that wraps around a printed figure or the line of a edge of paper - there is something there that I am just drawn to. Currently, I am cutting and splicing and reattaching the text lines of a book for a piece for my Thesis Show. Get ready for a new form of line!

As decided yesterday, here's what my show card will look like:

I'd fill you in on the show information, but it's still getting hammered out. What I can say is that the show will be in a space with probably white walls somewhere in the confines of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It will feature myself and six other Printmaking majors and fourteen Sculpture majors and will be up for the month of April with a reception or two!

Exciting, but oh, so much work to do!

Blog-worthy?

2007-02-19T12:03:00.000-05:00

I made a little icon for the Address Bar! Maybe you can see it in your browser? Hope so.

I recovered some lost photographs from my camera last night and have spent all morning compiling and organizing them. I thought these photos were lost and gone forever, but technology is kind of neat and hid them somewhere on my camera or something technical like that. Anyway, expect some updates in the next few days of some older work and some new work, too!

Up & Running!

2007-02-05T10:59:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the new and improved site!

I am still working a few bugs out, but I really just wanted to get this thing online finally. Let me know if there are any major issues, please.

Most importantly, though, stay warm.