CRICKETS is a new project I am working on in collaboration with Leonard Seastone of Tideline Press. Leonard is a poet and artist and a genius maker of books. He wrote poems about crickets and I have created the illustrations for a handmade limited edition book.

We spent two days last week making salted paper prints 22″ x 30″. There are two layouts – one with 6 glass plate negatives and the other with 8 printed on the sheet. Leonard will print on these sheets using his letterpress to add the poems. The placement of the images was determined by the design of the finished pages of the book. The images will be waxed, the sheets cut to size, and the binding will begin. Each sheet will make 12 pages in the book giving us a 24 page book and an edition of 12 books.

The book will be hand bound in leather and the cover will incorporate a real glass plate ambrotype. The ambrotype appears as a positive when viewed in front of a dark background, but it is actually a translucent glass plate negative. When the cover of the book is opened it will transform into the negative.

We expect to have the first two copies of the edition of 12 completed in early February. The book will be available at Charles Schwartz’ booth at AIPAD in March.