Longstitch sewn through wrapper cover of Rives BFK paper painted with charcoal grey and ochre acrylics. Sewn with oxblood red waxed linen thread. Gold metallic thread lightning bolt on front cover. 8-1/2 x 5-3/4 x 1 inches. Bound 2005.
Blank book with round back case binding using Mongura Ori green crackle book cloth and marbled paper for the covers; marbled paper endpapers. 9 x 6 x 1/2 inches. Bound 2002
Kaarina Tienhaara is a photographer/book artist, residing in Ojai, California. Books have been an integral part of her life ever since learning to read English after moving to the U.S. from Finland as a child. While working at UCLA as a junior reference librarian, she took her first bookbinding class with Margaret Leakey through UCLA Extension. In the late 1990's, Kaarina was able to return to the book arts, taking classes/workshops with numerous bookbinders including Tim Ely, Don Glaister, Daniel Kelm, Monique Lallier, Kitty Maryatt, Tini Miura, Priscilla Spitler and Laura Wait. She particularly enjoys creating one-of-a-kind artist's books, which frequently express emotions and feelings. Her creative process unfolds gradually, intuitively, with each step revealing the next. Her work has been in numerous exhibitions in the U.S. Kaarina holds a B.A. in German, Master of Library Science, and M.A. in Scandinavian Languages and Literatures from UCLA.