This series of three artist's books are all about my relationship with my mother. She passed away in 2002 and these books were a way for me to have one last little conversation with her.

BOOK #1: I CAME FROM YOUR DREAMS

This book is about a dream my mother had about me long before I was born. A dual-accordion style book, this work is purposely designed like a dream, you can't see the whole thing at once. You go to stretch it open and just when you think you can get inside it, it snaps shut. Each page of the accordion has a pocket and in each pocket is a hand-gilded removable page with a poem and a tiny watercolor painting of a fetus in different phases.  There is a unifying phrase that stretches across the whole book,

"I came from your dreams, I became your dreams, I regained my dreams when you died."

This book is made of handmade banana leaf paper, handmade abaca and daylily paper (made by the artist), waxed Irish linen thread, PVA glue and ink and watercolor. It measures 3"x2" when closed, 3"x14" when fully opened.

BOOK #2: SHE HAS BEEN FOLDED INTO MY LIFE SINCE I UNFOLDED FROM HERS

This book portrays the symbiosisbetween a mother and daughter.  It is an accordion triptych with three distinct sections.  The top section represents my mother's life before I was born, the center section is our lives joined together, and the bottom section is my life after her death. To make this book, I took a self-portrait in the same pose as one of my favorite photos of my mother, but reversed like a mirror image. In the top section, my photo (printed on translucent vellum) is attached on top of her photo so you can clearly see her face with my face kind of ghosting on top.  In the bottom section,  I reversed the photos so her face ghosts over mine.  In the center section, there are two lotus fold folios attached at their centers that fold into each other and pop open when pulled apart. They have a gorgeous springy feel to them and tell the story of my birth and her journey into motherhood. The overarching theme is summed up in this line from the book:

"We were one. Then we were two. Now we are one once again."

This book is made from handmade silk sisal paper, coated cardstock (to give it a leathery appearance), photo paper and corners, vellum, copper wire ribbon, PVA glue and ink. It measures 3"x3" when closed, 3"x10" when opened.

BOOK #3: OH MY MAMA LOVELY

This book aims to show the love between a mother and daughter and how it continues to change and "bloom" as years pass. The general structure of this book is based on lotus folds but there are five lotus structures all glued together that fold into each other over and over until the book is closed. Then they unfold from each other over and over to open it.  It is reminiscent of lotus flowers opening and blooming in the structure and the feel. The text throughout the book is like a conversation between mother an daughter with each part of the dialogue attached to the inside of each lotus. It is stored in a matching handmade kimono envelope with waxed Irish linen thread ties.

This book is made from machine milled, gold screenprinted black and red Japanese paper, vellum, eyelets, PVA glue and non-glue adhesive. It measures 3"x3" when it is closed, 12" across and 6" high when fully opened.