PETER & DONNA THOMAS
260 Fifteenth Avenue Santa Cruz CA 95062 (831)
475-1455
peteranddonna@cruzio.com
| Spring 2008: We are pleased to announce the completion of 3 new editioned miniature books and 7 new one of a kind miniature books. All books can be seen in full on our website. Just google search for Peter and Donna Thomas. | |
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In the San Joaquin Valley (2008) 2 15/16 inches.The text is a quote by John Muir, written in 1868, about his walk across the then wildly verdant San Joaquin Valley. There are 12 accordion pages, letterpress printed using handset ATF Canterbury type. There is a line drawing illustration, by Donna Thomas, of the landscape Muir described. It is woven through the text, and runs along the bottom of the accordion pages. The illustration is printed with a rainbow roll, and the color gradates from red/brown in the mountains to brown/green at the ground. The paper was handmade by Peter from cotton rag, with sprays of flowery pulp painted colors splashed across the sheet. The book is bound with flowery cloth covered boards with is a paper label on the front. The book was secretly made for Donna’s 51st birthday and so there are 51 copies. $75. |
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Train Depots
(2008) 2 1/8 x 3 inches. This is a short history the train depot and
its history in the United States. There are 9 line drawing illustrations
of train depots that are printed in black on a blue background. The
blue was printed from small blocks of wood found at the site of an old
train depot in Le Grand, California, and the block was printed so that
the color offset on the reverse side of the page as well. The text was
letterpress printed with handset metal type, using 14 point Centaur
for the text and 24 point Old Town for the titles. The book is full-bound
in black leather with a wood panel inset in the front cover. The title
is stamped in red on the wood panel. 44 pages. 85 regular copies $75.
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Nature Paints (2008) 2 3/16 x 1 7/8 inches. This is an accordion book with 18 pages.The text is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. The original was calligraphed onto paper panels that were glued onto maps showing the areas where the drawings were made. There are 4 double-spread watercolor paintings of Sierra scenes that were painted on site in the Sierra while she was backpacking. This edition was color copied onto handmade paper Peter made specially for the project. The book is case bound with wood covers with a leather spine. 50 copies. $75. |
Donna's one of a kind miniature books: |
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Dominos (2008). 1 5/8 x 7/8 inches. (Slipcase measures 1 7/8 by 1 inches.) The text is by Oscar Wilde: "Of course I have played outdoor games…I once played dominos in an outdoor café in Paris…" The book is Coptic bound with dominos as the cover boards. The book has hand written/calligraphed text with illustrations of Paris street scenes and dominos. The marbled paper slipcase has a domino on the spine. Number 2 of 2 unique copies. $245. |
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Farmer and the Snake (2008). 2 5/8 x 2 1/8 inches. (Clamshell box is 3 1/8 by 2 5/8 inches). Dos-a-do binding. The text on one side is the fable by Aesop. The text on the other side is a quote by Petronius from The Satyricon. The book has hand written/calligraphed text, with 11 watercolor illustrations by Donna Thomas. The paper was made by Peter Thomas. Full leather binding, brown goatskin, with red Moroccan goatskin raised panels. Each panel has a rattlesnake skin onlay. Donna skinned and tanned the rattlesnake. Full leather clamshell box with title and rattlesnake skin on cover. Number 2 of 2 unique copies. $395 |
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Sit and Knit (2008). 3 x 2 7/8 inches. (The clamshell box is 3.5 by 3.25). The text is a short quote by William Howitt about folk art knitting in rural England. The book has hand written/calligraphed text, an opening initial letter painted with gold, and four miniature knitting samples, including "aran cables" and "fair isles" (which Donna knitted for the book) stitched in a window created between two pages. The paper was made by Peter Thomas. Knitting needles are used to hold together the piano hinge spine. Full leather binding with leather onlay of knitting swatch, with metal knitting needles inserted. Clamshell box. Number 1 of 2 unique copies. $425. |
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Nature Paints (2008). 2 5/8 x 2 1/4 inches. (Silpcase measures 3 1/4 by 2 3/4 inches). The text is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Nature paints the best part of a picture…" The book has hand written/calligraphed text with 4 double spread illustrations sewn onto the text pages. The paintings were made by Donna when she was backpacking in the Northern Yosemite region. Full leather bradle binding with leather onlay imagery of a mountain and lake landscape. The endpapers are re-drawn and hand-colored topo maps. The title is stamped in gold on the cover. Clamshell box. 1 of 2 copies. $395. |
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Bop (2008). 1 5/8 x 1 1/2 inches. (Slipcase measures 1 3/4 by 1 5/8 inches.) The text is a quote by Duke Ellington, "…playing "bop" is like playing scrabble with all the vowels missing…" The book has hand written/ calligraphed text with watercolor illustrations of scrabble tiles interspersed with the notes from one of Ellington’s best known songs. The book is Coptic bound with Scrabble tiles as the cover boards. The marbled paper slipcase has a Scrabble "E" mounted on the front cover. Number 1 of 2 unique copies. $ 245. |
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A Poem by Rumi (2008). 2 15/16 x 1 7/8 inches. (Clamshell box is 3 1/2 x 2 3/8 inches). The text is the translation of a quote by Jellaludin Rumi, (thirteenth century Persia). It begins, "…a moment of happiness, you and I sitting on the verandah, apparently two, but one…" Hand written/ calligraphed text and Persian designs have been hand painted on each page. The paper was made by Peter Thomas. The book has a Coptic sewn binding, with full dusty blue Moroccan leather cover "boards". The cover has a four color tooled leather onlay of a typical Persian design. Full leather clamshell box with hand drawn label. $425. |
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Voice of Love (2008). 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches. (Clamshell box is 2.25 by 2.25 inches). The text is a Hawaiian proverb in both Hawaiian and English, the English translation is: "a joyousness is in the voice of love". The book is shaped like a hibiscus flower. Pages are shaped and watercolor painted with flowers. The paper was made by Peter Thomas. Full leather bound in the shape of a hibiscus, using green Moroccan leather, with three layer tooled leather onlays on both the front and back cover. Floral cloth covered clamshell box. Number 2 of 2 unique copies. $325. |
