PETER & DONNA THOMAS
260 Fifteenth Avenue Santa Cruz CA 95062 (831)
515-2757
One-of-a-kind & Artists' Books
click on picture or prompt for expanded view
| These one-of-a-kind artist's books feature Donna's hand painted or hand written lettering, watercolor paintings, and rubricated illustrations. Donna does all the leather binding and leather onlay work. Donna makes the clamshell boxes. The paper, unless otherwise noted, has all been handmade by Peter Thomas. We define the term artists' book as a book made by an artist; a book made as a work of art - rather than a literary artifact. We use the term to denote both one-of-a-kind and edition books. |
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| Transformation: Fire in the Forest, Reflections on the Rebirth of Big Basin. (2023) Donna Thomas, Emily Dickinson, Asa Gray, Martin Rizzo-Martinez, and Carrie Stevens Walter. Donna Thomas, Santa Cruz. 11.5 x 10 x 1.25 inches. 18 accordion folded pages. This book is the prototype for a larger version made for Big Basin State Park $1900. |
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| Solo - a poem, with a collection of flowers from the lily family (2023). Donna Thomas. Santa Cruz, California. 9 1/8 inches by 12 1/8 inches. 18 accordion folded pages. Clamshell box. $2800. |
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| Life from the Lifeless (2022). Texts by Donna Thomas, Robinson Jeffers. 17 accordion folded pages. 8.37 x 7.25 inches. $1,900. |
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| First Rule of Life (2020). Texts by Donna Thomas, Ed Ricketts, John Steinbeck. 12 accordion folded pages. 8.125 x 13.75 inches. Clamshell box. $2,800. |
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| Sweet Spot. (2020). Texts by Donna Thomas, Mary Austin, Ina Coolbrith, Emily Dickinson, Dorothea Lange, Ellen Meloy. 6 folded single sheet booklets in a clamshell box. 4.5 x 3 inches. $1,200. |
| Here in the Mountains. (2019). Text by David Whyte. 12 nested accordion pages. 14.5 x 8.75 inches. Clamshell box. $2,800 |
| This real accordion book sold but I am currently working on making another. Inquire for more details. The Koch Real Accordion Book (2024) by Peter Thomas. A book made out of a Koch accordion. Text is the history of the accordion with hand colored digitally printed photographs 11 inches tall by 6 inches wide by 15 inches long when closed. 22 accordion pages. $1,950. SOLD |
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| A Brief History of the Ukulele. Ukulele Series Book number 23. (2003) 18 by 6 by 3 inches, $1,500.00. Edition of fifteen copies. Click here for more images and information. The Ukulele Series is 24 Artists' Books all made with ukuleles. |
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| A selection of books that have sold: | ||
| From Apples to Za’atar: An ABC with a portion of the politics of food (2024). Donna Thomas. Santa Cruz, California, Donna Thomas. 9 x 11.75 x .75 inches. 10 accordion folded pages. Clamshell box. $2800. (sold to private collection) |
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| The Beauty of Things. 2022. Robinson Jeffers, Donna Thomas. 14 accordion pages. 7.75 x 8.875 inches. $2,400 (sold to UCF). |
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| The Best Places. 2021. Text by Donna Thomas, Mary Hunter Austin, Lester Rowntree. 14 accordion pages. 13.5 x 10 inches. $2,800 (sold to UCF). |
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| Field Flowers 2019. Text by Louise Gluck. |
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| Solo. 2022. Donna Thomas. 14 accordion pages. 9.25 x 18.25 inches. Sold $2,800 |
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| O you Daughters of the West! 2021. Text by Donna Thomas, Mary Hunter Austin, Ada Diefendorf Bass, Walt Whitman. 16 accordion pages. 12.5 x 9 inches. Sold $2,800 |
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| A Yosemite Pilgrim's Circumambulation. 2020. Texts by Donna Thomas, Edward Abbey, Dorothea Lange, Ellen Meloy, Walt Whitman. 2 books in a clamshell box: Book 1: 12 pages. 11.25 x 8.75 inches. Book 2: 6 panel piano hinged accordion. 11.25 x 8.75 inches. Sold $3,400. |
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| Sierra Trout. 2020. Texts by Donna Thomas, Izaak Walton, Mary Hunter Austin. 14 accordion pages. 7.75 x 14.75 inches. Leather clamshell box. Sold $3,100 |
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| Trail by Jay Leeming. 2019. 1" x 13 1/2" x 3/4". 12 accordion pages. |
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| Walking I Remember Myself. 2019. Texts by Donna Thomas, Rainer Maria Rilke. 12 accordion pages. 9.25 x 14.25 inches. Clamshell box. $2,800 |
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| San Antonio (2016) Naomi Shihab Nye. 2 7/8 by 5 3/8 by 1 3/8 inches.This is a beautiful love poem written by the celebrated poet from San Antonio. Peter's bold pulp-painted paper, suggesting the bright colors of the rich cultures of the southwestern USA, is woven together to create the accordioned text pages. Three dominoes are inset into the leather cover, referencing the poem’s contents. Sold |
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| On Keeping Chickens (2017) Naomi Shihab Nye. 6 ½ by 8 ½ inches. This poem about keeping chickens was written by the celebrated poet from San Antonio specifically for Donna to use for this book. Watercolors of chickens, painted by Donna, fill pages... along with a handwritten text. Sold |
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| A Wandering Book Artist’s Travelogue. (2012) Donna Thomas. Tin drop spine box: 8 by 6 3/4 by 4 inches. Book: 6 7/8 by 5 1/8 by 3 inches. The book has 7 accordion panel pages with hand written text and maps, and enameled copper assemblages. SOLD |
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| Why I am Happy. (2016) William Stafford. 9 3/8” by 12 ¼” by 5/8”. Watercolors of Yosemite Lakes and hand-drawn maps illustrate the joyful poem about a special lake. A frontispiece of copper-over-enamel depicts an abstract whorl of water. Clamshell box. SOLD |
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| Water Braids a Rope (2016) Kim Stafford. 9 3/8” by 11 7/8” by 5/8.” Six watercolors painted in the Grand Canyon. Hand-drawn initial letters. Cover: squirrel-skin tanned by Donna, enamel-over-copper abstract landscape frontispiece. Clamshell box SOLD
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| Dust Can’t Kill Me (2015) Woody Guthrie. 6 ½ by 5 3/8 by 5/8 inches. 1925 Ladies Home Journal pages, Dustbowl era photo reproductions from Oklahoma, watercolors and stitching decorate the text, cover and clamshell box. SOLD |
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| Three Kinds of Magic (2000)
Unique structural book. 6 by 4 by 2.5 inches. Inquire for price. Click for more images & info. |
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| Mac’s ABCs (1996) 7.25
by 5.5 inches. A alphabet primer for baby computers. Inquire for price. Click for more images & info. |
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| Ficciones (2006) by Jorge Luis Borges. |
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| The Train Comes to Wichita. by Peter Thomas (2004). 7 by 3 by 2 3/4 inches. Five 15 inch scrolling pages. 20 copies. Click here for more images and information. |
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| Huckleberry Finn (2003/2016) Mark Twain. 18 inches long x 16 inches wide x 3 inches tall. A one-of-a-kind artists' book inspired Twain's text. SOLD |
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| The Concertina Book. (2014) by Peter Thomas. 7 by 7 by 7 inches. 18 accordion pages. Sold. |
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| Artist's Book-O-Meter (2003) A device for testing if an artist book works or not. On permanent display at the San Francisco Center for the Book until it was lost in the move. Click here for more images and information. |
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| Spring in the Valley (2016) Mary Hunter Austin. 9 ½ by 12 ¼ by 5/8 inches. This is a lively poem about the coming of spring by the noted Eastern Sierra Nevada author. Four watercolors of Mono Lake, calligraphy and additional painting on pages, clamshell box. SOLD |
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| Hopes are Shy Birds (2015). Audubon, John James. 3 ¾ by 3 5/8 inches. 16 accordion pages of calligraphed text, wings and birds in watercolors on multi-layered handmade paper by Peter Thomas. Enamel bird on cover, clamshell boxSOLD |
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| Long Live the Weeds (2014) By Theodore Roethke. 3.5 by 2.5 inches. 18 pages, Sold |
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| Wilderness (2014) text by Sigurd Olson. 3 1/2 by 3 ¼ inches. Sold |
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| Lapis Lazuli and Glass Craftsman (2014) by Richard Vallance. 3 1/4 by 5 1/2 inches. Sold |
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| Silver Sierra (2013) by Gary Millar. 6 by 5 3/4 inches. 16 pages. Sold. |
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| Stockings (2014) by An non. 5 1/4 by 3 5/8 inches. 16 accordion pages. Sold. |
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| Story (2013) Terry Tempest Williams. 5 by 6 inches. 10 accordion pages.Sold. |
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| Sierra Point (2011) Thomas, Donna. 5 by 4 ¼ inches. 10 accordion pages. 4 panel watercolor illustration. Sold |
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| In The Middle. Compiled and edited by Peter and Donna Thomas (2004) 11 1/4 by 8 1/8 inches. 14 pages and 12 scrolls. 24 copies. Never made available for sale. |
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| Escape (2001) By Donna Thomas. 5 5/16 x 5 1/4 inches. An accordion book with watercolor paintings of nudes and small landscape painting .Clamshell box. Sold. Click for more images & info |
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| Yellowstone (2011) Donna Thomas 6 ¼ x 9 3/8”. Medieval wooden board binding, 7 full page illustrations plus more. $2975. Sold Click here for more images and information. | |
| Columbine (2011) Mary Austin. 5 ¾ by 7 ¼ inches. 10 accordion pages. 6 watercolor illustrations. |
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| Hetch Hetchy Valley – a grand landscape garden (2011) John Muir. 4 ½ by 5 3/8. 5 illustrations.
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| Ditty of First Desire
(2007) A poem by Federico Garcia Lorca. 5.5 x 5 .5 inches. A unique "cootie-catcher"
shaped book made using paste papers with paintings of nudes. Clamshell
box. Sold. |
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| Plutarchs History for Young
Men (2003) 8 by 6 by 1.5 inches, 1 scrolling page, Unique book.
SOLD Click here for more images and information. |
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| California Dreaming
(2003) 3 by 6 by 3 inches, 1 scrolling pages, 1 title panel. Unique
book.SOLD |
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| Salt is Good by Peter Thomas (2004) 3 1/8 by 1 inch, one 11 inch scrolling page. Hand lettered and altered photocopy text by Peter Thomas. Unique book. Sold Click for more images & info. |
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| The History and Dangers of Flight (2003) 20 by 20 by 5 inches, 3 scrolling pages, unique book. $2400 Click here for more images and information. |
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