Books of Spring

Where I grew up, you could usually count on winter to reliably last until mid-March. March blizzards, and even April flurries weren't even that rare. So it's a little disorienting to be living in a place (less than four hours away!) that has a very different climate. 60 degrees in January can be a treat, but it also feels downright odd.

I saw the art of Su Blackwell featured on ecofabulous a while back. I'm always on the lookout for interesting artwork, and I found her book sculptures absolutely stunning. With paper cutouts, Blackwell crafts delicate miniature worlds.

On her website, Blackwell reveals an interesting detail about her technique: "I always read the book first, at least once or twice, and then I begin to create the work, cutting out, adding details. The detail is what brings it all together, the magic element."

With a passion for fairy tales and nature, Blackwell brings a living quality to her sculptures, bestowing a second life on the old books she chooses as materials. She has some incredible winter scenes in her portfolio too, but I was struck most by the pieces that transport me back to days of playing outside in the woods and the fields around my childhood home, creating my own imaginary worlds. While it's not a blooming garden outside quite yet, the warmth in the air makes me think it will be on its way before much longer.