Artist Member
Stab-bound, pillow cases, letterpress text, 11”h x 16”w x 1.5”d
I learned to iron on pillowcases. My mother insisted that pillowcases must be ironed to “make the bed look fresh,” as she would say when I complained about the chore. When we visited her as adults, the beds in the guest room always had ironed pillowcases with crisp lines where they had been folded after ironing. I have continued the tradition. Moving the iron back and forth, I think of my husband’s smile when he sees the newly made bed, my family who will sleep on these when they visit, and, of course, my mother, who died six years ago at age 94. It is an unnecessary chore in the age of permanent press fabric, but it allows my mind to wander while my hands accomplish something. I was about to throw out some old pillowcases, then decided to use them to make a book honoring her ritual. Using phrases from some of my writing about her, I set type and ran the pillowcases through a letterpress. The cover is a quilted sham, and the book is stab-bound.
Two-sided accordion book, 7.5”h x 5.5”w, 25” open
The Secret Garden was one of my favorite childhood stories. When I found this 1912 edition in a used bookstore, the yellowing pages and the beautiful illustrations begged to be used in a new book. I made stencils for cyanotype prints of the main characters on the original pages. Those were too brittle to use for the book, so I scanned the pages. I added research about Mary’s journey, the author, Frances Hodgson Burnett, and my photographs of flowers. The cover is a scan of the original cover. I hope to evoke pleasant memories from all who read this book once upon a time.
Two-sided accordion book, 7”h x 5.5”w, 25” open
The wild meadow in my backyard is a constant surprise from March to November. Inspired by Anna Atkins (1799-1871), who produced the first book of photographs, Photographs of British Algae – Cyanotype Impressions, I picked what was blooming on an August day and made cyanotype prints for the front side of the book. On the back side are color photographs of the same flowers. The viewer can decide which side is more poetic.
Judy O’Dell
Bio
Judy O’Dell is a visual artist and writer who has been photographing since she was eight. In 2000, she took her first photography workshop at Maine Media Workshops, and she has experimented with analog black-and-white photography, alternative processes, large-format, pinhole, plastic, digital, infrared, and iPhone cameras, collages, and handmade books. She earned her MFA from Maine Media College in 2020.
She explores and photographs from her homes in the Pennsylvania mountains and coastal Maine. Her essays capture the facts, observations, and memories triggered by being in these places. Her photographs are images of time, both past and present. She combines photographs and text in books and collages.
Her handmade book, Winter Woodswalk, was purchased by Baylor University Library in 2025.
Her digitally printed books include Goose River Field Notes – her thesis project – and Curley Visits Lake Mokoma, which was a fundraiser for Mokoma Conservancy.
She has exhibited work at The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Penn Tech College Gallery, 23 Sandy Gallery, Baylor University Library, Kalamazoo Book Arts, Wayne, PA Art Center, Michael Good Gallery, Camden Maine Library, Rockland Maine Library, Skidompha Library, Pen Bay Medical Center, Praxis Gallery, Davis Orton Gallery, Griffin Museum, Maine Photography Show, Lenscratch, Onslow County NC Arts Council, Montpelier Museum, Thomaston ME, Prairie Village Museum, Rugby ND, and Chestertown, MD Arts League. She has published several essays in Sageing and the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 editions of Goose River Anthology.
Artist Statement
“I came to book arts as a photographer and writer, using the handmade or digitally printed book form to allow the viewer to hold and examine my photos and text. Books – physical books – have always been an essential part of my life. In my handmade books, the structure or function of the traditional book serves as inspiration for expressing my ideas. As a writer, I incorporate text. I enjoy choosing materials and the tactile experience of cutting, pasting, and sewing. Some of my books have a traditional format in which a story is told by turning pages. Others are more sculptural, using images, letterpress, handwriting, cutouts, and antique and painted paper. My books present two ideas for viewers to consider. First, each book is a made object that nods to what a book does: inviting the reader in. The second idea is narrative, sometimes straightforward and sometimes up to the viewer to discern. My books combine structure and narrative to produce a work of art.”
Judithodell86@gmail.com
www.Judyodellphoto.com