Mindy Carpenter

Our second artist interview is with the very talented Mindy Carpenter. Mindy is Creative Director for Cavallini & Co, makers of high end stationery items, and a book and collage artist.

How did you get interested in bookbinding and boxmaking? Honestly, my interest in decorative boxes and bookbinding came after I took a class at the San Francisco Center for the Book and failed miserably. I wasn’t nearly mathematical enough or precise or patient or any of those lovely qualities bookbinders possess. What I wanted to do was embellish the cover and make it look fabulous! It was a major disappointment in my technical skills but a great eye opener for what I was really good at it.

What early pieces can you remember discovering by other artists that inspired you? Early on I was influenced by Karen Michael and Teesha Moore—both artists that do a lot of journal art and have a looser, less structured feel to their binding. (Although Tracy and Teesha’s journals are perfectly Coptic bound.)

What was your early exposure to book arts? Cavallini used to be around the corner from the SFCB so we would go over there all the time and look at the exhibits, take classes, etc…

You work for Cavallini - how has that helped you to be part of the bookmaking community? I am fortunate to be in a very creative field and bookbinders seem to be drawn to what I help create. I think paper people are a special tribe—we just “get” each other.

Do you get to travel for work? Please tell us about your work for Cavallini. I travel a fair amount for work—New York several times a year, Atlanta twice, Seattle, Portland, and recently London and a couple of years ago, Paris. I am the Creative Director for Cavallini & Co. It’s a small company so I wear many hats but primarily I direct product and business development. I am very blessed to say that I love what I do and love the company I work for—we are an eclectic group of people who have formed a little family. My niche is that I am able to pinpoint a trend, put it into a product that is both sophisticated and approachable for the mass market. We are high end gift and stationery but we are user friendly and have a lovely aesthetic that has a wide appeal.

About your own art: what gets you excited about books? Is it the feel of paper and board or the finished product? Do you like the way books are related to literary pursuits? Does this come into mind when creating books? What makes me excited about a book is FILLING IT!!!! I love, love, love the empty page and all the promise it holds. I love all things bookish and literary as well as letters, postage, vintage documents, ephemera in general. I guess I am an old soul.

Are you an avid reader? Journaler? Please tell us what you’re reading at the moment. Yes, I read a lot. Never as much as I want to but I always have a book on the go, not to mention the many, many art books that are lying on every surface in our home. I like visual treats so I am always pulling something off the shelf for inspiration. At the moment, I am reading a novel called “The Memory of Running” by Ron McClarty. It’s excellent and has me completely absorbed—the perfect kind of book.

I have many, many art journals. I love to journal!!! There is nothing better than art supplies, fresh paper, magazines to cut up, paint, pens and an afternoon to just play. My journals influence my art—I can always see a direct correlation between the page and what I’m creating either at work or home. The journal lets me be looser—there are so many pages in a book but only one canvas!

How are making boxes different than books? I find myself drawn to boxes because I tend to compartmentalize my own life. Do you see a connection to your own interest in boxes? Again, the moment of truth: I did not make those boxes. Gasp! They are all cigar boxes and embellished with original artwork (acrylic on canvas board), ephemera, vintage wallpaper, old jewelry, ribbon and maps. Apparently box making and bookbinding require that same gene I lack so…back to the drawing board as an artist. But sure, I probably compartmentalize too…

The bio on your website is very telling. It’s open hearted without actually sharing your achievements. Have you shown your work? What groups do you belong to? Hmmm…I’ve never thought about that. I’m definitely open hearted and I love to make people laugh (I’m definitely the class clown) but I’ve never considered talking about my achievements. Maybe it’s the Canadian part of me—we’re not too keen on self-promotion! Having said that, I am very proud to have been included in so many publications. Ironically, the one book that I’ve always wished to be in is yours: Making Journals by Hand. That was a very influential book for me at the time-it was like finding friends I didn’t know existed—other people did this to??? It was great!

I belong to a collaborative art group that blossomed from Artfest. There are 11 of us who pass along art projects once a month and when we meet again in March for Artfest in Port Townsend, we reveal what has been created. We’ve been doing it for two years and it’s a phenomenal experience. I highly recommend the collaborative art form.

I have never shown my work formally but there are stores in Seattle, Portland and the Bay Area that carry pieces, cards, collages, originals.

Please tell me of your experience with the 1000 Journals project. I became involved with this project when someone told me to look it up, I did, fell in love with the concept and so I emailed “someguy” for a journal, not knowing that it was an elaborate process to get one. Turns out, he lived one block from Cavallini, was a fan of our products, and happened to have one in his possession. We met, I received a journal, and ever since Brian and I have kept in touch and I’ve been able to contribute to interviews, the documentary, and now, his follow up website, 1001journals.com

I love 1000journals and think the idea was inspired—knowing now how few got returned and how rare it was to participate in it, I feel so grateful.

If you were asking the questions, is there anything you’d like to ask yourself?When are you going to update your website?

You can visit Mindy’s website at www.mindycarpenter.com