| Title | Cactus |
| Artist / Creator | Camille Riner |
| Place of Publication | Custer, SD |
| Publication Date | 2012 |
| Process / Technique | Digital archival pigment printing |
| Structure / Binding | Star; cord clasp and beads that allow the book to be opened and hung as a 4" star |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 1.5 x 1.5 inches, closed and approximately 10 inches, opened |
| Edition Size | Open Edition |
| Signed & Numbered | Yes |
This star artist book can be read as a book or hung and displayed as an ornament. I created this miniature book using one of my linocuts of a cactus we received from Grandmother Alice. This book contains a short poem I wrote about families, strength and winter with relief print images of a Christmas cactus, a house plant that blooms pink and orange during the holidays. The two plate color original print for this book was carved and then hand printed on my etching press, scanned and then digitally combined with the poem.
The poem reads:
Grandma’s Christmas Cactus
Handed down in snips of green
A pioneer spirit blooming pink on our frosty windowsills.
Artist Bio
Camille Riner's prints and artist books express her appreciation for the little things in life. She has appreciated being able to walk with her dog along a quiet trail, watch her 6 year old daughter marvel at the moon or sit on a hillside and see the wind move through the grass. Artist books are works of art realized in the form of a book. Riner's bookwork is based on her relief prints. Her relief prints start as blocks carved from wood or linoleum and she uses hand tools or an electric router to carve the images. The blocks are then printed using an old fashioned etching press that she cranks by hand. Riner scans and manipulates these final prints for use in her books. Each book is a combination of her prints, poems, origami (paper folding), handmade papers, beads, and linen threads. Most of her books are miniatures and easily fit in the palm of your hand. Riner has a BFA from the University of South Dakota and her MFA in printmaking from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before moving back to South Dakota she taught art and design at Southwestern Michigan College. Currently she works in her studio with her husband Paul Horsted and teaches workshops in printmaking, papermaking and book arts.