| Title | Forest Queen |
| Artist / Creator | Camille Riner |
| Place of Publication | Custer, SD |
| Process / Technique | Digital ink jet printing. |
| Image Process | Relief prints carved and printed on printmaking press, scanned and then digitally collaged. |
| Structure / Binding | Tetra Flexagon |
| Typography | Epson Ink Jet Paper |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 2 x 6 inches |
| Edition Size | Open Edition |
| Box / Wrapper | Paper slipcase |
This is book created from a relief print entitled Forest Queen, done after the arrival of our first bee hive. The poems in this book express an awe for nature and the rejuvenating aspects walking in the woods.
There are two poems in the book, the first is about bees and reads:
Forest queen
Your driving force feeds our dreams.
Making,
Creating.
A working hive.
The honey flows.
The second poem is about enjoying the lush wonderfulness of summer and reads:
Footsteps soft beneath your feet.
Birdsong splashes on your face.
Roots flow like skirts from the waists of trees.
An umbrella of leaves opens above your head.
Linger for a while in this refreshing shade."
The four panels of the book are viewed by "flipping" the book "inside out" from the center fold to reveal each panel. Sometimes categorized as a puzzle book, this structure from Alicia Golden's book Expressive Handmade Books. Forest Queen comes in a matching case.
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.