| Title | Omina Caelestis |
| Artist / Creator | Jennie Hinchcliff |
| Press Name | Red Letter Day |
| Artist's Nationality | United States |
| Place of Publication | San Francisco, California |
| Publication Date | 2014 |
| Process / Technique | Laser print and hand lettered text |
| Structure / Binding | Vade Mecum binding |
| Medium / Materials | Ginga bookcloth used for clamshell box and book. Hand lettering incorporates sumi ink, hand stamping, and colored pencil |
| Paper Stock | Hahnemuhle Ingres and Fabriano Elle Erre papers |
| Number of Pages | 10 pages (when unfolded) |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 5.875 x 2.125 x 1.25 inches |
| Edition Size | Edition of 10 |
Omina Caelestis features the constellation charts of Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687), a Polish astronomer famed for discovering ten constellations, seven of which today's astronomers still reference. The narrative of Omina Caelestis incorporates both a modern day story line (first folded page layer) with a re-telling of classical Greek myths (unfolded page layer) hidden at the heart of each page. Hevelius's star charts guide the reader through folding and unfolding each page, giving them an opportunity for discovery with every page. It is this feeling of wonder and questioning that I feel is crucial not only in my own work, but in the work of Hedi Kyle. Interesting storytelling, unusual structure, and an understanding of craftsmanship: these are the tools that Hedi has shared with book artists, so that we can create evocative books containing beautiful tales for the future.
Artist Bio
As a "near-native" of San Francisco, Jennie Hinchcliff has been creating artists books since 2001. Her works can be seen in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art's Special Collection, the Cooper-Hewitt National Museum of Design, and the Franklin Furnace Archive (among others); she has shown work at the San Francisco Center for the Book, Pyramid Atlantic, the New York Art Book Fair and the Tokyo Art Book Fair. She is represented by Central Booking Gallery in New York City. Jennie's personal work can be seen in the books 1000 Artist Journal Pages (Quarry Books, 2008) and "500 Handmade Books: Volume 2" (Lark Books, 2013). She is a co-author of Good Mail Day: A Primer for Eye-Popping Post, which explores the many styles and formats of correspondence art. Her blog Every Day Should Be A Red Letter Day highlights the creative connection between the USPS and artists.