Title | Star Spell |
Artist / Creator | Cari Ferraro |
Place of Publication | San Jose, CA |
Publication Date | 2007 |
Structure / Binding | French-fold accordion book. |
Medium / Materials | Pages digitally printed on both sides of Zerkall book paper with archival pigment inks. Background reproduced from an original watercolor painting. Text lettering reproduced from original calligraphy and digitally reversed out to print white on the dark blue background. Book is sewn into hand painted wraparound paper cover, between flyleaves of sheer Japanese unryu ‚cloud dragon paper, the front flap decorated with an iridescent star shape in the form of a fire-invoking pentacle. |
Number of Pages | 16 pages |
Dimensions (WxHxD) | 4 5/8 x 3 5/8 inches |
Edition Size | Edition of 53 |
Signed & Numbered | Yes |
Star light
Star bright
First star
I see tonight
I wish I may
I wish I might
Have the wish
I wish tonight
Though the content at first appears to be a simple nursery rhyme, the last page offers a haiku-like verse written by the artist on the art of making magic, a reference to the old ways hidden in the verse. This book structure can be gently unfolded to see the painting in the background, the words, Star Spell lettered large against the twilight sky, and to find hidden words on the reverse. When folded, this is a small book about the secret and ordinary ways of magic.
Artist Bio
Cari Ferraro is a calligrapher and book artist whose work explores folklore, writing, the old ways, sacred practice, and line in its many magical forms. She has a B.A. in Literature with a minor in Creative Writing, from the University of California, Santa Cruz, 1976, and has been sole proprietor since 1981 of Prose and Letters, offering calligraphy services worldwide. She turned her attention to making books full time in 2004, and since then has had a one-woman show, sold her books to private and institutional collectors, and has her books shown at prestigious book collector’s shows. Her 2004 limited edition book “The First Writing” was recently acquired by the National Musum of Women in the Arts for their permanent collection.