The Spirit Books at the Arnold-Part 7

I bring bittersweet into the house every autumn. I like to gather it early in the season when it is easier to handle. Once the orange berries are visible, they are messier when handled. Oriental bittersweet is a very invasive plant (those lovely orange berries are choking the trees they climb on) so I always dispose of the berries in the trash at the end of the season.

As I was gathering the vines for the mantle and mirror and dining room wreath, I took some especially interwined vines for a Spirit Book. I originally made the cradle with just vines but later attached them to a piece of weathered wood with the same rust colored tones.

I wanted to echo the vine with spirals. At the center of the spirals are beads and flattened circles of wire inspired by a jewelry class with Lisa Scala at Scala Art Center in Georgetown. While I haven't made much jewelry, I have incorporated a few wire details into the Spirit Books. The edges of the pages also have beads and wire rings. The paper is Lokta paper from Nepal from Paper Connection International.

I named it Spirit Book #57: Twined Salutation. Twined for the bittersweet vines and salutation for the way the book opens itself in greeting.

The Spirit Books are on view at the Hunnewell Building Visitor Center at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University until July 22. Gallery hours are 10 AM-5 PM everyday but Wednesday.