Catherine "Kater" Cheek is a writer and artist.
Catherine Cheek
Author's posts
Nov 12
Red Black Swallow Book
For the base of this book’s cover, I started with a piece of cotton cloth to which I adhered black paper with a block print of a swallow on it. I had some paper scraps left over from end papers from different books, so I adhered them onto the black paper with acrylic medium. I had …
Nov 07
Metamorphisis Book
I did this book right after the celadon book, so I wanted something that didn’t have any cloth except for the muslin base. I had some handmade paper, and I used decorative paper-shaping scissors to cut the Victorian frame edge. The scissors cut very poorly, and were difficult to use. I layered the gold and …
Nov 04
Fox Laughs
This was another mistake that turned out well. I started with a piece of canvas to which I applied gesso. I wanted a dark color, so I poured black acrylic on it and brushed it around, only to find that the black became grey. No good. While the paint was still thick and wet, I …
Oct 29
Celadon Book
I wanted to do a different cover for this one, one that was almost entirely cloth. The trouble I always have is how to adhere it. Gluing it tends to eliminate the soft texture, whereas sewing it means loose edges and threads. I comprimised and used fusible seam tape left over from the curtains I …
Oct 28
Nopal Tile
Nopales (Prickly pear cactus) and Agaves are among my favorite botanical subjects. Oaks and blackberry brambles are the others, but those are harder to find. The design was made freehand with slip trailed from a jacquard bottle, like the others. After the fact, I found that it’s much easier to get the look I wanted simply by using …