Under a Cold North Sky - a book of snow and ice

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Long dark winter months, with an absence of the usual diversions.

Trying to keep busy. These have not been easy days for many. A short interlude for Christmas, and then back to very quiet times.

Covid days.

Time to make a book. Always a happy diversion.

This one was created for the Instagram #areyoubookenough challenge on the topic of frozen. The challenge was started in 2017 by the book artist Sarah Maker, and brings together book artists from all around the world.

I have many images of snow and ice, and many happy memories of trips north, so the topic of 'frozen' had instant appeal.

A dive into my hard drive seemed like a good a place to start.

I searched for 'ice' and 'snow'. Up popped many images that were long forgotten.

Images from Iceland, Greenland, Finland, Yukon and Norway.  Some of the places that I am missing the most.




Firstly, a small fragment of ice from Disko Bay. Ice that has made its way down a glacier, and then broken into fragments as it fall into the icy water of Disko Bay; an iceberg graveyard.

Greenlandic ice fragment

Crystals of watery ice from a glacier. I love the intense sheen of the ice; as if made of metal.

glacial ice formation

 

Broken ice from a grassy puddle. This from Lofoten, where I was attracted by the texture of the snow crushed grass. This is the scruffy end of winter, when the snow is dirty and starts to melt; not something that is often recorded photographically.

Grassy ice puddle

Initially I  printed out many small images.
I  then experimented with different combinations and juxtapositions.

mini prints for layout experiments

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I have chosen tiny fragments of the world together with wide views. It is the juxtaposition of scale that I enjoyed when making this book.

Lofoten mountains

Some images were rejected, as they didn't work with the others, or were just too ambiguous. The one below, of reflections in Disko Bay, Greenland was rejected for not being 'frozen', even though the sea water was icy cold.

Icy water in Disko Bay

For the start of the book I chose images of snow falling at night, and a lump of ice. The raw elements of icy landscapes.

I remember vividly standing under a lampost in Finland capturing snow falling in the early evening, the snow lit by the artificial light; blowing around wildly in the wind.

falling snow

glacial ice

Then I moved through gradually larger landscapes, trying to find pairings that complemented each other.

Grass and ice.

Black on white, white on black.

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A 'landscape' of ice crystals on snow beside a tree in a field.


The images are printed on bamboo paper 110gsm, made into a concertina. The hard cover is covered with a Lotka polka dot paper in black and white. Lotka paper is Nepalese, and is easy to fold around the cover of a book.

'Under a Cold North Sky' - concertina book

'Under a Cold North Sky' - front cover

You can view the order of images in the book in the slideshow below.

I don't know when spontaneous travel will be possible again. My plans to return northwards in February are very likely to be thwarted.

But as soon as I am able, I will be heading in that direction once more.

In the meantime I will be making this book to order; my glueing skills are coming along in leaps and bounds..........