Amy LeePard, Exhibitions Chair
Northport, Alabama

Amy LeePard is a bookbinder and letterpress printer in Northport, Alabama. As the daughter of a graphic artist and a printer, Amy discovered her parents' imprint of aesthetic and craftsmanship through her love of the book arts. Amy earned her BA in Community Arts from New College and is currently a candidate for the MFA in Book Arts at The University of Alabama. With a background in photography and architecture, she has worked independently with book artists and printers to learn binding, letterpress printing, and hand papermaking. Amy creates one-of-a-kind and edition handmade books under the imprint Painted Bunting Books and has a special interest in historic book structures. Amy has served the Guild of Book Workers as National Exhibitions Chair since 2010 and as Secretary for the Southeast Chapter since 2009.

Website: paintedbuntingbooks.com

Axis Mundi

Axis Mundi is a late Coptic, sewn-board binding covered in full leather over laminated papyrus boards. Decorative techniques include handstitching, blind tooling, and handcut designs inspired by sacred geometry and Islamic design. Encapsulated between the laminated papyrus boards of the front and back cover are messages to two bookbinders who have been a great inspiration to me. These messages of gratitude, imprinted within the structure of the book, hold the history of my place within the lineage of this craft.
Goat leather, laminated papyrus boards, linen thread.
4 x 5.5 x 1.25 inches; 10 x 14 x 3 centimeters. Created 2013.