Anna Low of Purplebean Bindery
Purplebean Bindery was born out of necessity. While in college I took a book binding class, became fascinated with the book form and couldn’t stop making books. My shelves sagged with stacks of hand-bound books so it seemed logical to begin selling them to make room for more and fund my book making habit. There are hundreds of ways to bind a book and I love experimenting with new styles. I also have favorite bindings, including the buttonhole stitch, coptic binding and accordion books. You’ll rarely find me making the same book twice also; there are too many beautiful papers and fabrics out there to be bound together. Every book I make, whither it be blank or an artist book, I think of as a marriage of form and function. I love the intimacy and interaction of the book form too. Leaf through, unfold or unroll one of my artist books and you’re actively discovering and participating in the art.
My formal education is in photography and art education, and I now divide my time more or less equally between the three, with some design work on the side and the rest of life (which includes a wonderful family, a sassy rescue mutt, hiking, cooking, and serious vegetable gardening). My home studio is bright and sunny, in Auburn, Maine.
