Cecily Callahan-Spaulding

I began my professional life as a social worker with a master’s degree, then earned a BA in printmaking and drawing at Webster University in St. Louis MO and went on to apprentice in the conservation department at the Missouri Botanical Garden.There I learned the fundamentals in restoring old, precious books and fell in love with the physical structure and materials that make up a book. I was already in love with the print, ideas and stories of books.When I discovered that contemporary artists made books that burst through traditional forms in surprising and expressive ways, I knew I had found the way I wanted to work as an artist.

I make books that are based on traditional and innovative forms. I frequently use the accordion book style in a variety of ways. I also make book houses and pyramids that communicate ideas and images inside and out. I use all acid free papers and then paint them with several layers of acrylic paint. I also design the papers using colored pencils, stamps, oil and chalk pastels, printmaking techniques and gold leaf. I sometimes use historic facts, my own poems, classic literature or just visual references for the subject matter of the books.

I also do bead work just for the love of the colors, shapes and glitter, and I often use antique beads, as they have their own stories to tell.