Artist Book: I hear doors
jai's door poemART is about what doors represent (such as opportunities, relationships, and choices), and about the doors themselves (e.g. what doors dream of). She creates her colorful abstract door poemART using her computer as typewriter/brush/paint. Her primary canvas is 8-1/2" x 11" white linen paper. ("I value texture." j) Doors and poems are printed on opposing surfaces of a folded sheet so you "open" the doors to enter the poems, which are visually linked to the doors.
           jai prints her door poemART herself, monitoring the quality very carefully. Each poemART is signed and numbered. A series of 13 door poemARTs form a limited-edition portfolio book, with the two verses of the first poem in the series forming the basis for the "doors" on the front and back covers. Three-dimensional antique "doorknobs" of varying designs are attached to the front covers, making each portfolio unique or very limited in number.

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Door poemARTs in the series are:

1--I hear doors 2--Your Door 3--Chalkboard Door 4--The Doors of Ivy 5--Trying 6--Revolving Door 7--The Heavy Door 8--French Doors 9--Hall Doors 10--Swinging Doors 11--Door Dreams 12--The Wolf at the Door 13--Sea Door

To read some of jai's garden poemART (in text-only format), click here.

I hear doors is a limited-edition artist book. The maximum number of copies will be 200. However, it is likely that the edition will be no more than 100, or possibly significantly less. Why?
           jai explains: "I print my poemART on special low-resolution printers that are no longer made. I have not yet been able to find another printer that gives me the type of low-resolution color spread that I like. Therefore, at some point soon it may be impossible to reproduce my poemARTs in the way that I originally envisioned and created them. If this happens, I will stop, and that will determine the size of the edition."
           jai is also in the process of creating a CD recording of her door poemART with some background on their creation.
           If you are interested in ordering I hear doors or in learning more about jai's artist books, please e-mail jai. Also see Come enter into my Garden artist book on Gardens page.

Life-size Traveling Exhibition
jai is also creating a life-size traveling exhibition of I hear doors. In the exhibit, each door (and some poems) will be approximately 2-1/2 ft wide x 7 ft tall. Some doors can be velcro-mounted on walls with a small copy of the poem beside them. Others will be freestanding in triangular form so a person can view the door and then walk inside to read the poem which would be in huge letters that hopefully make adults feel like children again.
           Because jai's poetry is accessible to the general public (says jai, "People constantly tell me, 'I don't like poetry, but I like your poetry.'"), and because the poetry is linked with such colorful art, jai believes her poemART can open up a larger audience for poetry. The format of her door poemART also lends itself to exhibits in unusual places because individual doors can be tucked into small spaces and lead people to explore facilities to find the next door poemART.
           Interested libraries, schools, or door companies should e-mail jai.