A Painter’s Book
A book that will catch the whimsy ideas of @savery.studios and hold them forever (◕‿◕🌺) ~~~ these sheets were kissed by the angelic Roselle ( Hibiscus Sabdariffa ) leaving us with the most vibrant celebration of red.
Ingredients
Recycled Bags & Toilets rolls
Premium Abaca
Cotton Liner
Bleached Flax
Cattail Fluffs
1x Sheet of Milkweed fall harvest
2g of Hibiscus Sabdariffa Powder
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The very foundation of these pages is born from an alchemy of materials—a hand-pulled blend of recycled bags, toilet rolls, abaca, cotton liners, and bleached flax. It was the introduction of the premium abaca that transformed the sheets, giving the paper a structural strength that proved it could withstand the heavy wash of a brush and raw paint. For texture, cattail and milkweed fluffs are spun into the fibers, leaving behind organic speckles like fine grains of sand. It is the perfect foundation for a painter—an earthy canvas that still feels entirely familiar to the hand.
The bleeding crimson sweeping across these pages owes its life to the dried calyces of Hibiscus sabdariffa. Rather than painting with standard pigments, I chose to release the raw, visceral energy locked within the plant itself. I ground the botanicals into a fine dust, flung them across the fiber, and watched as they bled into the paper—a chaotic, living ink taking form right before my eyes. The magic behind this dramatic bleed are flower’s is anthocyanins (specifically cyanidin and delphinidin), water-soluble pigments that act as nature's ultimate visual mood rings. Bound inside the plant's cells, these compounds react instantly to moisture and pH changes, exploding into brilliant, deep reds the moment they taste water.
Beyond the studio, this flower carries a deeply rooted cultural story. Known across the Caribbean as Sorrel, it is a beloved staple of island life. While I use it to stain paper, locals traditionally brew it into a spiced, vibrant ruby-red beverage steeped with ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. Especially during Christmastime, a jug of sweet, potent sorrel—often spiked with a heavy splash of white overproof rum—is an essential symbol of warmth, celebration, and ultimate hospitality. In Mexico, it is globally famous as one of the most traditional aguas frescas—proudly displayed in giant glass vitroleros at street stands, taquerías, and family markets nationwide. Steeped with water and sweetened with sugar (and occasionally spiced with a stick of cinnamon), its tart, cranberry-like flavor is Mexico's ultimate symbol of daily refreshment.
Pages showing the ground Sorrel interaction with the paper.
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To step into the world of my friend Avery’s paintings is to watch the very fabric of explode. Her work entirely transcends traditional form—dissolving rigid boundaries and inviting you into a dance where colors pull you in like a seductive whisper. The more you gaze into her layers, the more the canvas unfolds, revealing hidden images and secret narratives tucked within the brushstrokes.
The painting alongside her book is a collaboration between the two of us. Painting alongside Avery is a masterclass in pure liberation; she is the true embodiment of freedom in art, moving without hesitation or fear. In creating the cover for this book, my deepest intent was to capture a glimpse of her wild, painterly essence—translating that untamed energy from the canvas onto the page.
To me, Avery’s work deepens the expression of the feminine. She captures what the feminine can truly portray—not just softness, but a vast spectrum textures, feelings and expressions. It is an exploration of the womb of creation itself: fertile, unpredictable, complex, and infinitely boundless.
