Hello Reader,

UPPERCASE #70 is making its way in the world.

This is the July-Aug-Sept issue—please don't expect it to arrive until early July in North America, and a bit later overseas! There's always a wide range in delivery timeframes, and I appreciate your patience. New orders will dispatch on non-holiday weekdays from my fulfillment partner. Thank you!

Use the code perfectcircle for CA$15 off subscriptions and renewals through the end of June.

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The open call deadline for issue #71 has been extended until July 22.

Reader Submissions

Bound to be Beautiful
by Bari Zaki

In Bound to be Beautiful, I share my approach to making a range of handbound books that are not only lovely to look at and hold, but are also a joy to use. Whether you are entirely new to bookbinding or already have experience, I offer a variety of techniques, structures, and projects to explore and experiment with.

Throughout the book, I guide readers through each step in detail, sharing numerous notes, tips, and techniques that I have found especially useful in my own practice. The book structures I have chosen for each chapter lend themselves to many different purposes, from drawing and collaging to collecting ephemera, preserving memories, and displaying photographs.

I always encourage my students to use their books. While a freshly bound book is certainly lovely to behold, it is only when we begin to fill its pages that it takes on a life of its own. I also include Resources and a Glossary to help readers locate materials and continue their bookbinding adventures.

​Instagram / Website​

Bari is also featured in UPPERCASE's book Rag & Pulp:

Wild Journals
by Susan E Porter

My love affair with colour and books has been a long journey beginning with creating handmade Valentines in 2nd grade. Later, in my working life, I was part of a team that developed bookmaking, printing, and paper-making kits for classroom teachers. We carved and printed with rubber stamp erasers, made paper out of everything, and created books in all shapes and sizes. That experience crystallized my love of books, paper, and paint into a lifelong endeavour.

I started keeping journals in my 20's, which have evolved from white-lined pages to many-hued pages that often include pop-ups, cutouts, windows, prints, and folds. And now, in my 80's, I've had plenty of time to explore, create, and share my passions with students of all ages. What I do is just plain fun, and I am so grateful I've been able to spend so much of my life in these creative pursuits. Website​

The Whale That Carried My World
by Diana Tohar

This handmade artwork shows a whale carrying a small village on its back, built with layers of paper, watercolour, soft blues, floating clouds, tiny fish, glowing windows, and small signs of life.

On the surface, it feels whimsical and almost childlike. But I created it during my son’s cancer relapse, when art became one of the few places I could safely put what I was carrying. I was not trying to make a piece about grief or caregiving. I was simply trying to create something beautiful while living through something unbearable.

Years later, I understood what my hands had made before I had language for it. The whale became a quiet record of weight, tenderness, responsibility, and survival. It reflects the heart of my creative practice: gentle handmade work that carries something deeper beneath the surface. Instagram / Website​

Low-Pressure Wonkiness - Perfectly Imperfect
by Jutta Schneider

When did art-making become so stressful?

Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves, even when we’re just practicing or trying something new?

For me, a lot of it came down to perfectionism. I expected every piece to look “right” — even the ones that were just meant to be experiments. It quickly took the joy out of the process and I ended up with frustration instead.

At some point, I stopped trying to get it perfect and just did it "roughly" instead. All of a sudden, things clicked! By simplifying shapes and allowing things to be a little off, I discovered a more playful, wonky way of drawing. It felt lighter, more human — and, most importantly, it was fun again.

If you feel like you need that reminder, too, I turned this approach into a class. It’s called 'Low Pressure Art-Making with Wonky Shapes' on Skillshare and 'Procreate Illustration: Bold Art with Wonky Shapes on Udemy'. Instagram / Website​

Looking for inspiration?

Use the code perfectcircle for CA$15 off subscriptions and renewals through the end of June.

Look inside the new issue