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Thursday, April 30, 2020

Yokohama

Yokohama

Interpretation.  That is what I am doing.  I have about seventy pages in my junk journal and I am loving filling it with envelope pieces and ephemera sent to me from art friends around the world.  In this case the background came from New Zealand I believe.  A note from the artist was on the back of the note card.  I added the figure which came from a matchbook and I added the words.  Yokohama was written with a graphite pencil.  We have been encouraged to use our own handwriting in our work.    

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Intrinsic

Intrinsic

I am taking the year long Carla Sonheim workshop this year.  She has several artists who teach workshops each month.  This month Kara Kramer is the instructor.  Our task is to create a personal junk journal.  We are to add paper, writings, paint, words, whatever we like to each page in the journal. We let the page evolve into what it is going to become.  I created my own journal for the task and decided to add pieces of envelopes from snail mail to each page along with ephemera that I have been sent.  Intrinsic is my first completed page.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Another Foldout Book - Accordion - Cover - No. 11

Another Foldout Book - Accordion





Another Foldout Book - Cover



Another Foldout Book - 11

No. 11 is the last of this series.  I “invented” the cover and closure using the new paper I got that is manufactured in Montreal.  This paper is very easy to work with and seems to be very hardy.


Monday, April 27, 2020

Another Foldout Book - 09 and 10

Another Foldout Book - 09 and 10

I have a fascination with stamps.  They add a great deal to a collage.  I especially like how the stamp from India gave balance to the collage on the right above.  For me it brings my eye downward thus causing movement.

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Another Foldout Book - 07 and 08

Another Foldout Book - 07 and 08


Lighting is so important when photographing art and the shadow on these two pieces must have been caused by the shadow from the iPad.  I used white transfer paper asemic writing on each of the works in this series along with graphite pencil.

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Just Another Foldout - 05 and 06

Just Another Foldout - 05 and 06

I mentioned that I wanted to have only male figures in this series.  No go on that.  My next idea was to have abstract figures such as the ones you see on the right.  That was more promising.  Still not a total go on that idea.  No matter.  I like what I came up with.  All the figures are from vintage match boxes.

Friday, April 24, 2020

Just Another Foldout - 03 and 04

Just Another Foldout - 03 and 04
I started this series wanting all male figures this time.  That proved to be difficult in my collection of ephemera.  The paper strip that divides the mustard and the celadon came from my friend Sally.  She sent me an email saying that a package was on my front porch.  Indeed!  It was a fabric book with collages and embroidery on all pages.  It is just lovely.  I had to do something with the wrapping paper that she also made.  Thanks Sally!

Here is her handiwork:

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Just Another Foldout - 01 and 02

Just Another Foldout - 01 and 02
I wanted to do another foldout book and I wanted it to be somewhat different in nature.  I am still contemplating how the structure of the cover will be.  I recently received a package of exciting new papers from Talas.  I discovered the new papers while watching a video by Bari Zaki who is a bookbinder from Chicago.  I really like the grade of paper I received and will design a cover for this foldout from that paper.  Stayed tuned on that.







Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Journal with Two Pockets

Journal with two pockets

Journal with two pockets

I am taking an online workshop with Carla Sondheim that is a year long.  In the class Bari Zaki, a Chicago bookbinder, taught a lesson on how to make a two pocket journal that also had a center section.  I decided to spice it up a little with a gelli plate piece in which I was experimenting.  

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Retchoso Bound Book with Embroidery

Retchoso Bound Book with Embroidery

Cover of Retchoso Bound Book with Embroidery
An artist in West Virginia sent me three embroideries which have all now been showcased on the covers of Retchoso bound books.  This is the last of Vera’s handiwork.  Two of the books will be returned to her as soon as I can either go safely to the post office or figure out another method for mailing the books.  I was told that PayPal has a service so I have to investigate that.

Monday, April 20, 2020

Accordion Foldout Book - Asian Inspired - 10 and 11


Accordion Foldout Book - Asian Inspired - 10 

Accordion Foldout Book - Asian Inspired - 11



These two are the last of the series.  I have boxes upon boxes of ephemera to go through.  So who knows what will come next.  I hope you enjoyed this series.

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Accordion Foldout Book - Asian Inspired - 08 and 09

Accordion Foldout Book - Asian Inspired - 08 and 09

I have started on a new foldout which has mustard yellow for one of the background colors.  I am wondering if it will look much like the “gold” which actually looks like mustard yellow in the two collages above.  We shall see how it photographs.

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Accordion Foldout Book - Asian Inspired - 06 and 07

Accordion Foldout Book - Asian Inspired - 06 and 07

 After finding the traditional Japanese women images I pulled out my vintage Japanese ledger papers to use as the final bit of ephemera for each collage of the book.  All eleven are very similar.  They look great together standing on a table.  You get the flavor of them being together above.

Friday, April 17, 2020

Accordion Foldout Book - Asian Inspired - 04 and 05


Accordion Foldout Book - Asian Inspired - 04 and 05


The gold paper comes from the ancestral papers that one can purchase at an Asian Market.  These papers were the gold and orange ones.  When I added them to the cadmium and NY Times backgrounds I still did not know where I was headed with a focal point.  I was a bit worried about pattern and what would go with what I had already adhered.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Accordion Foldout Book - Asian Inspired - 02 and 03


Accordion Foldout Book - Asian Inspired - 02 and 03

One Sunday edition of The NY Times include an ad that had a marvelous print.  I kept it for a long time and found that it complimented the cadmium color that I used in this book.  The cadmium Gelli print and the patterned paper from the Times sat in the accordion book for months before my next idea came to me.  More tomorrow.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Accordion Foldout Book - Asian Inspired

Cover for Accordion Foldout


Eleven Collages in the Foldout



Foldout - Collage 01

I have been working on this book for quite awhile, almost two months.  I made the book in one setting and put it down.  I did the cadmium background in one setting and put the book down.  Then I got sick and while in bed I started working on backgrounds.  Try and imagine me working on collages with a clipboard as my table and a glue stick as my adhesive.  Every different piece of ephemera was a task because I had to take off the glue stick cap and put it back on each time so that I would not get glue on the bed coverings.  I finished the book today.  Each of the collages has similarities.  I will talk more about them as the days progress.

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

More Fun with iColorama

Vegetables Ready for Roasting


Roasted Vegetables After iColorama Play

Cropped Image of Roasted Vegetables 
Some time ago before Tim put the vegetables in the oven for roasting I took a photo.  A couple of days ago I downloaded that photo into iColorama and started playing around using different elements of the application.  I then cropped my finished playing around which is the last photo above.


Monday, April 13, 2020

Playing Around with iColorama and a Vintage Photo


I have been playing around with iColorama again and decided to combine a vintage photo with a photo of one of my encaustic pieces.  Basically the final image below is  many steps in iColorama  of the encaustic piece overlaid on top of the vintage photo of the men.
Vintage Photo

Encaustic Piece



Vintage Photo (unknown subjects) iColorama additions

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Retchoso Bound Book with Home-made Papers

Retchoso Bound Book with Home-made Papers

I was scrounging around this afternoon looking for a post for today and came across this Retchoso bound book that I did recently.  I made the paper a long time ago and never used them.  I love the boldness of the covers.  Maybe that means I have to do something bold on the interior pages.

Retchoso Bound Book with Home-made Papers

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Accordion Book with Minimal Collage and Haiku

Accordion Book with Minimal Collage and Haiku

Accordion Book with Minimal Collage and Haiku

Accordion Book with Minimal Collage and Haiku

I neglected to add these photos to the last entry on the Haiku with collages a few days ago.  I have not added the Haiku in the vintage typewriter font yet.  I will soon though.  Everyone stay well.  Happy Easter.

Friday, April 10, 2020

Retchoso Bound Book with Embroidery

Retchoso bound Book with Embroidery
This is the second book that I have bound with my new friend from West Virginia, Vera.  She did three embroideries for me.  My plan is to keep one and send two back to her.  One of the two going eventually to WVA is for another friend there who connected Vera with me on this project.  I love collaborations.  Thanks Vera.  Your work looks fabulous on the cover.


Retchoso Bound Book with Embroidery

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Wrap Case and Retchoso Bound Book

Wrap Case with Retchoso Bound Book
I had received a wrap around case with two paper enclosures from Bari Zaki in Chicago.  Both enclosures, one for taking notes and one for addresses were glued into the enclosure.  I liked the format so much that I decided to use it to wrap a Retchoso bound book.  Bari’s creation had a locking device to keep the case closed.   I decided to try out sari ribbon.  Success!


Wrap Case with Retchoso Bound Book

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Retchoso Bound Book with Embroidery

Retchoso Bound Book with Embroidery

As you know if you tune in frequently I asked viewers who wanted to embroider something for a book cover to please send your work my way.  A West Virginia friend has a friend who does embroidery.  So when they met for coffee Julia mentioned my task and Vera jumped on it.  She sent me three embroideries and this is the first one that I used.  Thanks Vera for your amazing handiwork.



Retchoso Bound Book with Embroidery

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Situational Haiku Series - 11

Situational Haiku Series - 11
This one might be my favorite of the series.  This is the last one but I want to revisit the idea and do more of them.  They were really fun to create.



Situational Haiku Series - 11




Monday, April 6, 2020

Situational Haiku Series - 10

Situational Haiku Series - 10
I am taking a bit of writer prerogative today with the syllables in this Haiku.  Or is that writer’s license.  By using an apostrophe with the name “Len’s” instead of “Len is” helps with the number of syllables in the last line.  What say you English grammar experts?  Is that allowed?

Situational Haiku Series - 10

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Situational Haiku Series - 09

Situational Haiku Series - 09


Sometimes I amaze myself.  Where do these names come from?  I have never heard of a pet called Snorky.  Why did that name suddenly appear out of nowhere?  Kind of bizarre!

Situational Haiku Series - 09

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Situational Haiku Series - 08

Situational Haiku Series - 08

For me the simplicity of just a few elements in a collage opens the collage to many different possibilities for a narrative.  Some might think it is limiting.  Not me.  I could interpret a variety of narratives in short order.


Situational Haiku - 08


Friday, April 3, 2020

Situational Haiku Series -07

Situational Haiku Series - 07
I don’t remember if I mentioned that each of the collages are in an accordion book.  One end of the accordion is glued to the inside cover so they fold out and can stand the book open.  On the eleventh day of this series I will share the book.

Situational Haiku Series = 07

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Situational Haiku Series - 06

Situational Haiku Series - 06


It took awhile but I was able to download a vintage typewriter font into iColorama to use for writing the poetry on the collages.  The book that these collages are in only have the collages which are at the top of each blog entry.  I have to printout the Haiku and paste the poems right onto the pages in the book.  I hope to get that done soon.

Situational Haiku Series - 06

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Situational Haiku Series - 05

Situational Haiku Series - 05
Creating a collage with the elements so exposed is very different for me.  I like trying new things or ways of creating. For me it keeps things fresh.  That does not mean that I won’t use techniques that I have in the past.  It does mean that I am always hunting for or thinking of new ways to express myself.



Situational Haiku Series - 05