Caterpillar Sitched Book

Caterpillar Stitched Book

 I have wanted to learn the caterpillar stitch for a long time.  I always thought it was way too difficult to learn without taking a workshop.  I tried YouTube but was not getting what I needed….the personal touch. The San Francisco Center for Book Arts was having an online workshop on two separate Sundays taught by e bond, yes she uses lower case letters in her name and yes her first name is e.  What an amazing workshop!  I loved every minute of it and now I have made four books using this stitch.  The image above shows  my first attempt from the workshop.  I have made three more since and ready to make another one.

MAB Series 20

MAB Series 20

 This is the last one of the MAB Series.....

Video of the book…… The three artists in order of the appearance of their work are: John Arbuckle, Colleen Monette, and Elsa Bouman.

MAB Series 19

MAB Series 19

 This older gentleman is buff.  Funny how when your body ages and you look in the mirror surprised to see someone who does not meet up with the age you feel inside.

MAB Series 18

MAB Series 18

 This might be my all time favorite piece of this series.  Just think, One-Eyed Jack in a tuxedo!

MAB Series 17

MAB Series 17

 This guy has the Fonz look…..well except for the the shirt and tie.  Did the Fonz ever wear a coat and tie?

MAB Series 16

MAB Series 16

 On Thursday, the three artists who participated in the three book collaboration got together to exchange our books.  What fun to see the 60 collages that were completed in the three books.  I will share my book in a video soon.

MAB Series 15

MAB Series 15

 Have you ever seen the Peloton commercial?  The Peloton guy is totally physically fit but everyday as it is for everyone we age.  So perhaps this is what the Peloton guy will eventually look like in forty years.

MAB Series 14

Two-fer Thursday......

MAB Series 14

 I am so into how the portrait and the clothing go together.  Both make the personality of the men.

MAB Series 13

MAB Series 13

 I got so involved in starting the process for my second caterpillar stitched book that I totally forgot to post here.  I will be showing you the book I made over the past two weeks.  I took a workshop online with e bond and what an excellent instructor she was.  I loved the process and the book turned out well.  I learned a lot and am using that new knowledge to make the second book even better.

MAB Series 12

MAB Series 12

 Weathered.  That is what I would call him.  Perhaps experienced is another way of defining this gentleman.

MAB Series 11

MAB Series 11

 This one is the only woman in the series.  I think of her as Gertrude Stein.

MAB Series 10

MAB Series 10

 This guy just looks so relaxed.  Is it because of what he is wearing or his look or both?

MAB Series 09

MAB Series 09

 I wrote “hip” on this piece because even though this guy is probably pushing 90 years old, he is still really hip.

MAB Series 08

Two-fer Friday…..

MAB Series 08

 I am making up for my failure to post yesterday due to my falls.  This guy looks like he could be in a famous rock band.  He just seems so confident and ready to take on whatever comes his way.

MAB Series 07

MAB Series 07

 No post yesterday.  I went for a bike ride on Centennial Trail just north of Arlington, Washington.  All was going well until I stopped to cross a busy highway.  When i started again I proceeded to fall right over.  I hit hard and came home aching.  The aching got worse but I tried to ignore it.  Then my neighbor came over to limb a Douglas Fir that I have in the backyard.  As i was pulling out a cut limb I tripped and fell again hitting my head.  Two falls in one day did me in.  Last night was not a good sleep night and today I am icing and heating my back.  I will survive but falling as a senior takes a toll.

Now as far as this piece.  i really like how it turned out.  My portrait seems to go really well with the clothing that I chose.  He seems like just the right guy to wear this jack and sweatshirt.

MAB Series 06

MAB Series 06

 

I could just see this guy hop on his motorcycle and ride off into the sunset.

MAB Series 05

MAB Series 05

 

Can’t you just see this guy as a teacher or a businessman?  He is so serious.

MAB Series 04

MAB Series 04

 

Each of the portraits used in the twenty pieces in this series have been shown as portraits previously.  Adding a torso just increases the personality of each one.  It is like a fashion show in a way.

MAB Series 03

Two-fer Sunday.

MAB Series 03

 I wanted to try an experiment on this one.  I changed the portrait into black and white to add to the body. I like the black and white with the colorful background.

MAB Series 02

No excuses other than forgetfulness.  That why I did not post yesterday. Just plain busy I guess.
 

MAB Series 01

MABSeries 01

 Last spring I was approached to do a collaboration with two other artists.  Our task was to create twenty collages for our section of the book.   Then we were to pass that book along and make another twenty.  Finally we were to do the same in the final book.  I pretty much kept up with the pace which was about two months for completing our sections until the last book.  I could not come up with an idea for my last twenty collages.  The book sat for a long time.  I am talking all summer it sat waiting on me to get my act together and begin working.  Finally last weekend an idea came to me.  Within three days I had my last twenty collages completed.  I am calling my twenty collages the MAB Series.  Each letter is the first letter in the three different artists name.  In a couple of weeks we will get together and share our three books and have lunch out at a terrific Mexican place.

Seeded Journal 2 - 19

Seeded Journal 2 - 19

 This is the last page of the journal.  I could have entitled it Move Away from the Tiger Cat.  The abstract ness of the rectangular shaped piece directly under the tiger face could be its body although I did not intend that.  Happy accident.

Video of the journal……

Seeded Journal 2 - 18

Seeded Journal 2 - 18

 I could just as easily call this piece Sisters or Looking at One’s Self.  Tomorrow is the final day for this journal.  I hope to do a little video of it, too.

Seeded Journal 2 - 17

Seeded Journal 2 - 17

 I like the boldness on the left…large face and large UNO.  I am so drawn to her eyes.  This afternoon I finished a collaboration that has taken me months to work on.  I was part of creating 60 collages for a collaborative work in three different art journals.  Now all 60 collages are done, 20 in each one..  What a good feeling of accomplishment that is for me!

Seeded Journal 2 - 16

Seeded Journal 2 - 16

 Is it my imagination or do the circles draw one to the right….including the O in the word Song?

Seeded Journal 2 - 15

Seeded Journal 2 - 15

 I am sure that the woman is a famous singer.  She radiates an aura of someone who commands your attention because of her talent.

Seeded Journal 2 - 14

Seeded Journal 2 - 14

 I would give this piece a title......Say No to Bacon..... What is funny is that I only came up with this idea of no bacon after the piece was done.

Seeded Journal 2 - 13

Seeded Journal 2 - 13

 I have been working daily on this seeded journal which has seventeen (really sixteen but I did twice sort of) spreads.  I finished the backgrounds for the last four today and tomorrow will finish the collages.

Seeded Journal 2 - 12

Seeded Journal 2 - 12

 Perhaps they are sitting with a drink contemplating their Mah Jongg wins.

Seeded Journal 2 - 11

Seeded Journal 2 - 11

 Can you tell that I love doing the seeded journal?  A spread does not have to work together.  Each half can stand alone or in this case I tied them together with the writing “Strange things happened.”