It is so easy to be distracted in the studio isn't it! At present I am actually doing the research and raw sketching of ideas for a body of work on 'a sense of place' - large etchings mostly, with overlays and some collagraph work as well. As I am missing some essential tools, and waiting for a trip down to Brisbane on Friday, I have been pottering in the studio as you saw with the rusting, and have also just come back from a few restful days at the beach.
This little book was part of my distraction last week - whilst pondering what to do with the rusted paper I made. It is only just underway - not stitched just held together in a bundle to which I will probably add. I want to work the book as a single folio so needed to hold it together while I worked the pages. It has been fun bringing together some of the ideas revisited in Fiona's and my collaborative books - transparencies, piercing etc etc. However, some of my passions come here to play - broody dark pages and secret messages or meanings. It is a book for me so I can play as I will. What a delicious thought.
Strangely, though not so really, this tiny book holds many of the images and ideas I am working on for my etchings. I think there must be an overlap of ideas when one is working towards a body of work. The same ideas and thoughts just spill over into all that we do, even our playful distractions.
I think it is easy to see that I am having fun ..... and working with this colour palette is certainly my comfort zone. Mind you - I am seriously drawn to red this year .... if you look at my tumblr you will see how I can't resist pulling into the monochromatic play, gorgeous splashes of red. I think it may also be a response to seeing Fiona's subversive stitch book for Book Art Object. How I wish I had committed to doing one or two of those projects .... think of all the beautiful little artist's books that will result from the idea. Maybe next year.
mostly neutral with a dash of red pretty much describes me to a 'T' (and I don't just mean my colour-wheel preferences hee he hee)
ReplyDeletewell Ronnie, if my neutrals and red splashes passion describes you to a tee, it figures that I would like you! More seriously, it is a delicious combination. I just need to start using red in my own work - haven't got there yet, but think I will eventually.
DeleteThese pages are really sensitive, and evocative. A beautiful book.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jo, I certainly hope that this little book will end up being evocative and sensitive. It has been fun making it reflect our land here in Montville - putting in marks that signify special corners of the 10 acres, and just generally trying to suggest a sense of belonging.
Deletei like the quality of the marks on this little tea bag paper book (at least, it looks like that abaca). the (possible) fragility is not apparent in the strength of the marks... wonderful juxtaposition to my mind.
ReplyDeleteThanks Velma - I am aware as I work the book of this lovely juxtaposition. The pages are so delicate and so some of them I am layering with other tea bag material, or some pierced transparent paper. I have enjoyed working into the marks given me by soaking the bags for a brief while in ferrous sulphate. Many of them suggest the vegetation on our land - parts are busy, parts are rainforest and parts we have cleared have tall cloud trees with their trunks showing all the way to the forest floor - quite gorgeous. HOpe I am able to pull this all together with my etchings.
DeleteWhat a gorgeous little book....I'm in love with the surface, the marks and the uneven pages....LUSCIOUS! Thanks for sharing and know you are having a fine time of it! -- P.
ReplyDeleteHi Patti - you well know how lovely it can be working into tea bags. Yours are always so whimsical, poetic and fresh - mine seem to be deep and broody, probably because I worked them with a little ferrous sulphate. However we work them, it is good fun. At the end of the day, I want my little book just to tell the story of our home and the land around it. To reflect the growing sense of belonging I have. I have only been here two years though Steve has been here since 1994. Important for me to feel I belong!
DeleteI really like the textures, layers, subtle blues, soft (almost Renaissance) browns and grays here... this is just lovely work... very evocative & fine. It was a good thing you needed to wait for new materials and had to "play"!!
ReplyDeleteHello Ann. Thank you for coming by my blog and having a look. There are some nice things happening here with those layers that you mention - some of it my work but so much of it serendipitous when you are working with processes that manipulate the surface you are working on. I actually love that challenge. Very often I think the pieces we 'play' with are so much more interesting than those we labour over! Hope that doesn't happen with the work I am planning of course, but I do often find that to be true.
ReplyDeleteTo me this wonderful little book reads like a series of mysterious maps. Some of your descriptions, "not stitched but held together in a bundle" and "a sense of place" got me thinking about some pieces I need to create for a future exhibit...all of a sudden... those two phrases generated some possible directions...thanks!
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly what I wanted to convey - a series of maps - emotional ones really reflecting my love of and bonding to this land of ours. Glad it triggered a creative response in you.
DeleteYou are really in my comfort zone with your subdued colors and muted textures... and how amazing that we both are planning to use our hand made books to help guide the way through our body of work... though you are way ahead of me.. I have barely begun my hand made book.. I have actually never made one before.. and I hope the making of the book will help me with my next direction in my new body of work.
ReplyDeleteHello Donna. I think you and I have quite a similar way of seeing though our work is quite different. I am often looking at your blog and tumblr and relate to the images you pick up and share. I have been in this home with my new partner for about two years and we have worked hard on the land - this has given me a real sense of belonging and that is why I am wanting to do this body of work on a 'sense of place'. It will be fairly obscure to others - but I will know that each mark represents a favoured corner, or rock/boulder, or tree etc - walks and tracks through our ten acres, sheds and tanks (squares and circles!) but all imbued with meaning. Looking forward to starting it but still enjoying playing with the little book.
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