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Sunday, 15 July 2012

taking shape .....

It has been lovely working with some different materials.  Though I have worked with copper shim before, I have never played around with aluminium and explored all its possibilities ..... or at least some.  I am sure that there would be so many ways to use this material.  It embosses, it is easy to draw into, it catches the light so gorgeously and that is what I love about it in this book.  It draws light into a book that has been quite painful in the making.




Each of the four sections has three folios - the inner one with the 'story' I am trying to tell about my father, the middle pages are embossed with marks and initials and the outer pages will be stitched with metallic thread in patterns that suggest the wave lines left in the sand as the tide recedes.




I have had great fun making marks into the back of the shim and then sanding the fronts.  The raised sections made by the marks seem to shine above the dulled background.  You can see below that having taken apart the metal book cover, I have made an insert which I will glue back in as the box is reconstructed.  I am happy with the way it personalises the cover and also ties in with marks I have made inside the book.












This page above represents the tombstone ...... a symbol of death. I have engraved part of Dylan Thomas's 'Do Not Go Gently ....' into the top half.  I wrote and overwrote the poem so that is obscure but I do love the marks it has left on the front surface.  An epitaph of sorts.




It has been lovely having this book to blog about as I have been fairly focussed the last couple of weeks.  I won't go on about it anymore and till Fiona and I have our book meeting day later this month.
I am hoping to finish the book today and put it behind me.  Move on to other things.  Already I am thinking about other things I can make using the embossed aluminium ..... and there is always the copper shim I have lying around.  I wonder if you can paint successfully on it ....... I know some of my copper has the remnants of printing ink left on it and that looks subtle and wonderful.  Will play around some more but if any of you have painted on or done something unusual with shim, please let me know.
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10 comments:

  1. Noela Mills15 July 2012 at 17:46

    The embossed surfase is SO beautiful, Susan - I'm sure it woold look good on the copper shim as well - and maybe a bit of heat flares and scale to add some more colour on the copper - it is pretty stable X

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    1. susan bowers15 July 2012 at 18:18

      Thanks Noela - will definitely try those ideas. Love both shims but not a fan of their bright shiny natural state. Anything that can take the edge off will be good. Thinking dry point and inking will work well too. And acid.

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  2. Pilgrim at Kerjacob15 July 2012 at 20:37

    Hello again - just LOVE what you're doing and how you think too.
    I've also just found the quote of da Vinci on your tumblr site - what a man !

    I'm getting on with new work at the moment and its working - what a good feeling that is.

    Diane.

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    1. susan bowers18 July 2012 at 20:30

      Hello again Diane - thank you for 'getting' what I am trying to say with this book. It is hard to bring emotion to a work and not be overbearing with it. To know when to leave it be and know you have said enough. Glad you are enjoying my tumblr too. I love the da Vinci quote .... So often the marks we find in simple natural forms are our point of inspiration.

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  3. Jann Gougeon16 July 2012 at 07:48

    Such visually rich images here! Just wonderful!

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    1. susan bowers18 July 2012 at 20:34

      Thank you for coming by my blog Jann - and for your lovely comment. I have been having a delicious wander through your blog too and love your imagery and use of symbols. Beautiful work.

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  4. Fiona Dempster16 July 2012 at 20:14

    Oh my, this is coming along beautifully Susan - and lots of lovely links and connections appearing...almost there. Can't wait to see it in the flesh so to speak.

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    1. susan bowers18 July 2012 at 20:38

      Hello Fiona. I am looking forward to seeing both our books together. It has been a much tougher exercise this time around - both having our struggles with decision making. I just had to make mine and move forward.... Haven't finished as I had hoped but should do so tomorrow.

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  5. Jennifer21 July 2012 at 20:58

    A deeply moving book. I've been back to visit it several times with the intent to comment, but, until now, could only look. I so want to see this one in person, to hold it and feel the various textures, feel the weight of it my hand, to listen to the whispers of the memories that you've instilled in it. What a lovely, wonderfully artistic piece this is.

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  6. susan bowers22 July 2012 at 16:16

    Thank youforyour beautiful comment Jennifer. This last six weeks have been really raw emotionally and a little like Fiona, I seem to have been tracking through treacle. I haven't ever made a book so imbued with emotion and meaning as this one but now that I have completed it, I am really pleased with it. Our two books meet this week and then we will both be able to blog on the completed works. I have enjoyed irking with new materials too and have certainly learnt much along the way to sharewithothersworkingwith aluminum and mica.

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I appreciate your comments - thank you!