e x 13 .....

Thirteen Envelopes - which is the title of this collaborative project until we find its name.  At last I have begun to think about how to fill, create, rationalise this project.  Actually to be quite honest, I have just started into the work and have decided the rationalisation will have to come later.  I could not find a story line or thread to bind the ideas together so leapt in head first and started printing and embossing and will see where this leads.  Then I will think of the story line!  Certainly not the best way to work but I claim artistic licence to forge ahead blindly .....

The work seems a little like rehashing ideas that I have had already but I realised that in Fiona's and my collaborative work, these ideas have not yet been used.  Our play date was yesterday but we decided to work in our own studios as neither of us at that point had any idea what to bundle together to take to the other's studio.  We both felt we needed all our 'stuff' around us - to grab and inspire.

Yesterday afternoon we spent an hour together for show and tell, and in the actual showing to Fiona I realised that a story line in my work was starting to take shape.  Fiona has begun with a story and her work is coming along beautifully.  I decided not to take photographs of hers knowing that I would post only on her images and not include mine.  She can show hers off.

I must add, that it was a real shot in the arm just to get together and chat about the work.  How lucky are we to have this happy collaboration.  Sometimes when working always alone, I find it difficult to move onto the next thought.  Not quite true - I seem to have a thousand thoughts, but sometimes I just seem frozen.

some of the materials I am working with

the introduction of some etching marks

leather and paper embossing

more small etchings

beautiful small sheets of soft paper - delicious for embossing

gorgeous brown deckled paper bought years ago

this envelope story almost resolved

my favourite so far - you can't quite see my scratching marks on the transparent envelope

This project will be complete during the following week and Fiona and I will get the 'books' together.  There was a quote on an artist's blog, one who had been to see the exhibition in Brisbane a week ago, saying that my 'standing stories' pushed the boundaries of bookmaking.  I rather think that calling our collection of envelopes pushes those boundaries too but am reminded that a book, essentially, tells a story.  And as such in my mind, anything then that tells a story can be called a book.  When Fiona and I visited the 'Cover To Cover' exhibition a month ago, the curator had written 

                                              BOOKS ARE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE IMAGINED.

fungi and friends .....

A lovely walk this morning after incredibly hot weather.  Everything brittle and crunchy after months and months of drought.  Some very beautiful fungi to photograph.  Again, the images speak for themselves.  I think they may make lovely images for drawing one day.

love these deep shadow shots - image not altered in any way

Del - up close and personal.  She had some amazing shots.

Interesting in black and white

They look a little like concertina paper lanterns

Wim sketching while Del and I walked and photographed

rust and standing stones .....

It is December and the silly season is upon us ... and once again I am completely disorganised.  At present I would rather be working in the studio but have been so weary from hard work on the land, that I drag my feet a little there too. I think for the next month at least I will be happy to post once a week.

It was wonderful having Fiona as my blogging initiator - but boy, what an act to follow.  I think I have only just worked out that it is okay if I don't get round to posting as often as she and Barry do ....... Maybe once we have finished clearing our land and are in the 'maintenance only' stage of living here, I will spend more time in the studio and have more of interest to show and tell.

I wanted to make some more of my 'standing stones' stories.  There are a couple in the shop over in Maleny but I haven't had any around at home to play with.   I cut and folded these yesterday and now that they are up and standing, I can see what else they need.  Some need stitching, some need piercing and so on.  It will happen over the next few weeks but this week and next I really must concentrate on Fiona's and my next collaborative piece - our thirteen envelopes.  We gave ourselves till before Christmas and that is approaching at a rate of knots.  I really wish I had worked on mine when we made the envelopes together as my inspiration was running high.  I am just not sure where I tucked it.

Fiona and I have a play day at the end of this week and we were going to head to Brisbane to see a couple of exhibitions.  We are however, going to spend the day making a solid start on our project.  I am sure that once we start, the ideas will return.  At least I hope so.

Here below are some of the photos I took of the second state of some of my 'standing stories' - still work to be done but I am liking the way the rusted papers work in with them.  I want to print some black and white ones next.

 

rust and remnants .....

I spent most of Monday in the studio rusting large sheets of paper to print on and make some more Standing Stories.  Once the papers have gone through their various solutions, they dry on pieces of butchers paper or packing paper which is thicker has has a shiny smooth finish.

The marks left behind on the paper backings are often more gorgeous than the rusted papers themselves though I did manage to get some lovely results.  I have a couple of days ahead in the studio and I will start using the large sheets.  It will be fun as mostly I am used to rusting A3 size or smaller.  These sheets are A1 and A2 size and I think the rusting will add interest to some of my 'stories'.  I have not yet decided whether to leave them as they are or use layers of ink wash to add interest and tone down the rusty palette.  I find rusting is often my starting point - not the end point.

The first five images below are of the remnants and the remaining photos are snippets of the full sheets. I hope I don't mess them up tomorrow once I start working with them as they are quite beautiful already with the happenstance of the rusting process.

Oh - and I decided to keep the back papers for wrapping paper!  There are many more of them than those I photographed. Really rather exquisite.

artist's book exhibition and bookplates unbound .....

Yesterday I spent a wonderful afternoon down in Brisbane - a double exhibition.  Book Plates Unbound and a marvellous Artist's Book Exhibition.  You will see the invitation that was sent out by Wim and Adele at the end of this post and if you have the chance to visit this exhibition in the next week, take it.  There is some really amazing work there - very beautiful, very varied, often surprising and definitely worth a visit.

I have the privilege of knowing a number of the artists represented in the exhibition but there were some I did not not know and wow, I will certainly be watching for their work down the track.  More of that later.

Firstly, Book Plates Unbound.  This was a project conceived by Gael Phillips and Wim de Vos in which 31 Queensland artists took part.  We were each asked to produce a book plate, print 40 of them and submit them with an Artist's Statement.  These book plates were then tipped on mount paper and boxed with separate statements and translucent paper interleaves.  The resulting boxed set is stunning - beautiful to handle and presented very professionally in Solander boxes which have been stamp printed.  I will actually post on my copy of this edition during the week.

Below you can see the book plates hanging so we could all have a good look.  A lovely variety of images and each image very indicative of the type of work each artist makes.  I am honoured to have contributed to the project and will always cherish my edition.  

This is a display of the plates which were used to print the book plates and they are very beautiful in their own right.

The entertainment was marvellous - pity their was no room to dance!

Here is a glimpse of just some of the work in the exhibition - I didn't photograph many details of pieces because  I don't think it is my right to do so, but just to whet your appetite and hopefully send you scurrying along to see the work in detail - here are a few peeks.

books by Adele Outerridge

book by Grahame Bligh

tunnel books by Wim de Vos

books to be opened and enjoyed

Fiona Medhurst - Silhouettes 

two books by Glenda Orr

a couple of my books and others

two photos with details of Philomena Drakes'  Old Stuff and New Stuff

Wim's Chrysler Building book

another of Philomena's books

There were so very many books here that completely captured my imagination.  I am only going to mention a few and one of those must be about my absolute favourite book - Silhouettes by Fiona Medhurst. I often talk about keeping it simple - not over working images.  Not that I manage this all the time and I am sure some of my work looks quite laboured.  This book by Fiona is the very essence of simplicity.  Linocut images in black and white printed on a page of semi transparent printing paper, the same forms used again in a different arrangement on the page below and so on.  Some of the pages have one form picked out in red and in varying degrees, images from the pages below show through forming a gorgeous poetic dance of fluid form.  To me it is the essence of simplicity and beauty combined.

Another work which captured my imagination was Mena's (Philomena Drake) work Old Stuff  New Stuff  is another such simple book - simple in concept I would say but very intricate in the binding which she said  Adele helped her work out  - a  very old fashioned form of coptic binding which was necessary to get through the pieces of cedar wood.  I guess I was drawn to this piece initially because of the rusty bolts and wood, but the more time I spent with it, the more I noticed.

An artist whose work I did not know and now will watch out for is that of Glenda Orr.  Initially I was drawn to her folded book Log Forest - a very strong piece folded down from a single print. However, next to that was her boxed, unbound book the title of which I am ashamed to say I don't remember.  I remember her prints and embossings within however and these just need to be seen.  Exquisite, detailed use of aquatint and such perfect embossing that I am completely envious. I would dearly loved to have photographed some of these to share with you but as I said earlier, I didn't  feel I have the right.

Though I have on written about a few, there were many, many wonderful pieces both in the artist's book exhibition and in the Book Plates Unbound.

A few of the books were chosen to be bought for the State Library Collection of Artist's Book by Helen Cole, and I feel honoured that one of my books was amongst those chosen.  A good day for me all in all.

________________________________________________________________________________

Hello Everyone,

You are invited to our exhibition opening at 2.00pm, Saturday 24^th November 2012 (see attachment for details).

Bookplates Unbound, a project initiated by Gael Phillips and Wim de Vos will be opened by Anne Jolly from Novel Lines bookshop, Paddington

Artists’ Books, work from the Studio West End ‘family’ will be opened by Helen Cole, Senior Librarian, Coordinator, Australian Library of Art, State Library of Queensland

Both exhibitions will be open daily for viewing daily 10.00am to 4.00pm until Sunday 2^nd December

Also attached is the brochure for our 2013 Summer Workshop in Printmaking, Book arts, Drawing and Painting which starts on Monday 7^th January.

You may enrol for one, two or three weeks starting whichever week suits.

It will be an exciting three weeks of learning and creativity...............and fun too............

Enrolments are open now. We look forward to hearing from you.

Regards

Adele and Wim

If you wish to unsubscribe please let me know.

Adele Outteridge Wim de Vos

Studio West End

35 Mollison St, West End, Qld, 4101, Australia.

Phone/fax 07 3844 8469 (+61 7 3844 8469)