Thursday, August 17, 2006

Some "artful" thoughts...

Ah, peace and quiet! Chaos is finally outside, Don has just left for work, and me, well, I'm taking a moment just to gather my thoughts before I begin my creative day...

I will be heading out to the studio in just a few. I intend to begin working on book covers for four books and binding them. I really need to focus on getting this completed as they are for a friend and it has been some time since we began on this project.

We originally intended to create a Fat, Chunky Book and each others contributions would be bound into a Coptic Stitched book; however, there is a problem preventing me from doing that. So, I've decided to bind each book separately. If time allows and all goes well, I might even create two slipcases for inserting two of the books to slide into... we shall see. I wish I could share it with you; however the artwork created within isn't my own in one of the books. The other, I can share, since it is my contribution! Decorating the covers won't be too much to do as I've decided to decorate only my own and include some additional pieces for Linda's.

I'm thinking maybe she'd like to decorate it in her own style to compliment the book's interior pages and theme. Our theme was "Secret Doorways, Passages, and Portals" so I'll create the titles for books and allow her to determine how and if she'd like to incorporate that into her own artwork. It was a fascinating theme and I love how each of us interpreted it differently. Linda took a literary approach while I did a Tuscany theme with a journey into creativity itself.

I also am planning to add the glitter to my newest altered book endeavor and may get some additional pages prepped to play in. In the event that I don't get those pages prepped, I can always do a few of them in the evenings inside the house. Unfortunately, glitter takes a while to dry.

Another artistic creation in the works is that I desire to embellish up my artistic "In" box that I created the other day. I'm looking forward to seeing what I have stashed in my embellishment boxes that I've totally forgotten about.

I checked in with my Art Idea Journal RR group yesterday and I will soon be having a journal heading my way. Yes!!!! I took the time to look up Vicky's journal size and information and discovered she created an 11" x 7 1'2" journal with a 1/2" margin on the left in a landscape, so I can get started creating her Whimsical Writing page contributions from me. I believe I'll work on this in the upcoming evenings in the house as I can do this comfortably enough while watching TV.

Another fascinating fact about Vicky's journal is that her sign in tags are in the shape of hands, so that will be fun to create an outline of my hand to decorate and embellish with a little bit of info regarding me and my artwork on one side and the sign in info on the other. With some pre-work preparation, I'm hopeful to be able to get this journal sent on it way as I will be the last of the 17 artists to work in it and it will be headed HOME! I can just about imagine Vicky's excitement, knowing it is so close to being returned to her.

I cannot even begin to gush enough regarding these journals! The amazing artwork that each artist added to these journals is amazing. Not only are these journals artistic they are filled with techniques, pop ups, origami folding, amazing art quotes, a bit about each artist who created within the pages. I'm am trying to think up a solution to share my own journal with all of my blog readers. Maybe I'll use the newly established Flickr site to share my journal but I have to admit that the scans do not do a lot of these journals justice. There is nothing more amazing than receiving one of them and holding it within your hands!!!!

All of our journals were created in a loose leaf format with a temperary binding to be bound by each of us upon its final return home. The last I heard re: my own journal was it is an whopping 4" THICK! I had originally intended to "tip in" the pages into a purchased leather journal but somehow I am getting the feeling that thought isn't going to work without breaking the spine binding of the journal. And I so had my heart set on a leather covered tome! However, all isn't lost because I had intend to tip the pages in, all of the artwork will be one sided, so I may adhere them onto a thicker sheet of walnut ink stained pages of torn and tattered watercolor sheets and coptic bind them into a piece of leather creating my own Fat, Chunky book!

And while I am on the subject of books, I've signed up to participate in another deco swap! I have yet to determine what theme I desire and the suggested size of the book will be either a 4"x4" or a 4"x6". We did decide to work in groups of 4 people per group, yet currently only 3 of us signed up. This morning I gave some thought to the deco I desire to create and made some sketches for designing it. I know that I desire it to have a few interactive qualities to it so I plan to create some additional pages for it. I don't expect the contributing artists to fill it completely so once it returns home to me, I can add to it. I'm loving the possibilities of adding some envelopes and tags, creating a layered pop-up page, cutting some slits in the pages for decorative tags to be added to it along with a few windows. One of the things that I did on my last visit to the studio was trimming some fabric off of the fabric I'd purchased for the quilt I've yet to begin to work on. I'm now thinking I'd like to create some fabric book covers and use some of that fabric in this deco. I also think I'll add some squares of it for the deco participants to use in the even that they'd desire to play with it, too. Of course their will also be some stamping involved, I'm missing rubber stamping!!!


Well, I've rambled on enough for one day, it's time to head out to the studio and get started. At least, my thoughts are in order!!! {*smiles}

No comments: