Persistance in Beautiful Surroundings

Flossy and I have been enjoying exploring our new studio 'hood on the north shore of Lake Union during our lunchtime walks.  Yesterday we found a tiny park right across the street with some really beautiful views.  Have a wander with us:

Yes, that is the Space Needle, center right.

The Freeway bridge arches overhead (kinda noisy in a white-noise way).

The University bridge is the view to the east.

Indoors, progress was made - I began working on prototype models for some books I have in mind after being inspired by the 'Word Play' book arts exhibit over at the UW which we visited late Wednesday afternoon.

About 4 inches high x 22 inches, folded Arches cover with watercolor, graphite and pigma pen.

I ended up with something completely different than I was heading for, but the process was delightful, and it was only intended as a draft anyway.

This is a detail of the inside.  The text is a memory of driving in the dark.

Later, I had a painting session that started out horrible and ended up flying happily along.  I am still getting my sea legs after my long time away from the brushes.  The struggle with my mind telling me 'oh, you can't really paint' is best overcome by just keeping on pushing the paint around until something starts to emerge.

detail, acrylic on paper

'Buoy Bag' (about 9"x6")

Wishing you a good weekend.  Persist at what ever it is that makes you smile!

Using What I Have

What to do with the ubiquitous 'less than successful' gelliplate monoprints stacking up in my studio!??

 These little folded cards are fun to make.

The directions are to be found in Alisa Golden's marvelous compendium of book making mentioned here and here.

One leads to another and another...

...and ANOTHER!

These will be flying away as thank you cards soon.  

Working my way through 'Making Handmade Books' using surplus gelliprints is a constructive and fun way to make use of what I have.

Happy mid-week to all!

Two Book Recommendations

In preparation for the upcoming Christmas holidays, I checked out a few books from the library to kindle new year’s projects.  The best one I came home with is ‘1000 Artists’ Books – Exploring the Book as Art’ by Sandra Salamony with Peter and Donna Thomas.  (Quarry Books, 2012)

Peter Thomas’s thoughtful introduction makes the claim that ‘the book is clearly the most complex and versatile art medium that exists’, and the pages which follow, featuring a treasure trove of work of artists from around the globe, proves this assertion.   
 

 

I grabbed my sketchbook as ideas for projects of my own were ignited by these hundreds of examples of the very best in contemporary artists’ books.

A great companion to this volume of inspiration is Alisa Golden’s ‘Making Handmade Books – 100+ Bindings, Structures and Forms’ which I purchased and began working my way through earlier this year. 

Alisa is one of the artists whose work is to be found in ‘1000 Artists’ Books’. 

Her clearly written directions along with additional examples of exciting artists’ books have me all fired up to get back into the creative flow of studio work.

Another few days of vacation are on the agenda but these two volumes are fine for keeping my thinking cap filled to the brim.  What are you reading for inspiration?