I've taken part in a loose page swap in my European Altered Books group. We traded 5x7 pages last year and carried on again first thing this year.
Being a part of an AB group has really enriched my experience living over here. I've had so much fun working in and seeing all the books people have come up with over the years. Yet after last summer I had to step back and take a break for awhile. There just wasn't enough time to accomplish everything I had set out to personally do, and the books were just eating up so much of the limited time I have to create.
I've made a decision that I can only continue to join swaps if I can limit the amount of time I expend on them. So because I needed six of the same pages for this project I attempted to use copies for the first time.
After copying the original design, I altered the pages further with some nestled tissue paper behind punched holes and some sewing. I liked the simplicity of the black and white as well as the repeat usage of only two hand-carved stamps. In winter it implies sharp ice, in spring grass. In summer it's the rays of the sun and in fall it's the wind.
Trying to use restraint, I went with black thread for the stitching, and in hindsight I wonder whether that was a good choice or not. In any case, what's most important to me is that I can continue to provide decent quality work and enjoy the relationships with other artist friends in Europe without expending every last minute of creative time I have.
Aha, so that is the idea behind the B&W work! Thanks for the page, and I think that the envelop it arrived in, is a piece of artwork as well! Loved the pretzels.... :D
Posted by: Jacqueline | February 01, 2010 at 04:58 PM