Module 4 - Chapter 8

Developing drawings
I have used a quince which will be part of my book, to try out simplify and repeat. I also wanted to try various medium to find which I wanted to use for the book. The first is acrylic and gouache. The lilac background is very thinned gouache which lets the acrylic show through. The print was made with a stencil cut from card and sponged.

The next page is all acrylic with the cut out of the quince used to resist the blue of the background (sort of) on top of the gold colour

This one is Markle and Brusho. I like the way the Brusho breaks up over the top of the Markle. Extra flecks of green powder dropped on wet Brusho. Three different size stencils used. I started also drawing around some of the cut out shapes but didn't like it so took it no further.

Orange and green one is gouache and Brusho. I think I just painted carefully around the green shapes on this one. I like the casual effect.

The top part is acrylic stamped with a shape made from foam and mounted onto card. Then background is Brusho.
The trees underneath are part of a great many tries at getting a forest effect.

This one is HORRIBLE and just one page of 6 or 7 tries all of which were horrible. I liked the idea of making a stencil of a tree and overlapping it, then sponging the background, but they were too heavy. However I eventually cracked it as I gave up on acrylic. Sorry it is side on.

My new flavour (material) of the month is Inktense!  I very much like the fact that you can do one colour, wait for it to dry and then use another over the top without it mixing with the first, but also can blend it required. This is a small sample.

I will be using this throughout for my book and have in fact made a start. It was looking at the work of Paul Johnson and liking the light bright effect of his work, which I think was described as pigment colouring that made the penny drop.

Gosh it takes a fair old time doing the Gesso primer doesn't it.

Module 4 - chapter 7

BOOK ART


Pop-up books have been a favourite of mine for many years, I bought a very early Meggendorfer moving book, tinted by hand many years ago but I now collect some of the modern books.


Sue Blackwell, my goodness what a prolific lady. In addition to books she has done full size installations, theatre sets and window displays for top stores. She has featured on book and  magazine covers. I wish I had noticed the Waitrose March 2012 cover I would have got a copy. Her sculptures were influenced by SE Asia when she lived there. Sue always reads her books first.


Frances Pickering. This lovely lady has a new book coming out in October called 'Under the Cover'  which shows textiles and brown paper amongst other things. I was very taken by the fact that she is selling original pages from her book 'Page after Page' with the money going to the charity Sight Savers.


Paul Johnson has work in the Tate Gallery and New York. He is on the Craft Council's select list of British designer - makers. I think his books to encourage young children in literacy etc are amazing. I was able to purchase one of his books on line for 1p! + p&p what a bargain as well as fine one in the library. He will definitely be influencing my own book at the end of this module.


Jan Pienkowski. I love his sense of humour and have several of his books for children and some which I think adults would also love.  If you ever get a chance to see Botticelli's Bed and Breakfast it is great. I was showing it to a close friend when she said she had been at university with him and knew him well. Our Polish Builders have helped me pronounce his name correctly at last.


Robert Sabuda. I have many of his books, my favourites being The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. I actually bought the former in Kansas City and was slightly miffed at finding it for sale in the UK. These two both have mini books inside many of the pages and W of O has a pair of 3D glasses to see the Emerald City. I also have some of his lovely greeting cards.


Kate Farley is a lady who also teaches book making and finds it complementary to her own creative practice. She used collage, photography and print making and likes to make work that "challenges visual interpretation of site, space time and experience".


Ron van de Meer claims he was the first paper  engineer to insist that adults could be as fascintated by pop-up books as children.  He has produced books on subjects such as architecture, music and psychology which have been best sellers. Pages can be opened to reveal 3D items of The Sydney Opera House, sailing ships, an orchestra or a volcano.


Paper Engineering and altered books seem to be a natural progression of my decades long love of origami stemming from my childhood Rupert Bear books which I have passed on to my own children and now grandchildren. 

Module 4 - Chapter 6

Raising the Surface
On the top of this first sheet I have taken Viv's idea and used my tracing wheel. It had also sat unused for about 35 years! The first square is done in wavy lines in two directions and the second in only one direction. I used a piece of foam underneath, but think that felt would have been better as suggested. The bottom two are cut out and partially stuck down stars and cut Vs of various sizes. I very much like the latter and have done many variations in the past.

The second page, top l.h. corner, cut and partially folded back. Top r.h. corner, probably a bit too subtle to show up but it is corrugated finely in both directions and looks a bit like damask. Bottom l.h. various size holes punched with an old dental instrument (I think used for tightening braces?) An interesting effect, but the throat is not very wide, so limited to edges. r.h. creased and stitched.

Third page top, split plastic straws woven through slits. Very bouncy. Middle commercial punch of cats cut out and stuck back slightly offset. Bottom black and white strips woven with thick punched dots glued to the squares. Quite fiddly. The thickness was supposed to cast a shadow, but it doesn't show.

I am a fan of origami, from way back when I used to look forward to my Rupert Bear annual with a new thing to make (with my mother's help) and I think some of the above is related to that. Anyway very enjoyable.