The 4th irregular page book

I have completed four of these books now and that will be it for some time I think. I really got into these and am glad I pushed past my resistance of working on irregular edged pages. Like usual I have several other things in the works.  I am doing some prep for my gel plate printing class I am teaching March 21st.  Scroll down and you will see my class listed. https://www.remarqueprintshop.com/
Can you believe it is March!

Front Cover

First Spread- 

Second Spread

Third Spread

Fourth Spread

Center Spread

Sixth Spread

Seventh Spread

Eighth Spread

Ninth Spread

Back Cover

Yes Another Book!

Still winter here in Albuquerque- nothing like what my friends in Minnesota are dealing with- we had a half an inch of snow yesterday- anyway they city freaks when it snows- late starts and some closures- I realize some got more in other parts of the metro- I stayed in- they drive crazy already  but add snow and yikes... so best to not be on the road!!
For what every reason I am still loving these irregular painted paper books- I completed one yesterday. I am so thankful to be retired and can spend a day in the studio.

Front Cover

Conversation with my heart

Love Work

Thinking Things Through

Key To Understanding

I Can't Outrun The Memories

Can't Escape The Ticking Clock

Easier Said Than Done

Unwanted Traits

New Chapter New Connections

Back Cover

Another Irregular page journal

Greetings- Sometimes I get so excited about a book idea or a book concept that I have to just keep making them.  I think what hooks me on these is the randomness of them.  Starting with painting paper on both sides. These were done with brushes but I am thinking of maybe doing some gel plate prints for pages. Hard to believe it is the start of the last week of January!

A different book for me

Greetings- my first post for 2020.  I retaking an online class with Fonda Haight Clark titled The Down Deep. https://www.fondaclarkhaight.com/ I am getting a lot out of it again- she is generous with her content and includes several bonus videos.  One was a junk journal of sorts- using painted papers that you didn't like and tearing them up and making a book- that is what I did here.
Most of my book structures that I make are pretty straight forward- even pages with covers.  This was way out of the box for me and I loved it.  Once I tore away making the pages- I made them into this one signature book or journal. Then I just started in- I had a big pile of collage fodder next to me on my table and I just picked things that called to me. There are few words in it- on one spread are the words from a song by Jim White titled Jailbird. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2piahmVEUY and the other is a fortune from a fortune cookie I got a while back.
The photos start with the cover and then go to all the spreads to the back cover. I may at some point put something on the cover.

Now if the cleaning fairy would get over here

and clean up my studio table...

A collage afternoon.

I had a very pleasant afternoon with 3 other collage artists.  This is a small collage group I am part of- The group's name is: People Who Cut Shit Up.  Suzanne Sbarge hosted this at her home. I have loved her work for years and was so excited to get to know her and collage with her. https://www.suzannesbarge.com/  I had been working on a self challenge of making 5" x 7" collages using 5 elements or less.  I had composed some of these before this get together. I changed up some of the compositions and then glued them down. I have yet to title these. This set are all collaged on monoprints

Solstice!

Once again time just zipped by. While I don't do much of the holiday stuff- the frenetic energy is all around it seems. I am nit much for the holidays really-  for many it is the emotional crescendo of the year. And while the end of the year is a closure of sorts I find it a great time to sit a bit and see where I am now- think about where I want to go with my art. Time to feel the gratitude I have in making the friends and finding like minded people in the art groups I am a part of. I have much to be thankful for. Ron and I have been here in Albuquerque for a year and a half now and so many good things have happened and there have been many challenges.
I am taking a class- a short online one with Fonda Haight Clark. https://www.fondaclarkhaight.com/.  The class is titled Dream on and I am find the exercises to be meaningful and like all of her classes- I think about things from a new perspective- see my life with a new set of lenses.
I wish you all a wonderful new year- may it be filled with love- good health and art!
The images are of some of the spreads I have made- the first though is my Solstice card.

This spread is about naming the things I do not want to carry into the new year.  I love the word anodyne. It means pain killer. That is what some of the things are. So while I am not much for new years resolutions this looking at things has more meaning to me.

One of the exciting things that happened this year is that Zach Collins https://www.zachcollinsart.com/ and Jennifer DeSantis https://www.facebook.com/LadyJennd/ and me...have started a new collage group here in Albuquerque.  Scissors and Glue ABQ.

I designed the little  title piece for our FaceBook group. We are meeting once a month and we have a collage prompt challenge each month.

Back to the Journal

I can hardly believe it is Thanksgiving this week- Part of that is about me now living in the SW. Yesterday we walked along the Rio Grande with a T-shirt and lite cotton shirt over it and jeans- where we use to live they have snow and cold temps. I am loving it here for that reason and many others.
The medical challenges here have been in the forefront. Things are getting better for both of us but some things are slow.
I have been taking and still am- a terrific class, Mixed Media Journaling. Sketchbook Skool is where the class is- their online classes are terrific and so well done- terrific videos and  not only for the techniques but you get to see and listen to each artist talk about their work and their creative process.https://sketchbookskool.com/about 
I am very much a visual journaler- it is how I process things.  I had stopped for a while but this class got me right back into it. I made 3 journals and picked one of them for this class.

The covers for these are very heavy watercolor paper that I painted and stenciled. They are

5 3/4" by 7" closed. The pages are also a watercolor paper but much thinner than the cover.

This is the first spread- the spread is 11" long and 7" tall.  There are many techniques here- collage, paint and stenciling.

This is the second spread- same measurement. The split down the center is because the two sides open up  to a fold out which is the next spread. Same techniques here but I also used some texture rubber stamps. The background colors were from a piece of deli paper I had painted.

This is the fold out- so it is 22 inches long. I titled this one.

Thought Stream

I painted the background and added layers of collage