- Published on
After the Dog Days of Summer, I always sense that it’s time to snuggle up and get back to whatever projects I’ve laid aside during the long, hot, hazy days.
I completed The Canopy Program- an art mentorship program that culminated in a show in NYC last June.
After every show, there is a period of disintegration and reintegration that an artist has to go through. - I took the summer to regroup and get back into the swing of making art again.
After goofing around with little, fun books, I’ve been circling back to my project Atlas, and I created a beautiful cover for the book.
This is the cover, laid flat. It measures 12x21, on dark teal cloth with acrylic paint and gel pen. It depicts four boats of the type I imagine the four lines of my family may have traveled on as they made their way to North America.
Here is a video of the book so far. Everything is temporary. The white strings you see are elastic bands holding the pages in. All the images are temporarily held in the book using tape.
I will continue to update my progress on this blog as I go.
- Published on
Painting I did in 2012! Diligent 6x8 Acrylic on panel.
Welcome Autumn!
Autumn is my favorite time of year. I relish the rain and the cooler weather.
After the Dog Days of Summer, I always sense that it’s time to snuggle up and get back to whatever projects I’ve laid aside during the long, hot, hazy days.
My summer was busy and went by quickly. Events included a family wedding and my own 40th high school reunion!
But mostly, I was trying to get back into the swing of making art after my show in NYC last June. After every show, there is a period of disintegration and reintegration that an artist has to go through. It’s really uncomfortable.
The only way through it is to make more art—even if it’s “bad art” and you have no idea what you’re doing!
So I’ve had fun doing collage and drawing in small books, including a 1999 day planner I found at Goodwill, which- BTW-is a total score if you're an artist!
It’s mostly a tongue-in-cheek exploration of aging and the funny things I do to try to hold back time.
1999 Day Planner
Books and More Books
I will be participating in the 5th annual Lake Oswego Open Studio Tour. in September. A studio tour is when a group of artists open their studios to the public, show their work and talk about what they do.
I decided I could demonstrate how to make books to the visitors. Thing is, I sort of tend to make things up as I go along, so I wasn't exactly an expert on actual book making! So I buckled down to make some books and practice my technique.
Here are a few books I have made, which will be for sale during the tour.
Below is a video of a small book made with painted paper left over from when I was doing collage with my Film Noir Series.
The colors go from bright red to golden yellow, with a few moments of midnight blue. The pages are not rectangle, but completely irregular, and each spread you can see elements of the other pages sticking out and around.
Back To School!
You may remember I participated in The Canopy Program, an art mentorship program that culminated in my show in NYC last June.
Well, I liked it so much, I’m doing Canopy 2.0!
It starts next week and will end in another show in June 2027.
I’ve also been circling back to my project Atlas, and I created a beautiful cover for the book.
This is the cover, laid flat. It measures 12x21, on dark teal cloth with acrylic paint and gel pen. It depicts four boats of the type I imagine the four lines of my family may have traveled on as they made their way to North America.
Here is a video of the book so far. Everything is temporary. The white strings you see are elastic bands holding the pages in. All the images are temporarily held in the book using tape.
- Published on
For my new series and artist book Atlas, I explore time, lineage, and culture, while also delving into spirituality, religion, and art.
For the first few pages, I revisit the adventures of my younger self, searching for meaning and engaging in a number of inspiring and enlivening communities such as New Age and Wicca, and attempt to depict a fanciful vision of these pursuits.
I envisioned a pop-up page.
Pop-up books are a whole artform in itself, and I am just beginning my first attempts at integrating them.
I envisioned a pop-up page.
Pop-up books are a whole artform in itself, and I am just beginning my first attempts at integrating them.
First, I needed to make a pop-up mock-up to see how it works.
When I got that down, I created a mandala-like shape using a stencil. I utilized a number of iridescent and interference acrylic paints to make the sparkly effect. Then I cut out bits of it to make it lacey.
Solving the Witch Problem
I really struggled with how to paint my fanciful witchy-women! It seemed the more I worked on it, the worse it got!!!
So I started looking online for examples and kept running into these adorable pictures of women's circles from the early 1900's- the height of the Spiritualism Movement! So I thought, "Screw it! Why not just trace it?" And I did, and I love it.
So I started looking online for examples and kept running into these adorable pictures of women's circles from the early 1900's- the height of the Spiritualism Movement! So I thought, "Screw it! Why not just trace it?" And I did, and I love it.
Unfortunately, I was so involved with my project, I neglected to take many work in progress pictures. So here is my finished result.
I cut out the dancing witchy-women, and all the trees. I painted the trees a bluish black and glued them down. Then I applied my mandala.
I cut out the dancing witchy-women, and all the trees. I painted the trees a bluish black and glued them down. Then I applied my mandala.
But of course, in order to appreciate a pop-up page, you have to see it move! Below is a video of me turning the page.
You may notice that after the pop-up page, I turn to another page with a similar image. This page is a work in progress, and I am still developing the concept- it is inspired by the left-overs from this finished pop-up page.
You may notice that after the pop-up page, I turn to another page with a similar image. This page is a work in progress, and I am still developing the concept- it is inspired by the left-overs from this finished pop-up page.
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It was a looooong trip.
All in all, we traveled on nine airplanes, two rental cars, and a boat. It was just shy of a month.
In case you can’t see it, this little fold out feature reads: Athens-Crete-Santorini-Plitvice-Zadar-Split-Milna-Hvar-Vis-Mljet-Korcula-Dubrovnik-Athens-Home
Seeing that this is an artist blog, I will stay on the topic of art and art-making. But, I do have a photo-album of the trip on my personal facebook page HERE.
Seeing that this is an artist blog, I will stay on the topic of art and art-making. But, I do have a photo-album of the trip on my personal facebook page HERE.
What's On Your Bucket List?
While I loved the whole trip, seeing Santorini and the ancient frescoes of Akrotiri have been on my bucket list! Those of you who have followed me for a while know that many pieces in my Archeology Art series are based on these same frescoes. Seeing them in person was truly a thrill!
If you would like to read more about the frescoes of ancient Thera, read my blog entries The Saffron Gatherers: Delight Amid the Ruins and The Adorant- Large and Small.
Art-Making While Traveling
Most artists I know (at least, most female artists I know,) lay a little guilt trip on themselves. They plan to travel and they pack some art supplies, telling themselves they are going to make art and have a deeply creative, spiritual travel experience. Then they don't do it, or do it only once, and they beat themselves up for not being a "real artist."
This was me.
I even wrote a blog entry about it a few years ago entitled My Vacation From the "Shoulds".
2024 sketch
Part of the problem was the way I have labeled myself. I had always thought of myself as an "observational painter." I don't know why I thought of myself this way, but I did. So, when I went on a trip I would haul out my little watercolors or whatever and try to paint what I saw. But it always seemed like work to me, and it was a bit draining. Not exactly inspiring.
But I don't do that anymore. I no longer put myself in a box.
But I don't do that anymore. I no longer put myself in a box.
I accepted that I really don't want to paint my surroundings at all.
Last winter I went to Mexico, and created my own sketchbook to bring with me. (You can read and see pictures HERE.)With newfound freedom I doodled and sketched and collaged and scribbled notes.
What is ironic and revealing is that I ended up making art about my surroundings quite a lot, only instead of being straight representation, it was about what I experienced, what I saw, and how I thought and felt about it. So much more than just a picture.
The Perfect Set Up
Another barrier to art-making while traveling is finding your perfect little set-up.
This looooong trip wasn't a relaxing stay in a Mexican resort. I couldn't just hunker down with a bunch of stuff, spread out and go for it. I had to travel light, compact, and be able to pull my art stuff out of my suitcase and put it away again easily.
First, I had to make the perfect sketchbook.
In this blog entry "Cool Little Travel Sketchbook" you can see what I made before I left. It is about 6x8", and I used hinged keyrings for a binding so I could lay it flat. I could also add or switch around pages as I went.
Then, I had to make my art supply set up.
The black container is a semi-rigid zippered box that used to contain attachments to a now-defunct chirogun. In it I had three small ziploc bags with:
- watercolor pencils and a waterbrush
- various pens and pencils
- two large acrylic markers and the all important glue stick!
Also included was a snap-off exacto blade, a small smoothing tool, and a pencil sharpener.
I also had two larger ziplocs; one was for an 8" gridded ruler and my collected ephemera, the other held the sketchbook.
(The only thing I forgot was a hole-punch!)
I also had two larger ziplocs; one was for an 8" gridded ruler and my collected ephemera, the other held the sketchbook.
(The only thing I forgot was a hole-punch!)
As I went along, I gathered tickets, maps, brochures, etc. About every three days I would take a break, pull out my stuff and immerse myself. I was interested in keeping a general chronology, and found I was about 3-5 days behind in any one location. So, for instance, I would work with what I had collected in Zadar three days later in Split. I even worked for several hours during our home-bound layover at Heathrow airport.
The result is a combination of collage, doodling, drawing, and journaling.
The result is a combination of collage, doodling, drawing, and journaling.
When I got home, I worked on the last few pages. Then I created the frontispiece and put fabric on the covers.
To be frank, I am not quite sure what to do with this.
It was created under limiting circumstances, and so when I look at it, I see many pages that could be improved. And yet if I go back into it and improve it, it is no longer an artifact of my trip.
So, I suppose I must allow it to be as it is, and present it to the world in its imperfect perfection.
Below are a few images of some of the more interesting pages. Below that, you can see a video of me paging through the book and unfolding a few pop outs as well.
It was created under limiting circumstances, and so when I look at it, I see many pages that could be improved. And yet if I go back into it and improve it, it is no longer an artifact of my trip.
So, I suppose I must allow it to be as it is, and present it to the world in its imperfect perfection.
Below are a few images of some of the more interesting pages. Below that, you can see a video of me paging through the book and unfolding a few pop outs as well.
Video of Greece and Croatia
(8:25 minutes long)
- Published on
As I said in my post Sketchybook 1, I tend to find sketchbooks a bit uninviting, so I have taken to making my own.
This one is a little sketchbook to take on my travels.
It's made up of a bunch of painted paper left over from the collage work I did for my Film Noir series. It's about 6x8 and is bound on the short end.
It's made up of a bunch of painted paper left over from the collage work I did for my Film Noir series. It's about 6x8 and is bound on the short end.
Below is a short video of me making the book. When the video begins, I have already created the two covers from black illustration board and used a hole punch to create space for a binding.
I wanted to have a binding that would allow me to flip the pages completely over, instead of lying flat like a book. So, I tried to make the binding with colorful string. However...
I learn by doing-- I'm making it up as I go along! I had to disassemble the book and change the binding to hinged keyrings, because the string binding was simply not working.
If at first you don't succeed... try, try again!
I wanted to have a binding that would allow me to flip the pages completely over, instead of lying flat like a book. So, I tried to make the binding with colorful string. However...
I learn by doing-- I'm making it up as I go along! I had to disassemble the book and change the binding to hinged keyrings, because the string binding was simply not working.
If at first you don't succeed... try, try again!
Look out for a future blog entry about this travel sketchbook after I've filled it up. Who know what will happen?
- Published on
I am not particularly good at creating structure for myself.
An example of a "doodle" I have been making since middle school.
Though I can be quite disciplined on a daily or weekly basis, creating an overall framework for my actions is something I’m quite blind to.
When I became untethered from the structure of college, I started to drift. Back then I had no conception of the difference between a desire and a goal.
When I became untethered from the structure of college, I started to drift. Back then I had no conception of the difference between a desire and a goal.
- A desire is something you want to acquire or have happen. They are often vague and driven by emotion.
- A goal is an objective you want to attain. It involves a plan, which means you must step back and think.
This a common problem for people with ADHD. I was in my early 30’s before I even realized I wasn’t setting goals. Eventually I compared my life to those of my peers and realized I was still living like a 20 year old- having fun, but building nothing.
Then I decided to “get serious” about my art career.
"Analyze" Page 7
I have explored this in a blog entry What's Next? Reflections on a Career in Art. I also made an artist book that explores this a bit more called Analyze. You can see a slideshow of it HERE.
When I got serious, I started by narrowing down my subject matter and style to something I felt might be salable and distinguishable. For subject matter, my love of old vintage snapshots was the perfect choice. To develop a consistent style, I created two image boards:
By doing this, I created a structure for my artmaking.
- One had images of art that I admired, but DIDN'T want to paint like.
- The other had images of art I also admired, and DID want to paint like.
By doing this, I created a structure for my artmaking.
Then, my buddy Bridget bought me a book by Alyson Stanfield entitled I’d Rather Be in the Studio. Through this book (and eventually online coursework,) I was able to build the basics of running an art business; a website, a newsletter, an inventory database, an art statement, the works.
Through this, I was able to create structure for sharing my art with the world.
The upside was that I was able to convert my desires into goals, and onto achievement! Like a real grown-up!
The downside was that my particular manner of creating structure robbed me of artistic freedom and expansive expression. The work was less about me, and more about my chosen subject matter.
The upside was that I was able to convert my desires into goals, and onto achievement! Like a real grown-up!
The downside was that my particular manner of creating structure robbed me of artistic freedom and expansive expression. The work was less about me, and more about my chosen subject matter.
After 16 years, I have proved to myself that I have the ability to stick to something and achieve my goals. But now I want to create art that is more personally meaningful.
It’s been interesting to observe myself without the intense structure of an art business. It is as if I were back in my early 20’s drifting away from the structure college provided me. Only this time, I am more experienced and self-aware. I know I run the risk of simply drifting until I am frustrated by a lack of achievement.
So, I’m looking at some options that could provide me with structure and guidance, probably in the form of a formal mentorship program for artists… but not quite yet.
I feel like someone who is newly single after a long relationship. I don’t want to settle down again just yet. I want to “find myself” and play the field a bit longer.
So, I’m looking at some options that could provide me with structure and guidance, probably in the form of a formal mentorship program for artists… but not quite yet.
I feel like someone who is newly single after a long relationship. I don’t want to settle down again just yet. I want to “find myself” and play the field a bit longer.
Sketchybook I, page 26
Order out of Chaos
I am also seeking new influences. I took an online art course by Lorraine Glessner called Mark Making as Practice. Lorraine believes that every artist has a personal vocabulary of marks that is as unique as a signature, and that mark making daily and without objective is the way to find and develop a personal style and expression.
Sketchybook I page 23
Many of the images I’m showing here have been the result of this practice.
What I have found is something I sort of knew, but has become very clear to me: I tend to create art that has a lot of structure!
It’s as if my normally disordered mind wants to create an antidote of order and peace.
Squares, circles, rectangles, and angles seem to pour out of me. They often form the basis of my figurative work as well.
Often, at some point during the painting process I pull out a ruler or a compass, and get a secret thrill of satisfaction when geometric order works its way into the composition.
Lace 40x40 Collage on panel
Paradoxically, I have a condition called dyscalculia, which is a learning disability that results in difficulty understanding numbers and mathematics.
Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes.
Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes.
Analyze page 4c, checkbook accordion book
My Sketchybook
Sketchybook I, Cover
I was recently on vacation in Mexico, and I wanted to keep up a mark making practice while there.
I tend to find sketchbooks uninviting, so I decided to make a sketchbook of my own.
I made a lovely hard back cover with a cloth binding.
Then I collected a variety of paper and some left over painted collage papers. I tore or cut them down to size, then folded them in half to make pages. I used elastic bands to secure them temporarily into the cover. This way I can move the pages around if I want to.
Sketchybook I, temporary binding
Armed with watercolor pencils, water soluble pens, markers, and a glue stick, I set up a place on the terrace of our Mexican vacation spot and worked a bit every day. Some of the images are abstract, and some are references to my surroundings and experience. I wrote text in some pages, mostly not. Some are lovely and sweet, a couple are sad, many are funny. I have a collection of images you can see HERE.
Sketchybook I, page 3
Sketchybook I, page 4
Sketchybook I, page 20
Sketchybook I, page 22
When I got home, I still had space in my book for more work, so I made a “Chapter Two” page, and kept going. I have no intended narrative in mind, yet I still strive to create an arch of experience while making and viewing the book.
Sketchybook I, page 25
My Special Purpose!
This book is a work in progress, and currently I am using it as a tool to process my letting go and rebuilding structure. At the moment, I feel excited, yet overwhelmed by the many ideas I have and directions I could go.
Sketchybook I, page 27
Shall I make art about math, or my dyscalculia? How about astronomy and astrology? Compasses and navigation? I’m also fascinated by the origins of writing. Or I could get more personal and do a book about being an aging female (lots to discuss there!) Of course, there is always mythology and stories from the ancient world. Interwoven is my continued fascination with archeology- but which archeology?
Sketchybook I, page 16
I have so many ideas! Ideas that are more than ideas, they are inspirations, notions, concepts, curiosities, paths, directions, lines of inquiry, journeys, compulsions. All I know is that it is these things, these “ideas” that make life rich and meaningful for us all.
Sketchybook I, page 26
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Art-Making While Traveling
Most artists I know (at least, most female artists I know,) lay a little guilt trip on themselves. They plan to travel and they pack some art supplies, telling themselves they are going to make art and have a deeply creative, spiritual travel experience. Then they don't do it, or do it only once, and they beat themselves up for not being a "real artist."
This was me.
I even wrote a blog entry about it a few years ago entitled My Vacation From the "Shoulds"
This was me.
I even wrote a blog entry about it a few years ago entitled My Vacation From the "Shoulds"
2024 watercolor sketch
Part of the problem was the way I labeled myself. I had always thought of myself as an "observational painter." I don't know why I thought of myself this way, but I did. So, when I went on a trip I would haul out my little watercolors or whatever and try to paint what I saw. But it always seemed like work to me, and it was a bit draining.
Not exactly inspiring.
But I don't do that anymore. I no longer put myself in a box.
I accepted that I really don't want to paint my surroundings at all.
I accepted that I really don't want to paint my surroundings at all.
I was recently on vacation Mexico.
Now, I tend to find sketchbooks drab and uninviting, so I decided to make a sketchbook of my own.
I made a lovely hardback cover for it with a cloth binding. Then I collected a variety of papers and some left over painted collage papers. I tore or cut them down to size, then folded them in half to make pages.
Now, I tend to find sketchbooks drab and uninviting, so I decided to make a sketchbook of my own.
I made a lovely hardback cover for it with a cloth binding. Then I collected a variety of papers and some left over painted collage papers. I tore or cut them down to size, then folded them in half to make pages.
I used elastic bands to secure them temporarily into the cover. This way I can move the pages around if I want to.
Armed with watercolor pencils, water soluble pens, markers, and a glue stick, I set up a place on the terrace of our Mexican vacation spot and worked a bit every day. Some of the images are abstract, and some are references to my surroundings and experience. I wrote text in some pages, mostly not. Some are lovely and sweet, a couple are sad, many are funny.
Below is a slideshow of the book. You can watch from beginning to end, or you can pause it and look at the still images by hovering your cursor over it and clicking the "pause" button that appears in the upper left corner.
When I got home, I still had space in my book for more work, so I made a “Chapter Two” page, and kept going. I have no intended narrative in mind, yet I still strive to create an arch of experience while making and viewing the book.
As I write this, this artist book is a work in progress- there is more to come with this one!
How Did it Turn Out???
To see how my Sketchybook evolved, you can read and see more in my blog entry called Structure.
- Published on
So cool, I had to share it here.
I have always shot and edited the photographs of my art. It was a learning curve, for sure, but over the years, I think I got pretty good at it.
Adventuring into the realm of book arts has posed an entirely new learning curve!
An Early Attempt
I laid my artist books open on my table on some white paper, hung up a couple of clamp lights, put my camera phone in some kind of selfy-stick thingy and did my best.
The result?
It was as if all the light was sucked out of the room.
The result?
It was as if all the light was sucked out of the room.
That, plus uneven lighting and askewed angles, laced with odd shadows. You see, the books don't lay flat, so I have to hold the pages down with pokey things and edit them out later, and my arms cast shadows all over everything.
I knew something had to be done.
I knew something had to be done.
The Wonder of YouTube
A quick search brought me to DIY-XYZ's pithy video How To Build A Photo Light Box For Less Than $10. So grateful.
You can watch the video HERE.
Before editing
Are my pictures perfect? No, they are not. Professional photographers know their stuff and are the right choice for many artists.
But after a bit (or a lot) of doctoring, I believe they hold their own, if I do say so myself!
But after a bit (or a lot) of doctoring, I believe they hold their own, if I do say so myself!
Analyze, page 9c
Below is a little video of my DIY photo lightbox.
If you would like to see more of my artist book Analyze, you can see it HERE.
If you would like to see more of my artist book Analyze, you can see it HERE.
- Published on
Analyze is my artist book that loosely explores my adventures in trying to have an "art business", and how living with ADHD has impacted my development.
It started with my attraction to analysis pads, with their columns and lines. From there, I utilized drawings (from my childhood and adulthood,) stencils, collage, and found objects.
Below is a slideshow of the book. You can watch from beginning to end, or you can pause it and look at the still images by hovering your cursor over it and clicking the "pause" button that appears in the upper left corner.
Some pages in Analyze have text, either handwritten or typed on my new, old typewriter. It may be difficult to read the text in the slideshow, so under the slideshow I have provided images with the corresponding text with each.
Added Bonus: if you make it to the bottom of the page, you can see a little video of the check ledger featured in Analyze in action!
Added Bonus: if you make it to the bottom of the page, you can see a little video of the check ledger featured in Analyze in action!
Still Images with Text:
Page One:
"I'm Special!"
I was pushing 40.
After tooling around, as they say, for most of my adult life, I decided to get serious. I was really going to throw myself into building an art career. I wanted to see if I could “make it” as an artist. I have always been told I have a “special” talent.
I thought to myself, “I’m smart, I can do this!”
I mean, how hard could it possibly be???
After tooling around, as they say, for most of my adult life, I decided to get serious. I was really going to throw myself into building an art career. I wanted to see if I could “make it” as an artist. I have always been told I have a “special” talent.
I thought to myself, “I’m smart, I can do this!”
I mean, how hard could it possibly be???
Page Nine:
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Facts Salient to This Book.
ADHD is a condition that creates problems with time management, prioritization, organization, and emotional control.
ADHD is a condition that creates problems with time management, prioritization, organization, and emotional control.
The prefrontal cortex has a lot to do with developing these skills, and that section of the brain is SMALLER in children with ADHD.
Some people’s brains will grow as they mature, so that you can barely tell the difference at all.
Girls tend to be less hyperactive than boys, and are usually just really spacy.
People with ADHD also tend to have problems with social skills. They are more prone to miss social cues, verbal, and non-verbal communication from others.
Hyperfocus is another trait. It is as if all that missing attention roars back to life and consumes everything in its path. This can be a great advantage when creating art, but is terrifically inconvenient at other times.
Everyone who has ADHD develops different coping strategies, some productive, and others destructive. One thing is for certain: it has a dramatic effect on how a personality develops, and will shape a person’s life trajectory in profound ways.
Some people’s brains will grow as they mature, so that you can barely tell the difference at all.
Girls tend to be less hyperactive than boys, and are usually just really spacy.
People with ADHD also tend to have problems with social skills. They are more prone to miss social cues, verbal, and non-verbal communication from others.
Hyperfocus is another trait. It is as if all that missing attention roars back to life and consumes everything in its path. This can be a great advantage when creating art, but is terrifically inconvenient at other times.
Everyone who has ADHD develops different coping strategies, some productive, and others destructive. One thing is for certain: it has a dramatic effect on how a personality develops, and will shape a person’s life trajectory in profound ways.
Page 11:
According to Barkley (2015) by the time they reach adulthood, most individuals with ADHD “have suffered years of feeling demoralized, discouraged and ineffective because of a long-standing history of frustration and failures in school, work, family, social, and daily adaptive domains.
Many report a chronic and deep-seated sense of underachievement and intense frustration over squandered opportunities and are at a loss to explain why they cannot seem to translate their obvious assets into more positive outcomes.”
Barkley, R.A. (2015). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment, 4th ed. New York: Guilford Publications.
Barkley, R.A. (2015). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment, 4th ed. New York: Guilford Publications.
Pages 13 and 13a:
"Incomplete too slow!"
"Take a little more time Leslie and your writing will be neater!"
"What does the clock tell me?"
"It's _________ o'clock."
Page 16a
"Dear Leslie, your talent is not a trained dog.
signed,
Your Higher Self"
Page 17
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:
1. Food, water, warmth, and rest. Basic needs.
- Check!
2. Security and safety. A safe environment.
- Check!
3. Belonging and love. Connection and companionship.
- Check!
4. Esteem and prestige. Respect and admiration.
- Check!
5. Self-Actualization. Reaching one's full potential...
-???
1. Food, water, warmth, and rest. Basic needs.
- Check!
2. Security and safety. A safe environment.
- Check!
3. Belonging and love. Connection and companionship.
- Check!
4. Esteem and prestige. Respect and admiration.
- Check!
5. Self-Actualization. Reaching one's full potential...
-???
Page 23:
Certificate of Acknowledgement
"She Tried!"
In honor of your efforts to be a "Professional Artist," we present this to affirm you did indeed try pretty hard for quite some time. You are hereby released from any and all efforts to prove anything to anybody, ever.
Checkbook Ledger: (You made it to the end!)
- Published on
The idea of doing an artist’s book has been rambling around in my head for… come to think of it, decades! I have made a few running starts at creating them over the years, but decided to focus on the more “practical” path of creating wall art I could more easily exhibit and sell.
I even imagined that one day, when I “retired,” I would start.
I even imagined that one day, when I “retired,” I would start.
Well, I guess that day has come.
An Artist's Book (or Artist Book, or Book Art,) is where the book is intended as a work of art in itself (rather than a book about art). They are usually handmade and one of a kind.
For my Creating Time: Art and Archeology exhibition, I made some small books, such as The Tiny Book of Thera, and The Nebra Sky Disc. But this book is far more ambitious, using multiple “registers,” which are groupings of pages in a single bound book.
For my Creating Time: Art and Archeology exhibition, I made some small books, such as The Tiny Book of Thera, and The Nebra Sky Disc. But this book is far more ambitious, using multiple “registers,” which are groupings of pages in a single bound book.
I have used the creation of What Is Next as a tool to help me process a new phase I am entering in my art career. (You can read more about this in my blog entry What's Next: Reflections on a Career in Art.)
It has no real narrative, but loosely explores themes relating to the transitory cycle I am in right now. I used stencils, collage materials, and sketches that I’d originally developed for larger pieces in my Archeology and Art series. I had a wonderful time making some fold-out pages- something I want to expand upon in future books.
Below you can see a slideshow of each page, or you can click on the thumbnails below for a still shot.
It has no real narrative, but loosely explores themes relating to the transitory cycle I am in right now. I used stencils, collage materials, and sketches that I’d originally developed for larger pieces in my Archeology and Art series. I had a wonderful time making some fold-out pages- something I want to expand upon in future books.
Below you can see a slideshow of each page, or you can click on the thumbnails below for a still shot.
