Plaster Blaster

One of the best things about working with Bridgette and Jen on our collaboration is the fact that their incredible talent and creativity is pushing me in new and exciting directions. My last post highlighted my first contribution to Jen's metal pages. First time using metal as a substrate. In this post you can see my first page in Bridgette's book. First time working on plaster pages.

Bridgette's book pages are fantastic to work with. Strong but pliable. Textured and absorbent. Her theme is trees. And here is my page:



The plaster pages lend themselves to layers and texture:





And of course...there has to be some trees:

Heavy Metal

Working on my collaborative project with Bridgette and Jen has been such a pleasure. And a challenge. Click on the links above to see the beginnings of their books. And click here to go to a previous post with photographs of the start of my book.

Each of our three structures is so different. Bridgette's plaster pages. Jen's metal plates. And my vintage-page book. And each of our themes are different too. Bridgette's Book of Trees. Jen's Shine. And my Contexture.

The images below show my first go round on Jen's metal pages. Never worked on metal before and this project has got me hooked. Thanks Jen! Click the images to enlarge.

FRONTSIDE





BACKSIDE

Contexture

2009 is turning into the year of the collaboration. In addition to several collabs that I began in 2008, I have started quite a few more in the first three months of this new year. One project that has recently begun is a collaboration with Bridgette Guerzon Mills and Jen Worden. We each created our own individual handmade book structure and chose our own theme. My chosen theme is Contexture. We will each be working in all three books multiple times over the course of the next year. Here are images of my cover and the pages that I have completed in my own book to start this project off. Click pictures to enlarge.

CONTEXTURE:
1. The act of weaving or assembling parts into a whole.
2. An arrangement of interconnected parts; a structure.
3. Interconnecting text and texture.

Book Cover
Details


Inside Front Cover
Detail
Sign In Page
Detail - and no...that is not me!
Back Cover
Detail
Book Pages - not yet altered

Peak Week

Some weeks are good. Some weeks are great. And some weeks are peaks! This prior week was definitely one of those in terms of art!

1. Received my copy of Cynjon's new zine, Varietist Muse. I was lucky enough to have a number of pieces of my artwork published in this issue, including the artwork pictured below. This inaugural volume is the "You Say You Want a Change" issue. Click this link to see sample pages and to buy this gem.




2. Worked on papers to send to Lynne and Julie for our Graffiti Wall collaboration.





3. Completed the Global Guerilla (k)nit in with Jill from Jazworks and didn't have to "post" bail! Thank you grrl & dog for sponsoring this cool collaboration.




4. Received Jill's book to work in for the Inner Works Altered Book project. The book is already spectacular and the theme, Designs in Nature, is right up my alley. Here are a few details of Jill's stunning pages. And the last two shots are details from one of my pages in progress.






5. Worked on some other art projects, to be revealed soon.

6. Finally got around to photographing an amazing package of treasures I received a while ago from Karen Cole from Artsortments. If you are not familiar with her amazing copper and acrylic pieces, run right now to her blog! Thanks KC!

My Cup Runneth Over

This is a time of giving thanks. And thanks to the generosity of art bloggers coupled with my love of leaving comments, I have been the winner of three different giveaways in the last few months. My cup runneth over! I thank each of these artists and would like to share their generous offerings. And if you haven't been to their blogs yet, click on through!

Thanks go out to Baxter and his owner Grrl from grrl & dog. Thanks to Baxter's love of treats and Grrl's generosity, I was the lucky winner of a stash of art supplies pictured below. What is really notable here is the creative and absolutely one-of-a-kind way Grrl (and Baxter) chose the winners. You must click here to watch the video. It is worth the stop!








Shari Beaubien, a talented mixed media painter, gave away 4 gifts on her blog Painting by Heart. I was the lucky winner of a hand-painted, quilted folder complete with a small fine art print of one of her paintings filed inside. Thanks Shari!





And Tony & Lisa from Zoa Art had a giveaway for no reason other than their generosity and I was a lucky winner of this amazing mixed recycled-metal heart. And the handmade pouch it came in was a bonus!




Thank you all!

Unexpected Surprises

Never having been in New Mexico before, there were certain things I expected to see. And certain things that never entered my mind. One of the later was happening upon an amazing store, Shibui, specializing in Japanese furniture, antiques, and so much more. I felt like a kid in a candy store but I limited my purchases to the following: part of a Japanese weaving loom, housed in the most beautiful sleeve, and 4 bundles of vintage Japanese paper. Click images to enlarge.







Right before I left for my trip, I received a surprise package in the mail from Lynne Hoppe, of Heart and Life fame. I call her "The Bone Whisperer" and if you look through her blog you will know why. She sent me a wonderful gift, which I thought was such a great preview of things to come in New Mexico. Thanks Lynne!