Process Shot of the Week

Here's this weeks results of my Book a Day Challenge. I started the week off by using some old intaglio prints, and then I got on a glitter kick. I've had this glitter for years, and now that I finally decided to use it, I'm totally hooked. I also started playing around more with altering or painting my own papers. I spent a while working on a mixed media sheet that I'm pretty excited to use. Needless to say, these other distractions and experiments are taking time away from from book construction, and I don't feel that all of these are as successful as they should be. But the point of this exercise is to make a book everyday, not make a perfect book everyday.

I do think this particular hardback book turned out pretty well, because I spent more time on it, and I went ahead a made a similar style, using text, mica and natural objects. This has inspired me to up my challenge for this week and incorporate more found objects in ways that I'm unfamiliar with. I'm pretty excited to make some weirs stuff, since I think that's part of what's great about these challenges: room to make mistakes and try out the unfamiliar.

At just over half way, I feel I've already gained a lot. There's something to putting my own personal touches on to a paper, instead of relying solely on the printed pattern. I'm not really learning any new stitches yet, but rather taking the opportunity to become more familiar with techniques I've only tried once or twice.

I did dip my toe back into metalsmithing as it were, since I began teaching classes at the Pit County Arts Council at Emerge this week. I haven't done anything too crazy, but it did feel good to touch metal again. It's almost time to go back, but not quite.

Thanks for reading! Happy weekend!