10/24/2007
AltTxt1 : "working working"
Here are a couple more spreads from my ongoing altered text project, Odyssey. The project continues to move right along; I have about 70 pages completed at this point.
« pages 164 & 165 »
The media for p. 164 is watercolor and colored pencil; for p. 165 they are gouache and Sharpie. Each page also had a gesso base layer.
The design of p. 165 was inspired by an old, syndicated episode of Frasier in which a painting could just be seen on a far wall of the main apartment. I only caught a quick glance of it, but it suggested a somewhat-cubist flower vase that seemed like a cool idea to include on a page.
Text:
thought...ask...spoken...
messages...tell...statement...
told...asked...messages...
question...statement...type...
working working
I was working and just splitting persistently in need.
It was obvious that I was going to be
I was going to be
!psycho!
He infuriated me.
I want a good thing now!
« pages 84 & 85 »
The media for these pages include watercolor, colored pencils, gel pen and Sharpie (alcohol ink pen).
Text:
He was a little absent-minded.
"You have been spoiled probably."
Increasingly I suspected he was splattered crazy.
Sorry.
No way.
Manic outrage didn't ruffle the truth.
.
15:30 Posted in Project:AlteredText1 | Permalink | Comments (6) | Email this
09/07/2007
AltTxt2 : Digital/Physical challenge
In early summer, I managed to get four new pages completed in my secondary altered text project, and those four became eight. This project is being worked on with the AlteredText Yahoogroup, and is based on Catching the Light by Susan Pope. As with the first page completed in this project, I tackled these four pages with digital media first, then reproduced the digital versions with natural media. The process thereby provides a double-challenge. It's fun to try to stay faithful to the spirit of the digital original while juggling the necessary limitations of physical media.
These images show both versions displayed together. In each image, the digital page is on the left, and the physical page is on the right.
Page 160: "Look at the patterns."
Physical media: marker, wax crayon, colored pencil
Page 161: "In a spot of fun, of mischief, I have drawn the drawing of the single braid."
Physical media: acrylic medium, ballpoint, marker, gesso, watercolors
Page 184: "a five-letter word, a five-letter word" (with many 5-letter words highlighted)
Physical media: acrylic medium, watercolor, Pitt pens, colored pencils
Page 185: "Overall doodles in ink - blue, black, purple."
Physical media: ballpoint pens
This book is shaping up to be a little experimental, a little serious, a little silly and a lot of fun. Unlike my primary altered text project, this one has no ongoing story. Each page stands on its own which means almost anything can happen.
I like that. ;)
00:00 Posted in Art:Digital , Project:AlteredText2 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
07/05/2007
CofA: Additional Assembly
The CofA "assembly line" continued with the addition of some tiny collage pieces to several of the book's pages. Not every page received one, and this representative spread didn't receive any at all, so there's nothing to see for this step at this time.
The next run-through found me doodling a little something on each spread. 
Using my after-dinner-watch-a-little-tv time, a page or two of doodling was completed each passing day, and eventually, every (or nearly so) spread had a little extra scribble of something or other.
The latest step was adding crayons on nearly every spread. The idea was to impart accents of coordinating color, not to cover the best of the watercolor bases. This spread received some of the more enthusiastic crayoning; most of the spreads received a subtler crayon treatment.
As of this time, that's where this project stands. I've known what I want to do next, but haven't had a chance to implement it as yet. Thus stay tuned...this tale will continue!
Technorati Tags: altered books, art journals, collage, angels, mixed media
23:05 Posted in Art:Process , Project:CofA | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
07/04/2007
AltTxt1: "fervent hope"
Here are a couple yellow/orange/brown spreads of altered text from my long-term Odyssey project.
« pages 128 & 129 »
The media for these pages include watercolor, gel pens and Pitt markers, on the customary base of gesso.
Text:
fervent hope
I would hope
would hope
I would hope
I agreed to see him.
To my surprise, I discovered two.
They glowed.
They wait.
He would be giving his part.
His part: extraordinary, personal regard, completely convincing.
He loved.
We shared.
« pages 156 & 157 »
The decoration of page 156 was inspired by a banner advertisement I saw somewhere on the internet. (Nice to know those ads are good for something.) Over the gesso base, I used wax crayon and colored pencils.
Page 157 required more effort than it appears. After the gesso base, I used Masquepen to lay down liquid frisket over the selected text areas. Aside from a quick test on a far back page, this would be the first use of frisket in this book. I also masked off the page margins with low-tack tape. With the page thus prepared, I sponged on a variety of watercolors, adding a few splatters as well. When the paint was dry, I lifted the tape, removed the frisket and added the brown marker outlines. I'd thought I was going to do a bit more, but the sponging turned out so well that I decided the page was finished.
Text:
I told myself I was likely to fade
(knowing he was magic)
I said I was telling myself I was circling.
I couldn't see.
I waited, then said...
Some questions, my questions, answer the questions!
I said, I said, I needed to know, I needed!
Now?
— Bientôt.
Technorati Tags: altered books, art journals, palimpsest, altered text, mixed media
22:43 Posted in Project:AlteredText1 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
06/14/2007
AltTxt: "he knows no problem"
Squeezing in a slice of time to post another spread from my ongoing altered text project Odyssey.
« Pages 140 & 141 »
Page 140 illustrates an intense colloquy, and the page design is intended to depict the contrasting emotions of the speakers. I love it when I find such useful paragraphs as this one containing four instances of the word "notice;" great providence! This page is gouache and colored pencil on a gesso base.
Page 141 continues the story after the conversation falls silent. Gesso base followed by watercolor and topped off with Sharpie extra-fine markers.
Text:
he:
can't you
No, I can't.
I'm okay with--
But I don't like--
I don't think--
now I feel--
I think--
he:
notice
notice
notice
notice
I--
I'm--
what the--
He knows no problem.
As I paused, I looked for one
Then I examined, studied the problem.
watching him watching
He said nothing to me.
Technorati Tags: altered books, art journals, palimpsest, altered text, mixed media
07:15 Posted in Project:AlteredText1 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email this