Today I sent off my traveling altered book for swap-bot. I am quite pleased with how it came out so I have to share. I bought a used, children’s hardcover book for 10 cents at the library. I cut a square window in the cover and painted over the book canvas with many layers of gesso. Then I used watercolor and salt to create a sky (with the intentions of it looking like stars, but I don’t know how well that worked). I wanted to have a night-time forest-like look and once again, I’m not sure if that is really how it looks, but I still like it. The grass of course is a common theme and style through my artwork and the tree was something new. I used corrugated cardboard and texture was perfect. And then inspired by the felt art in The Science of Sleep, I titled the book in felt and then named it “Stories”
On the inside back cover I created a library card for each artist to sign. The back of the card had the following text: According to Wikipedia, the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” is a proverb that refers to the idea that complex stories can be told with just a single still image.
I would like to inspire each of you, in your own unique style, to create an image that lets later viewers create a story from your images. Possibly, a different story for each different viewer.
My favorite books as a child were picture books that had little or no text in them. I was able to pull from my own imagination, a story, from the pages. My hope and concept for this book, as it travels the world, is to return to me filled with many stories. Stories aimed at the wonder and magic of life, stories that can be filled with light and childlike amazement, as well as, the dark and evil nightmares that haunt our dreams.
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Thursday is the debut of This American Life the television show. Ask me how excited I am. I am trying to organize a This American Life Party at my friend Nikki’s house. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I am basically asking a friend who never really has listened to the radio show to have guests over to watch this because she has Showtime. I think she’d love the radio show though, I think everyone would love it. If you haven’t listened yet, what are you waiting for?
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