TUNNEL BOOK
Friday Bookmakers Inspiration! We Stand (Sit?!) Together, Making Books! (7)
I have been honored to work with a wonderful group of “older adults” at the Craft Contemporary Museum in Los Angeles, offering a series of workshops teaching bookmaking techniques, and providing a forum for creativity, imagination, sharing and story.
The remainder of our series, “Crafting Our Stories By Hand” has had to be postponed due covid19.
Therefore, I have started an email newsletter to keep our community going, offering tips, images and sharing the work these makers are doing at home while “sheltering in place”.
Sharing these newsletters as a blog post makes their contents available for any and all. It inspiring to see what these makers have done and are doing during these crazy times.
Dear Readers, Bookmakers, All,
I am happy to bring you images, tips, inspiration and learning for your bookmaking journey.
I hope you are all well, staying safe, and creating!
You might want to check out the “Crafting Our Stories By Hand” blog post below…it holds wonderful photos of you all taken during our workshops at the Museum. So photogenic you all are (as Yoda would say!)
Also, you can check out all of our weekly newsletters in blog version here:
This week, we have Vicki sharing a circle book! Fun, whimsical, and what a great challenge to put to oneself!
She says,
“Took a on-line class from book maker Kit Davey. This circle book was made with double sided paper. If you enjoy origami I think you would enjoy making this book.” (I added in the link if anyone wants to further explore artist Kit Davey.)
WOW!Sandra created two glorious books, and she says,
“The first book is a simple blank book on cardboard. I watched an online tutorial from The Broad aimed at children — to create their own artwork in the manner of Mark Bradford. So that’s what I did for the covers. Just layered paper scraps, sanded them, then layered some more, and repeat. Just joined pages with copper wire rings.”(I added in the link if anyone wants to further explore artist Mark Bradford.)
My second book was supposed to be based on a winged book from the Alisa Golden book. I deconstructed an Ed Kienholz catalog and reconstructed it. The only difference between mine and the winged book is that I didn’t glue the connecting pages together — because I liked the triangular aspect. I made a little belly band out of an interior translucent page.(I added in the links if anyone wants to further explore artists Alisa Golden and Ed Kienholz.)
Well that is it for this week dear Readers, Bookmakers, All,
If you are able, and so inclined, email us back to share something book-related, or anything of interest you wish.
Stay Safe, Stay Strong, Stay Well, Stay Sane
STAY CREATIVE!
And as Sandra says,
“Craft on!
STAY CREATIVE!
And as Sandra says,
“Craft on!
Friday Bookmakers Inspiration! We Stand (Sit?!) Together, Making Books! (6)
I have been honored to work with a wonderful group of “older adults” at the Craft Contemporary Museum in Los Angeles, offering a series of workshops teaching bookmaking techniques, and providing a forum for creativity, imagination, sharing and story.
The remainder of our series, “Crafting Our Stories By Hand” has had to be postponed due covid19.
Therefore, I have started an email newsletter to keep our community going, offering tips, images and sharing the work these makers are doing at home while “sheltering in place”.
Sharing these newsletters as a blog post makes their contents available for any and all. It inspiring to see what these makers have done and are doing during these crazy times.
Dear Bookmakers,
I am happy to bring you images, tips, inspiration and learning for your bookmaking journey.
I hope you are all well, staying safe, and creating!
You might want to check out the “Crafting Our Stories By Hand” blog post below…it holds wonderful photos of you all taken during our workshops at the Museum. So photogenic you all are (as Yoda would say!)
Also, you can check out all of our weekly newsletters in blog version right here.
This week Vicki completed an elaborate Tunnel Book, so in addition to sharing it here, I am including images that show a step-by-step process of making a simple version of a Tunnel Book, as well as some samples from a workshop I attended a few years ago at the Hammer Museum, where I learned how-to!
Vicki’s Tunnel Book, in her own words,
“This is about the sixth try. I tried it wrong in every way possible, wrong size, wrong paper, wrong idea etc. etc. Given that, I am happy with this effort.
I have been spending the remainder of my time collaging, altering paper and marbling. By the way, it is World Collage Day on May 9th!” (I added that link!)
WOW! gorgeous piece! A real monkey habitat!
“This is about the sixth try. I tried it wrong in every way possible, wrong size, wrong paper, wrong idea etc. etc. Given that, I am happy with this effort.
I have been spending the remainder of my time collaging, altering paper and marbling. By the way, it is World Collage Day on May 9th!” (I added that link!)
WOW! gorgeous piece! A real monkey habitat!
In pictures, here is a “how-to” to create a simple Tunnel Book:
And some very fanciful examples of tunnel book, from a class where I learned to make them:
An here are two magnificent book projects completed by Sandra…terrific photography also. Sandra says,
“I made my first book from my stash of vintage prints of women’s fashions — I think 1940s? Backgrounds are printed patterns found online. Used an old cardboard box as the base. And an entire stick of glue!”
Wow. This is like a tableaux or theater…interesting that both Vicki and Sandra did books that created visual scenes BRAVO!
More from Sandra:
“My second book is a fan book. I started with a Langston Hughes poem ‘Harlem Night Song’ — and then created my version of Harlem at night with song.” You certainly did, Sandra. Wow. I am blown away….
Also, if you can, please join us by ZOOM next Thursday April 30th at 5pm…see details right below.
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Well that is it for this week dear Readers and Bookmakers and Both!
If you are able, and so inclined, email us back to share something book-related, or anything of interest you wish.
Stay Safe, Stay Strong, Stay Well, Stay Sane
STAY CREATIVE!
And as Sandra says, “Craft on!
Until next time…
Tunnel Vision
It was fantastic to teach a workshop on Tunnel Books for families, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
The Tunnel Book is comprised of two accordion spines, or “sides”, connected by a “backdrop” and “cross pieces” or frames attached to the accordion folds working from the back fold and moving forward in space.
The mise-en-scène is then created through the addition of images/shapes/materials attached to the crosspieces and creating actual depth of space between them.
Students of all ages employed tremendous imagination and creativity as they “tunneled through” the process of making, adding pop-ups, folds, “doors” and even a “floor” to their works.
The work of our hands…
Tunnel Book “doors” employ illusionistic effects as the image transforms when they are opened.
Heart “balloons” floating up into the “sky”…
A work depicting the perfect day…with drawings of the Calder works in the Directors Roundtable Garden in front…
The artist wants the viewer to finish the sentence!
Happiness, happiness…
One really feels like one is entering a theatrical space here…
This young maker worked very hard to design this piece so that the images moving back in space made sense on all fronts…BRAVO!
And what is inside this book? The structure in front of it is a home for the five-year-old maker’s new pet ladybug!
ROAR!
Art, Theatre, Life and Literature… come together, at our beloved LACMA!
“Tunneling through” at the Granada Hills Branch Library!
It has been exciting to lead programs at the Granada Hills Branch Library of the LAPL, as part of my Artist in Residency there: “We Write the Book“, supported by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, participants created multi-dimensional “Tunnel Books“, theatre-like structures comprised of a backdrop attached to an accordion-folded “spine” on either side.
Makers then added their own “cross-pieces” , cutting out strips in the shapes of mountains and more, and attaching them to the spines so that they traversed the width of the book, creating a place to add figures and other images to create their unfolding story, tableau or diorama.
As usual, attendees wowed with their use of color, shape and materials, imagination and creativity!
It is a materials world.
Families work together.
Attention to detail.
Making is an active sport.
Careful cutting.
Focus.
Sketching out the concept.
Use of feathers animate the image.
Majestic purple…
Showing off the completed book!
Creating a beautiful place to be.
Was this maker hungary? He created an ice-cream shop…
Fun use of materials.
Brilliant colors, black framing and carefully chosen use of select materials make this piece a stunner.
If you are in the area, join us for a Winter Community Celebration at the Granada Hills Branch Library on December 19th from 1:30 – 5PM.
There will be “Envelope Bookmaking”, refreshments, sharing of works, and lots of fun!
Tunneling Through (2) Too
Tunneling Through (2) Too
It was fantastic to teach a workshop on Tunnel Books for families, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The Tunnel Book is comprised of two accordion spines, or “sides”, connected by a “backdrop” and “cross pieces” or frames attached to the accordion folds moving “forward” in space.
The images below may explain the process more clearly, because, as we know, a picture is worth…how many words?
Two friends work intently, side by side, cutting shapes and image to add to their theater-like books.
Mother and Daughter attach pink and yellow backdrops to black accordion folded spines…
and add to their stories through color, shapes and texture.
The one half of this Mom and Daughter team sports a Princess Leia hairstyle from the original Star Wars movie! She and her Mom are working in related colors.
A talented and happy Mother and Daughter build out their books.
An imaginative young biy cuts concentric circles to give his book and even greater feeling of depth.
Backed by his supportive Mom, he took it upon himself to take the Tunnel Book project one step further.
Happy mom, and our beautiful art class assistant, Lady, a young Mom herself!
Little hands create big projects..
adding layers of color and shape, creating scenes and stories.
This young artist blew me away with her dedication, commitment and persistence…cutting out all the little yellow windows for her building…a real “mise en scène“…
Speaking of mise en scène…BEHOLD!
The work of this maker looks like she was influenced by the Alexander Calder “stabile” sculptures we looked at outside in the Directors Roundtable Garden as inspiration for our project….
A love of green…
Love Live Life
and…SMILE!
Just the right decorative paper for the waterfall down the mountains…
This young artist took the Degas image of The Little Dancer, and made her into a magical winged creature (fairy?) in what looks to be an enchanted place…the theme of flying is echoed in the large yellow butterfly attached to the upper left of the piece.
Adding layers to the piece…
and completing it…
Concentric circles surrounded by a delightful dash of “Ziegfield Follies‘ esque gold fringe!
A pièce de résistance indeed! This is a Masterwork if I ever saw one…blooming out in every direction!
Our fabled family makers….together