Art x 12- A Mixed Media Book Collaboration

Well this month is month 2 for the Art X 12 Artists Collaboration arranged by Seth Apter. The talent of artists on these traveling book projects is very impressive and I am so honored to be on this journey with them for an entire year.  I always like to challenge myself to go somewhere I have never been before when I begin a new project. I like to change my palette of colors.  I like to use different tools and different techniques. Most especially, I want my work to reflect me and, an ever-changing style. No two projects can look the same and I must walk away with the finished project, liking it.  This month I received artist Bee Shay’s handmade book and it was absolutely amazing! She was so gracious to send extra sheets of paper to create with, just in case it was needed for errors, and wow, that removed a ton of the pressure I had going on in my mind. :).  Anyway, here’s what transpired over an afternoon or two.  And btw, my first attempt was not so good.  That’s how it is for me. (I’m bringing real to the table.)  I discovered sometime ago that with mixed media, you have to jump all in or the result will not be as satisfying.  As Seth and Mary Beth Shaw (artist and owner of StencilGirl®) have mentioned in their posts often,  “It’s not bad, it’s just not finished”.  I continued to work through the process, pouring in more of myself until I rectified the issue.  Though I had the collage part down, I was struggling with the background.  I tried going cream, browns and navy but it was just too busy.  When I finally decided on a muted medium gray, I knew I had found my match. (I mostly used PaperArtsy paints.) I guess that’s why they call art a “journey” and it’s that part that I enjoy the most. It’s problem solving at it’s finest. And the end result is so euphoric. The gray made all the ephemera pop, yet it kept it’s weathered integrity.

For Bridgette’s book, she asked that we use something that was old, like paper, that had some history.  I had no problem contributing there. One of the reasons I like junking so much is the collecting of ephemera and do-dahs, and do I have a stash or two!  I have become more selective over time because I am simply short on space. I  love the history of each piece I buy, often times asking the owner the story behind the item.  Oh, I may not know the people, but I know a little about their lives through their treasures. Someone made payments to Buffums Department Store, for a special ring. And then there was a report card from a grade school student and a foreign stamp from years past.  And these, they were important to someone at the time.

And there are the snippets of items from specially dated documents… And some how, they became significant again on my book page. And book binding and fibers, they add uniqueness and give dimensionality. The item circled below was a service stamp on an envelope from 1948.

Burnt holes and machine stitching added some interest without adding too much busy-ness. I may have added some poked holes too. 😉 You know, it’s all about the weathered look.  A sprinkling of StencilGirl® stencils here and there, finished it up. (Seen here is Rae Missigman’s Repetition). I applied my paints using the Smudgee from StencilGirl.  BEST tool ever!

So that about rounds out the book pages for Bridgette’s book. I already have received the next book and getting ready to tackle that one. Super excited to stretch my artistic style yet again. It’s almost always scary but the truth is, that’s where the adventure begins.

XO,

Debi