Flight Talismans

This one just came together without much planning at all; in fact, when I started it, I wasn't even sure of the subject matter. I just started building layers of collage and symbols, then suddenly made a decision to draw/embroider a wing on it, and it's meaning became clearer from there.

Flight Talismans       21.75 x 8 inches

ingredients: vintage book cover, vintage maps and book pages, image transfers, woodblock print on cloth, stitching, feathers, brass wire, bone, glass, beads, found objects, stick     

I apologize for the quality of the photo, as I had to lay the piece atop 2 bricks because of the stick sticking out beyond the edges of the book cover. I will have to take a photo later with a nice black background, but didn't want to take the trouble to set that up right now.

Here are a couple of details; if you want to see more close-ups, go to my last post.

Thanks for looking, everyone, and have a great week!  

Finally Finsihed - Pieces of the Sky

I finished the panels for this piece a long time ago, but could not figure out how to put them all together. I finally decided to attach them to two pieces of black suede. I feel pretty satisfied with the way this turned out.

Pieces of the Sky             22 x 10.25 inches

ingredients: vintage book covers, brass stamping, vintage book pages, monotypes, vintage puzzle pieces, vintage game piece, star guide, photograph, vintage maps, watercolor pencils, suede strips, brads, metal findings, book binding tape

FINI!

It took most of the summer, but I have finally finished my "Book of Dreams".  At several points in the process, things did not go smoothly or according to plan.  You can read about the whole adventure here, here, here, here, here, and here, if you wish.  (Wow- that's a lot of "here"s! This really was more of an ongoing series than I realized.)  One of my purposes in posting each stage of the book's creation was to share my thoughts and technical processes with others who might be able to learn from my techniques- and from my mistakes.  So, if any of these posts has helped you in any way, I feel I have accomplished that goal. (Or even if my cluelessness brought  you some laughter, I'm happy to entertain!)

Front Cover

detail

 

detail

1st spread

detail

detail

2nd page spread

detail

3rd page spread

detail

detail

detail

open

If you recall, I had a problem with the spine, and ended up slicing it apart down the middle because it wasn't quite wide enough for the pages.  I thought long and hard about how best to fix it.  My first idea was to sew something, such as the spine of another book, over the cut, using the same stitching I used on other the pages.  I quickly realized, however, that I couldn't do that because the pages were already glued in; there was no place to put the needle through. My second thought was yikes- I've totally ruined the whole thing.  I was afraid that if I just glued some kind of paper onto it, it might not be strong enough to take the repeated opening and closing that the book was likely to have to endure, and wouldn't look right, besides.  Luckily, while looking at book binding supplies for the guest book I'm making for my daughter's wedding, I happened to see this Lineco Satin Cloth Tape.  I thought it was worth a try, so I ordered it, and it worked- in fact, the width was perfect.  But the tape was so pretty and shiny and new-looking that it seemed out of place in contrast with the old, well-used appearance of the rest of the book.  I attempted to resolve this by gluing on a 'skin' of dried acrylic gel I had peeled off from the earlier front cover fiasco.  You can see this on the photo of the back cover, below.  I'm still not sure about it, but have decided to leave it be for now.

back cover

FINI!  (The End)

At last!

I finished it several days ago, but didn't have time to photograph until yesterday, and the mica is very difficult to photograph, so I had to do it again today. 

Here it is, parts to whole- sort of:

 

right  side

left side

detail of the spine (not too great; I'm going to have to fix this so the mica lays more flat against the paper)

the whole enchilada (no, that's not the title; any ideas?)

ingredients: vintage book cover (and other parts), vintage children's writing paper, vintage sewing pattern fragment, monotype, image transfers, mica, embroidery floss, tissue paper, ink jet prints, Caran D'ache crayons, watercolor pencils

techniques/methods: printed, cut, glued, drawn, stitched

Altered Book Thingie Part 2

I finished the second part of the collage/assemblage/altered book thingie!  If you didn't see the first part, it's in the previous post.

Ingredients:  vintage book cover, monotype, caran d'ache crayons, watercolor pencils

 Soon I hope to have the middle part done, and then put it all together, so stay tuned...

My New Crazy Book Thingie: Part 1

I have embarked upon a new adventure, sparked by the great fun I had creating this altered book/assemblage/collage.  I'm not really sure what category these belong in, though.  They are altered books, but might they be too altered to be considered altered books?  I mean, I did alter them- if that's what you call ripping them apart, gluing stuff onto them (both 3D and 2D), drawing on them, cutting holes in them, and putting them together completely differently.  I suppose they're not really books any more at this point, so perhaps 'assemblage' would be more accurate.  Maybe I should call them 'deconstructed reconstituted former books.'  Or just 'mixed media' art.  That's pretty vague though...

Well, whatever it is, here it is!

 

Ingredients: vintage book parts, vintage child's writing paper, vintage sewing pattern fragment, image transfers, mica, embroidery floss, drawing pen.

So, what would you call it?  Stay tuned, part 2 coming up soon...

Not an Open Book (submission for "The Pulse of Mixed Media")

I created this mixed media altered book/ assemblage as a submission for Seth Apter's book "The Pulse of Mixed Media" to be published in Spring 2012.  While my piece wasn't selected for inclusion, the experience of making it was an invaluable one.  I had done some assemblages in the past, but had never made one from a book, so there was a good deal of trial and error involved.  I ended up taking the cover off the book and attaching it to an old game board, which was not in my original plan.  My good friend Cynnie, of Galerie 46, helped me figure out how to re-construct it so it would open like a book without tearing.  I learned so much from this project, both technically and personally, and hope to create more work like this in the near future.

Here is the text I wrote to accompany my submission:

My Innermost Self- Sharmon Davidson

“Not an Open Book”

Probably the most intensely personal work I’ve ever created, this piece also represents somewhat of a departure from my usual two dimensional format.  The “fairytale book” motif relates to the belief that our most fundamental selves are formed in childhood, and to the important part that fairytales and their illustrations have played in my development as an artist.  Because the innermost self is, by definition, hidden, I have used two locking doors to conceal images symbolizing the two sides of myself.  Behind the left door is the darker side of my nature- the fears and insecurities that hold me back as I strive to become the person I want to be, reflected by the tethered bird who tries to fly.  Like most of us, I have allowed “monsters” of my own creation to frighten me.  The right door reveals self-acceptance, hope, and the potential for positive change.  The vintage pattern pieces were used by my grandmother to make maternity clothes for my mother, adding another layer of meaning to the piece. In the end, I begin to see a pattern for stitching myself together in a new way, and have captured the “monster” inside the egg- a symbol of transformation.  Perhaps my darker nature, too, will transform as the egg breaks open.

(click on photos for closer view)

 front, both covers closed

right front cover

left front cover (with spine)

 left side open

left side,back

 

inside left cover

right front cover

  right cover open

inside front left

inside right

inside back

The words on the back left page come from one of my favorite songs by Paula Cole: