Monday, April 26, 2010

More from the Altered Book Collaboration - "While You Were Sleeping"




The Altered Book Collaboration is rolling along - in fact there's only one more to work on before "Journeys" comes home!



This fun one is titled "While You Were Sleeping" and belongs to Jacqueline Ware. Lots of fun to work in, but, as always, my initial feeling after drinking in the wonderful work already done by the other artists in the collaboration was one of overwhelm and under confidence! Does this happen to you too? That moment of panic that I'm not really any good at this? Fortunately, we learn to push past that (at least I hope I'm not alone in this, and when I say we there is in fact company with me here!) and just lay down some paint and get going...once it's started, those gremlins seem to slip away to terrorise some other poor doubting soul!



There are lots of layers of translucent paint, and old text and tissue here, topped with collaged papers, some stamping and handwriting. I was hoping to capture that dream state...where things seem real, but bizarre. The most memorable of these is the organ grinders monkey complete with little red felt hat and machine guns in the lush gardens of a tropical resort! (Our breakfast table is frequently the scene of recounted dreams - mostly mine - with my family shaking their heads at the garbage my subconscious is capable of producing!)



The next book due in my mailbox is Fractured Fairytales and is the baby of Tamara Allen. Apparently quite a small format, which will be quite different to work in. That will be the last before my own book comes home to me, after being in the talented hands of eleven artists over the past year. For a look at some more of the titles in the collaboration, have a look at the Altered Book Collaboration blog, and be inspired to get involved in a collaboration of your own. You're guaranteed to discover you can achieve things you didn't know you could do, and try things you may never had tried - it's a wonderful way to stretch and learn!

11 comments:

merci33 said...

these are beautiful pages...and it's a cool concept...

I want to see your pages too ;-)

Tracey Hewitt said...

Iona - I'm so looking forward to posting the photos of my own book when it comes home (I'm guessing that's what you mean?) I'm already drafting that one in my mind! Hoping it will be back with me by the end of May.

Alyson B. Stanfield said...

Tracey: Love the work! I'm a fan of a lot of altered books, but these are particularly nice.

Tracey Hewitt said...

Thanks Alyson! I am in some very talented company in this collaboration!

Anonymous said...

Tracey, those book pages are very appealing. How does your collaboration work? Does each artist keep the book and work for a certain amount of time?

Meg Mitchell said...

What an interesting and inspiring blog you have created. I have spent the morning curled up with my laptop just drinking it in.

Kristen Gilje said...

Tracey, these are absolutely beautiful images. They pull me in, and make me want to follow what you do. I love that you connect us to your physical place as well as to your art in previous posts.

Tracey Hewitt said...

Lyn, Meg and Kristen - thank you all for your warm encouragement. Meg, you have no idea how much I delighted in imaginging you curled up 'drinking it in'!!

Kristen, I'm pleased to hear you enjoy my references to my physical space - sharing that is one of the goals of my blog...fewer and fewer people have the opportunity to experience a rural life these days - and it has so many wonderful aspects!

Lyn, we have 12 artists, who have each created a book -some were blank pages, some childrens story books, some with a little work on every page and room for much more. We have a 'circle' I guess you'd call it - I receive and then send on to the same artists each time the books change hands. We have a month to work in each book, each artist creating their own 'spread' (2 pages) in response to the books theme which was set by the originating artist. Our collaboration has a co-ordinator, who keeps in touch (mostly via email) with all the artists, reminding when it's time to be sending the books on etc. It's hoped we will have a gathering of all the artists and the books in Brisbnae later in the year, which I'm looking forward to - I've only met 2 of the other artists - we live all over the place! I hope that explains the process a little!

Amy Hillenbrand said...

Hi Tracey, You are such a talent lady. I love what you've done with your blog your side titles are so fun.

Tracey Hewitt said...

Thanks Amy! I had fun with those side titles...I'm so happy to hear you feel the fun as well!

Kadira said...

This is a great concept Tracey. I am looking forward to seeing your posts on the completed pages.