Here are three different altered books that I’m currently working on. I’ll post more pictures and background as they progress. They are each very different although their origins are the same. Someone decided they were not worthwhile or needed. One had some minor wear. Now, they are reborn and treasured. Here’s a brief introduction and some pictures.
There are times when a book may have no words at all. The visuals speak for themselves. Sometimes the words arrive later, or sometimes not at all. This altered book was once a discarded library book. It has since been transformed into a structure of nests. It isn’t finished yet. I’m enjoying its process, adding a new element now and then, when the time is right. I’m still waiting for the words.
I like the tradition of Guatemalan worry dolls. A child tells the small doll his or her worries and the doll takes them for the night. So what if I combine the worry dolls with another stress-reducer like a book? Worry dolls (for design purposes I made them larger than authentic worry dolls) are kept inside a cut-out compartment of a night-blue book with soothing words from the dolls.
I love insects! This book has photocopies of stamps, copies of old engravings, copies of my own journal entries, and an actual creature from my daughter’s massive cicada collection. Hidden comparments and pull-out accordion folds hold even more images of beloved bugs.
The inside back cover holds photocopies of a monarch page from a journal juxtaposed to a copy of an old butterfly illustration.
I like to photocopy my drawings to incorporate them into my altered and handmade books. I can add color, tear the edges, and be creative without fear of destroying the original art. It also keeps my nature journals intact.
Look for some altered book basics, more information, and resources in tomorrow’s post…
