Thursday, September 5, 2019

I Finished my Book!!

This is a continuation from my previous post.

 Stopping to face my situation of the too many ideas 
& projects that had started to form,
& asking for help did the trick! 
Beth wrote to Just choose one project & finish it.
Not rocket science, but it helped to hear it from outside 
my own brain which was turning somersaults! 
Organizing my space & hiding the other projects was key. 

And accepting that my finished book would not be perfect...
All along there were decisions to be made.
What to do with the wildflower cutouts that I had drawn & painted 
from photos that I had taken for my project?
I had to abandon my original idea of 
making the flowers pop up from the page, 
(something I love to do in my little handmade cards),
because I had a cover that I'd bound that I'd wanted to use.
A new stiff white paper replaced the green Mi Teintes. 
(Thanks, Fiddlehead Artisan Supply for being right in town!!)

From there on, the book seemed to make itself.
Book Arts prof. Rebecca Goodale says that there's nothing
like the feeling of you & the paper working together "as one."   
(I'm paraphrasing...)
The beginning.
It's an accordion book, but can be view one spread at a time.
The middle.
The end. 
 One of my favorite parts was writing text,
inspired by my original thoughts on my subject. 
Lots & lots of editing to keep it focused & brief.
I had written in the previous post that "there was 
so little left to do" on this book. 
Haha!...Little did I know!!!
 
The cover came last. 
I wanted to decorate it more, but I had a deadline.
The handmade books, the final projects 
from our Book Arts Class will be on view at USM 
during September with a lecture & reception on September 9.

The book was delivered yesterday, & I am exhilarated!

What joy to start with vague thoughts & ideas 
& to work with them 
as they evolve into concrete words & images~
Bound into a book!
I got to experience what my young art students
used to experience!

And, I finished it!!

Thank you to USM & Rebecca Goodale's 
Summer Book Arts Course!

11 comments:

  1. Congratulations Rita. It looks fabulous!!!

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  2. Fabulosa!!! Brava!!! Impressionante!!! Congrats on your perseverance and achieving your goal!!

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  3. This is exquisite, Rita. Just gorgeous. I appreciate all the elements -- the watercolors are so beautifully done and I love how they sit on the page and not IN it. It provides such a nice texture. And the words are equally lovely. Your mother would be awfully proud of you for incorporating her love of the garden and your love of painting into a beautiful work of art. (Oh yes, and the art and paper working as one -- that's what we all work for.) Thanks for the great comment. The book is on my order list!

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  4. Your book is awesome! Thank you for sharing your art and words - beautiful.

    -Jean Marie

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  5. ABSOLUTELY ENCHANTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

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  6. Rita what a super finish. I love the subject, the art (especially the art) and the book itself. You are inspiring me to create one of these for myself. Thank you for sharing. Hugs!

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  7. Do you do custom work?? Would love to schedule a chat with you if so, I love your art!

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  8. This is just lovely...beautiful artwork and such wise and lyrical words. Love your phrase, "I inherited my mother's love for flowers, but not her talent for gardening...can relate!

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  9. Fantastico! I'm just now catching up--wow! It's beautiful. xx

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  10. That is so AWESOME. Love the whole project, I hope you are proud!

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Thank you for your comments! They mean a lot to me!