The clock was set back with an hour in the Netherlands last weekend (the end of Daylight Saving Time) and I wake up awfully early this morning. My biological rhythm will probably adjust in another day or so, but as long as that isn’t the case I better take advantage of the extra hour by writing an early post.
Two years ago, my son bought me this large photo-book to alter and I loved it so much that I didn’t had the nerve to work in it.
Size: 30,5 x 24,5 cm (12 x 9.5 inch)
Do you know the feeling? Some things are just too beautiful to tore apart or put paint on it… but when you don’t, it just stays there in the closet. So a few weeks ago I gathered all courage, took the book from the shelf and started tearing out pages.
When you alter a book, the first step is always to tear pages out of the book because in the end you are going to put gesso, paint and collage on the pages, which will make them thicker. This book has a sewn binding, the paper is sturdy and thick and it’s bound in signatures (my son sure knows what to buy me!) I looked for the middle of each signature and took out half of the papers in each signature, making the book a lot thinner than it originally was.
(If you never altered a book into an Art Journal: iHanna wrote a clear tutorial about it here.)
I did not throw away the torn out pages – I stored them in a file to use for collage later – ’cause look what beautiful photos are in the book!
After I’d torn out pages from the book my fear for working in it was gone. I enjoyed putting paint, paper and all kinds of stuff on the pages, using the photos in the book as a guide. I also enjoy the (big) size of the book. Right now I’m working on the third spread already…
For now, here’s the first spread I created.
De beweging van eb en vloed (“The movement of the tides”)
(Size: 30,5 x 49 cm (12 x 19 inch)
Here are a few detail photos
Still in love with my golden paint!
It’s a good thing to start the new week with golden paint.
I think I will grab my brush again and paint this Monday golden.
After all:
“We are stardust, we are golden…”
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