Just wrapping up the final journal for 2014. It hasn’t stopped me from beginning the new one for 2015. Basically, the amount of journals that I am working on at any time expands to meet my addiction to sketchbooks as needed. These pages are some from my trip to Vienna in September.
Book and Paper Arts (page 15 of 15)
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New altered book pages. I am working on different kinds of Commonplace Books dealing with the meaning of life and will be posting additions from time to time. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for pages to come. Also, if you just happen to know the meaning of life.
Paste paper is a stunning way of creating original designs for use in hand-bound books, handmade boxes, wrapping, and other projects. Basically, it is the art of covering a page in a coat of colored paste made of rice or other starch. (I use a mixture of fine flour and corn starch). Patterns are then made by combing, stamping, or simply “drawing” with fingers.As a decorative paper technique, paste paper dates back to the late 16th century when it was used for making playing cards. Its heyday came in the 1760s when it was popularized by single women living in a German Moravian community as a way to support themselves. Their colorful paste papers were in high demand by bookbinders and for a variety of other uses.
These are some of my paste papers. Keep checking in: I will be adding tutorials on how to make your own soon.
Whenever I travel, I always think: THIS time I am going to get so much done in my journal; dozens of pages, chapters. And…while it may happen one day, it sure hasn’t yet. Sure, I always manage to make a few really special pages* but I more often find that the way I really remember a trip is by using a technique I learned from Asheville, North Carolina, author and illustrated journal instructor Gwen Diehn. It is terrifically simple and effective.
When getting ready for a trip, take a break from packing, get out your journal or sketchbook, and draw a page-size box. Divide this into equal columns. I like mine to be about 1 ½ inch wide, but it sometimes depends on the size of the paper. It will look something like what it is – a mini-calendar that you can then fill in daily, no excuses. Label each day at the top of the column. Then, fill each column with anything that comes to mind in a small, thumbnail size.
When you get home, I promise you will be surprised at how much information and memories you crammed into this format. These are a sample of calendar-style pages that I’ve [read more]
Illustrated journal pages. Hidden away and up mysterious winding steps in Zurich is a park called Lindhof Hill. There people play petanque, a kind of lawn bowling and kids practicing their parkour moves. Men play chess with giant pieces on a board on the ground. It’s fun to watch because there are men in elegant suits and men in work overalls and students, all playing together and arguing over the others’ moves.
An altered book is simply the art of transforming something forgotten into something meaningful. These pages are in an old French home medical book Hygiene du Malade dated 1921 that had been passed over in a flea market.
Acrylic glaze, acrylic image transfer, [read more]
Original works. Collage cat images, miscellaneous paper wings, vintage dictionary pages, chalk pastel, rubber stamps, embossing powder, found maps.
Last fall I visited Amsterdam with Gabriel and my old friend and sometime traveling buddy Matthew. It is a beautiful city and a great one for walking, although I almost got run over by bicycles. What looked to me exactly like a sidewalk was in reality a bike highway and it was only by dint of furious handlebar bell ringing and shouts that I narrowly avoided being smashed several times. We mainly went to see the museums: the newly restored Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh museum, and modern works at the Stedelijk. Photos will be in a future post, but here are some of my journal pages from the trip.
Torch Song Tango is launching soon with literary gossip, stories of Old Hollywood, food and travel, illustrated journals, and a variety of altered book arts. Come back later in May for:
- The Death of Zelda Fitzgerald
- Gin and Sixpence: The Cocktails of Somerset Maugham
- Libby Holman
- Altered book arts
- Illustrated journals
- Vintage fashion
There will be much more, including an illustrated guide to making homemade salt-cured lemons and fantastic giveaways.
Please subscribe if you would like updates about the Grand [read more]
