In Every Wind

Last in the series, here is one more set of pages that I completed for the Inner Works altered book collaboration that has just ended.

Roxanne Evans Stout - Earth Tones


embroidered over with millions of silver flowers


where olive leaves were twinkling in every wind that blew



Thank you Supria, Jill, Roxanne, Rita, and Veronica for sharing this experience with me.

Paper Wings

One more book...one more style. My pages in the fourth altered book in the Inner Works collaboration.

Supria Karmakar - Helen Keller

Meant Two Be

Throughout the course of the Inner Works altered book collaboration I made an effort to approach each book differently. In doing so, I took the opportunity to use the project as a way to stretch my skills and expand my comfort zone. The direction that I took for each book was impacted by the theme provided by each artist, the size of the book, the pages that were already completed, my connection with the book's artist, and my mood at the time. In the end, I believe the style for each book was distinct. Here are my pages in the third of the five books I worked in. My guiding inspiration here was a visual journal or friendship book.

Veronica Funk - Friendship

In the Making

This is the second of the five sets of altered book pages I made for the other participants from our Inner Works Collaboration.

Jill Zaheer - Designs of Nature

By the Seaside, Musing

The Inner Works reveal continues. You can see the first two posts here and here.

Today I begin a series of posts showing the pages I completed in the other artists' books. The approach I used for each was based on the book's theme, as well as the style and feel of the pages that were already completed when I received each book. I also decided to try to use this project as a way of stretching myself, so I chose to create pages that I felt were stylistically different for each book. As always, click each pic to enlarge.

Rita Vindedzis - Gifts from the Sea





The ocean speaks in shades of blue.
Distant. Constant. Ever true.
Horizon line is now in view.
The full moon shouts "I am too."

Open your eyes. You need to see.
The boundless waves. The energy.
Waste not. Want not. Try to be.
For all to share. Gifts from the sea.

Collepilogue Part 2

Continuing the reveal, this is the second in a series of posts highlighting the results of Inner Works, the altered book collaboration I participated in with Jill, Veronica, Rita, Roxanne, and our host Supria. You can see the first post of the reveal here and experience the whole journey on our group blog Inner Works.

My book cover was designed with found metal objects, torn and altered paper, ripped fabric, rusty wire, a tintype, and a rough metal hinge...all in keeping with my theme Distressed Elements.

It took one year to receive my book back and it was bursting at the binding. In fact, it was so filled that it was difficult to capture the spreads in photographs.

I started my book with a one page spread, creating two pages that were inspired by my theme.

Each of the participating artists interpreted the theme in such unique and personal ways.

Veronica:

Supria:

Roxanne:

Rita:

Jill:

Sign-In Page:

Each of the participants will be posting their own books on their own blogs in the coming weeks. Click on their links in the first paragraph of this post. And check back on The Altered Page later this week to see more of Inner Works.

Collepilogue Part 1

Collepilogue: The final chapter of a collaboration

Question:

How does one go from this...



to this...



and this...

Answer:

Round up 6 artists...

and spend 1 year in an altered book collaboration...

One year ago I joined 5 other artists on an altered book adventure called Inner Works. This collaboration included Jill, Veronica, Rita, Roxanne, and our host Supria. We each chose our own book and our own theme. All 6 of us had the opportunity to work in each book once as we (the books, not the artists) rotated by mail. Our adventure has come to a close and over the next few weeks, each of us will be posting the results of the collaboration on our own blogs and on our group blog - Inner Works. My own experience with this project will unfold in a series of upcoming posts.

I chose Distressed Elements as my theme for this altered book project. I find that I gravitate toward art and art supplies that have their own history...that have a natural, weathered patina...that have the nicks of life that make them more interesting. Like people who have lived and taken risks and gone on their own personal journeys and adventures.

I am mesmerized by a distressed surface - marks, scratches, dents, chips, rust, frayed edges, layers and the like speak to me. For this project, though, I also wanted to explore the layers beneath the surface. The layers within. And maybe to use this project to tap into the awareness and expression of some deeper feelings. The book I altered lends itself quite well to this theme.

I chose to alter Oracle Night by Paul Auster. The book was the perfect size (8 1/2" x 6" + 3/4" thick) and its relatively new, crisp pages made a sturdy base for altering. More importantly, Paul Auster is a favorite author. Like me, he lives in NYC and the city plays a big role in his novels. His writing style is very distinct and there is a magical component to his work, which often focuses on coincidence and synchronicity. There is one section in this book that even describes the quest for a book, coincidentally much like my own search for the right book to alter.

When my book was returned to me after nearly a year, it was bursting at the seams --- just as every altered book should look.

The pages were not just filled. They were filled with extraordinary, unique, and meaningful art. Each artist interpreted the Distressed Elements theme very personally and very differently. I thank each and every one of them for the thought, care, and time they clearly put into my book and this project.

Join me in the coming days as I post images from both my own book as well as from the pages I completed in every other book. And follow along on our group blog, Inner Works, for additional images from both myself and the other artists. You can go there now for some page previews!