Day Dreams Night Dreams and Everything In Between

SUNRISE AND DAY DREAMS 

I woke up one morning to the sunrise painting my wall red with its brilliance.  It was a beautiful sight to wake up to and it filled the room with a different kind of warmth - the warmth of nature.  

DAY DREAMS 

Day dreams is a group of panels that came about after working on a book called Dream Rooms.  It was totally unexpected when I was playing with a piece of paper and some photocopies of photographs.  Initially, I thought, I really don't like the effect, but I'll keep going to see what transpires.  Well, I decided I liked the look and playfulness of what I was creating and carried on to make four full panels that are a set of rooms where day dreams happen. I used pieces of photocopied photos and recycled an old calendar of ancient maps.  The words are different terms for dream and written in brown ink. 

Front cover with partial photocopied photograph 

Back cover with other half of the photocopied photograph 

Inside of cover is lined with a recycled calendar of ancient maps 

This is the first Day Dream room, closed. 

The same room opened up.  

This is Day Dream room two, closed.

And the same room opened. 

Day Dream room three, closed. 

The same room opened.

This is Day Dream room four, closed.

And the same room, opened.  

SUNSET AND DREAM ROOMS 

Lately there have been some amazing sunsets painting the skies a multitude of colours from brilliant yellow to lustrous lavender.  What a beautiful way to end a day.  

DREAM ROOMS 

I was playing with a piece of paper, a cut off from another piece I had been working on and discovered the Dream Rooms.  I found poems about dreams and looked up different designs for key holes.  I recycled photocopied photographs and an exhibit pamphlet with art by Marcelo Suaznabar (www.marcelosuaznabar.com).  I find his work fascinating and filled with beautiful colour and mystical images. 

This is the cover for the Dream Rooms book.  I drew sleeping eyes on the front and back covers and on the front cover of each Dream Room. 

Dream Room #1, closed. 

The poem for Dream Room #1. 

The key hole leading into Dream Room #1.

 

Inside Dream Room #1.  Marcelo Suaznabar's horse painting, on the top and a photograph of a horse sculpture outside the National Gallery of Canada. 

Closed Dream Rooms #2 and #3. 

Poems for Dream Rooms  

Key Holes for Dream Rooms   

Dream Rooms, opened.  

Dreams Rooms, closed. 

Key Holes to Dream Rooms 

Key Hole to Dream Room 

Opened Dream Rooms 

These rooms were quite a challenge to photograph.  What I didn't photograph was the other side of the keyhole, facing into the room.  I decorated both sides of the keyhole.  When the room is opened up the keyhole on the inside of the room is decorative too.  

THE IN-BETWEEN 

CELEBRATING TEN YEARS: TURN THE PAGE ARTIST BOOK FAIR 

I created thIs book, in response to a call for the ten year celebration for Turn The Page Artist Book Fair, in the UK.  I used a combination of techniques, hand written text, pochoir, decorated papers and paper cutting.  There are eight panels which are housed in an acrylic case.  The case is stitched together with waxed linen thread and synthetic sinew ties with a dried mango seed for decoration.  

The acrylic case for the panels. 

The first panel - paper cutting.

Inside the first panel.  I drew tables with books on them and painted them with water colours.  The paper cutting is to reflect the beautiful environment of the light filled venue where the event takes place.  

There are four panels with people (pochoir) to represent the groups of people who attend this book fair. 

Building on the theme of 10, I made stencils for the number ten in different languages and wrote artist book, in ink, in different languages. 

 

This panel has two racks of decorated paper, one on either side while a piece of marbled paper is reflected in a piece of mirror paper, in the centre panel.  

Another panel of people. 

The last panel has numerical numbers and alphabetical numbers of ten.  The center piece has recycled pieces of ancient maps of the world.  

A NEW STORY BOOK FOR MY LITTLE FRIEND

My friend recently sent me a photo of herself and her daughter.  They both had such beautiful smiles and as my thought process went to wondering what brings a smile to a little person's face, this story came to life.  It involves a little girl, a forest, a squirrel, a mouse and a fox.  

The cover for the story with the first panel in a pocket.  I covered the boards with paste paper. 

The inside of the cover with the other panels in their respective pockets 

This is where the story begins on a bright sun filled day. I did paper cutting on the panels, both outside and in the folded sections.

The text is handwritten in green ink and unfolds throughout the different panels. 

More paper cutting - the forest. 

Looking at the colours in the forest. 

I used water colours 

The second section of the story which takes place in the forest. 

The next three closed panels, with the story ending, surrounded by the mouse and the squirrel. 

The same panels opened. 

The final closed panel with the fox. 

The fox in the story, sitting in the forest.  

Since this is a Christmas present, I'll not disclose the story at this time.  I can tell it after the little one has received it.  I had a lot of fun making this book.   

BOX YOUR BOOK 

I submitted a box to the Box Your Book competition in the Netherlands.  It will be in the catalogue that will be available this fall.  I called it the Wayless Wood from InkSpell, the second book in the InkHeart Trilogy, by Cornelia Funke. 

This is the box closed.  I used a combination of Chiyogami and marbled papers.  I incorporated rabbit fur and ostrich leather to represent the animals in the Wayless Wood and a wooden toggle.  

The open box with the book inside. 

This is the empty box with a 'draw bridge' element that displays the book inside the box.  The piece on the right is the support for the 'draw bridge'  when in the  up position.

The 'draw bridge' section is up and support is in place. 

The book resting on the raised 'draw bridge' section.  

Making this box was an adventure into the unknown for me.  I have made boxes before, but not one with moving parts.  After making it, I learned about some adjustments that would make it work better.  There's always something to learn when one is self-directed in their learning.  All good fun. 

That's all for now.  As you can see, I have been making a lot of use of the folded panel to create a number of different books.  It has been a wonderful journey in the world of play.  It never gets tiresome. 

A REMINDER

I noticed a number of times that some of my pictures have disappeared from my posts.  MY PHOTOGRAPHS ARE COPYRIGHTED.  

If you wish to use them, contact me and let me know what you want to use them for and I will respond. 

I may be contacted at: bbinder999@gmail.com.  

We are almost through summer, enjoy the days we have left, soon we will be feeling the chill of fall and seeing the beauty of Mother Nature's change into sleep time.  

Wishing you all good health.  

Mary