Playing: Music, Medieval Times and Shapes
I finished 2021 with finesse. I created a book around a piece of music by Joni Mitchell. She is one of Canada's greatest musical storytellers. The song I chose is called, Both Sides Now.
BOTH SIDES NOW
Both Sides Now is a song about life. Joni Mitchell takes us through life as she experienced it. I decided to create this book using the pochoir technique. The front and back covers have two masks on them, which is a representation of Jean Lambert Rucki's, ' Double Mask' sculpture, and paste paper. T
Front Cover
Back Cover
I spent a lot of time creating and cutting out stencils for this book. It was an incredibly satisfying creative process. There are twenty-four pages of Fabriano watercolour paper. The cover page is a combination of lettering and paper cutting.
Cover Page
Rows and rows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It's cloud's illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all
Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
I've looked at love that way
But now it's just another show
And you leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away
I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all
Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say, "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way
But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day
I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
WELCOME 2022
I started 2022 by trying out a new binding I saw online, by Susana Dominguez Martin. I don't think I added the outer cover correctly, but I do like the finished book. This is a binding for a finished printed/artistic text block, rather than a book to write in. It was an interesting process and when I have a finished artistic text block I want to bind, I'll try it again.
NEW BINDING
I used book cloth and paste paper for the outer cover
PLAYING: FLIP OPEN BOOK/ SNAP BOOK
I found this next book on Squishy Notions with the tutorial. I really had fun playing with this book. The creator called it a flip open book, because if flips open, and I call it a snap book because when you open it the pages snap into place and make the most wonderful sound.
This is the largest one I've made, it's 4 x 4 inches/10 x 10 cm
Fully opened book
This one is 3 x 3 inches/8.5 x 8.5 cm
Playing with shapes, a continuation from last year, I put circles on Japanese papers with gold mirror paper for the center squares.
This one is also 3 x 3 inches/8.5 x 8.5 cm
This one is a combination of shapes and drawings
HUMAN ANATOMY
Once again I have created a book using human anatomy, which I find fascinating and beautiful. I was inspired by a medieval medical girdle book that sold at auction for 95,000 GBP. It has an unusual shape for a girdle book, and the pages are unique.
My first run was a single page using photocopied anatomy parts, which I coloured with pencil and water colours.
The paste paper envelope for this page of anatomy
The text was taken from "Grey's Anatomy" by Henry Grey.
The vinyl lettering is spread out through the page to read anatomy.
Open page with images from Human Anatomy by Benjamin A. Rifkin, et al
Opening up the page to reveal more text and images
Bottom of the closed page with an image of the spinal discs
After getting a feel for how the girdle book could be made, I moved on.
MEDIEVAL MEDICAL GIRDLE BOOK: HUMAN ANATOMY
I got a copy of Grey's Anatomy from the library and decided on what images and text I wanted in the girdle book. Once decided, I chose the paper: Fabriano sketch, which was folded and cut. I proceeded to draw the images over a week or so and then added the text. To keep it as true as possible to the medieval girdle book, I scored the lines on which the text was written. This process would have been done on the vellum before the scribe wrote the text.
For the cover, I used a textured leather, which I lined with suede. I did a braid stitch, with leather, around the edge of the cover, similar to the original medieval girdle book.
I did a little illumination on the first two page fronts H for human and A for anatomy
The first page fully opened with the temporal bones on the left and the nervous tissues on the right
The back side of the first page has a quote by B.A. Rifkin:
"The body was never a free gift, it gives temporary shelter to our aspirations on a finite lease."
The illuminated letter A for anatomy
The fully opened second page describes the lumbar vertebrae on the left and the skin on the right.
The back of the second page, with a quote by Sir Walter Raleigh:
"Go Soul, the body's guest, upon a thankless errand,
Fear not but touch the best, the truth shall be thy warrant."
The Dorsal vertebrae on the front of the third page.
The opened sections of the third page is full text describing the first, ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth dorsal vertebrae.
The front of the fourth page are the bones of the hand, described on the last, outside section of the third page.
The fourth page, the center of the book, starts with a description of the sternum.
The right, inside section of page four is a drawing of the sternum and a description, on the right of the arm, with the drawing of the humerus below it.
When fully opened the center section of the page is a drawing of the prevertebral muscles and a description, on the right side of the anterior vertebrae region.
Page five, when fully opened, reveals text about the membranes of the brain, a drawing representing this, and a description of the aorta on the right side.
On the back of the fifth page is a drawing of the arch of the aorta and its branches, followed by a description of the lungs on page six.
Page six, when fully opened, describes the lungs, with a front view of the heart and lungs drawing, followed by more text on the right. The closed back of the right side page describes the femur.
The femur on pages six and seven.
Page seven, fully opened describes the pelvis with a drawing in the center of the page and a continuation of the text on the right side. The right side page, when closed, describes the bones of the foot.
The bones of the foot on pages seven and eight.
Page eight describes the hind brain, and an illuminated image on the closed right side of the page.
GIRDLE BOOK COMPANION
I created a smaller version of the girdle book, as a companion to this book. It was also practice to renew my leather braiding skill around the edge of the leather. This book is the index and holds information on books written about human anatomy over the centuries, including the names of authors, artists and printers.
I used the same leather and style for the companion as I did for the girdle book.
Illuminated front page of the index, the letter I for index.
Inside pages one and two
Fully opened page one
I really enjoyed making this style of book and took it in another direction for a blank book.
This is a soft cover, blank book
Using the same paper fold as the girdle book, I added a small version (four pages), on the outside (black section), of this blank book.
PLAYING WITH SHAPES
Last year, when I learned about pochoir, I made some stencils with different shapes and created some books. I continue to carry on the practice and created this accordion book, which I decorated on both sides. I also decorated inside the pages so they could be viewed through the cut out sections.
The folded book
The book is quite long, 32 inches/40.5 centimetres, so I photographed it in sections
section two
section three
section four
section one of the reverse side
section two of the reverse side
section three of the reverse side
back of closed book
Front view of full book
Back view of full book
aerial view of book
BLANK BOOKS
When purchasing leather, it usually means buying a large piece - half a hide. The leather I purchased for the medieval medical girdle book is cowhide, so that means a fairly large piece of leather. So, I continued to make some blank leather covered books.
This is a larger journal which I topstitched with red thread
stitched spine - I used this stitch for all the leather covered books
I lined it with red textured suede and embossed a piece of paste paper, with flowers, for the fly leaf
I decorated the edges of the fly leaves and embossed the first page with a tree
I used small magnets for the closing of this notebook and decorated the flap with a piece of carved horn
Back of the notebook
small notebook with red thread top stitching
back of the small notebook
another small notebook with red top stitching
back of small notebook
MINIATURES
When making books, I often have small pieces left over, which are too big to throw away, so I either make cards, if large enough, or miniature books. I played with acrylic paints an made some Rorschach images and then put covers on this little treasures.
These are three bundles of miniature books. There are three books in the left bundle measuring4.5 x 3.5 x .7 cm/1 7/8 x 1 1/2 x 3/8 inches. The bundle in the middle has two larger books and there is one book on the right.
A book from the center bundle.
The other book from the center bundle.
A book from the left-hand bundle.
I used a photocopy of one of my orchid photos for the cover of this book.
These are the other two books from the left-hand bundle.
Right-hand book.
The cover from one of the center bundled books, another photocopied photo of flowers.
a little triangle book
sitting with the covers flat
Fully open
EXHIBIT
The Delires de livres 2022 exhibit at Ecu de France in Viroflay will take place from March 12 to April 10, 2022. The vernissage will be on March 12th at 11:30. I will have a piece called, 'The Human Condition' in it. If you are in the neighbourhood, please stop in and visit. I would love to be there to see it. Some of the pieces are now being introduced on facebook by Chantal Liebenguth.
That''s all for now. I have a good start into the new year with new creations and a list of books to be made throughout the year.
Stay healthy and keep creating.
Mary
Copyright Mary Kritz (2012 - 2022)
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