Cover 2 Cover 2017

The local Open Studios sketchbook exchange scheme is well underway and I don't seem to have posted about it at all. This year, we are working in second hand books, chosen to refect our themes. It's a strange feeling, delibeately defacing a printed book, but it's easier if you're not the first...

Here is a small selection from the work I have done so far.

My own theme was Classical Mechanics, which is about macroscopic movement and physical forces. The book I was given was A Child's A-Z of Technology, whose slippery A4 pages were difficult to work with; I ended up obliterating much of the content with acrylic gesso, although there were a few entries that seemed apt enough to retain:

Clocks and Cogs: original content, graphite pencil, Molotow marker and watch parts.

Oceanic force - natural mechanics: oil pastel

The second book I contributed to was Love, in a mass market paperback copy of Out of Africa. The paper was much easier to work on and the large quantity of pages imbued a wonderful sense of freedom. I made a couple of serial pieces and a few standalone images:

Hands: fountain pen and Molotow marker

On the whole, I used the text as a background; the content was largely incidental but did inspire a Cupid:

Next up was the Unexpected in a Private Eye (satirical magazine) annual.  I bucked the trend towards abstract with something that nobody ever expects...

Spanish Inquisition (Monty Python): various inks

I didn't take any pictures of my Weathered Paint Effects, so we'll skip that one and take a peak at Shadows and Reflections, which is set in a beautiful hardback entitled Photography and the Art of Seeing. This book has nice paper and demands a response to its content.

Extrapolation into the near future in silhouette: Various inks

One more book to go, and ultimately all of the books will be on show at the West Berkshire Museum in Newbury during May this year.