Altered Book

altered book, mixed media
7.5" x 5.125" wide
march 2007
front cover

i've started my first altered book. i found a small hardcover in the bargain bin at barnes and noble and decided to give it a try.
i saw some beautiful altered books at the Ringling School of Art booth at MegaCon. that inspired me even more.
this is what i have so far...not much, but it's a work in progress.
no, the figure is not a jumper. it signifies how i've felt this past year, like the rug was ripped out from under me and i was free-falling. with friends and things to keep me busy i've felt more like i'm flying under my own control. i will be putting a lot of my emotions in this thing. it's not a call for attention. i don't want to be an lj drama whore. i'm just putting my feeling down, in art, to help me cope with them.

( back cover and a couple of inside pages... )

i will periodically post pages from the book as i create them. i'm also going to be doing illustrationfriday stuff in here. see next entry.

IllustrationFriday for 3-2-07, Topic: "Hide"

ink and watercolor
drawn 3-3-07
finished 3-4-07

first illustrationfriday. i've decided for the moment, that all pieces i do for that will be put in my altered book.
the topic this week is "hide," something i feel i do with my emotions a lot. when i'm around friends or busy, you can't tell that i'm still grieving. it distracts me enough to where i don't think about it or like i can detach myself from it.
it usually hits me in the car by myself, at work when there's a lot of stress or at night just before i go sleep. whenever it's an acceptable time to let these feelings out, such as being surrounded by understanding friends, i usually find that i can't...it's weird. suppose i don't want to get them all down and upset. however, this month will mark one year. i may find myself unable to hide the tears.

and like i stated earlier, this is not a call for help or attention. i'm just being honest with myself. art is therapy.

for those unfamiliar with illustrationfriday, here's brief explanation:

( cut for those who already know... )