Round Robin Catch Up !!

I have finally had some time to catch up on my obligations to the True Colors Altered Book Round Robin that I am hosting. There are 20 of us all oer the US and Canada, linked by the internet, that are participating in this group. Each of us picked a color, created a blank book, and sent it off to the next artist on the list. Each book is traveling around from artist to artist having wonderful artwork added to it. By August 2007 each book should be back with it's owner.

I am learning alot from this swap, not the least of which is patience and the fact that life happens to all of us so flexibility and communication are the keys to the success of this project.

I was so excited about working in this Shades of White book. My friend Ruth, who lives in CA, is the most incredible artist. She is so innovative and creative and willing to share and help. She is just a terrifically talented person! She uses her sewing machine in much of her work so I took cues from her and created this layout using only stitching to hold it all together. I used lots of white papers some handmade and lots of "white" vintage fabrics and bits of lace and trim. I embellished it all with pearl seed beads and old white and shell buttons.

I found this wonderful image of an Indian woman praying at the feet of a gigantic Buddha and I copiedit onto a transperancy and then stitched it over handmade paper taht was laced with golden threads. Along the side of the image I stitched down bits of paper that had been stamped with the word Nourish. I am really pleased with this spread and think that Ruth will be as well!

The next spread is in a Red Book that belongs to Kitty in Upstate New YOrk. Her book was much smaller . I knew that it was coming and I had been collecting things for it for awhile.

This spread was great fun to create! It is mostly paper, but I also added red rick-rack, buttons, bits of broken glass reflector (along the bottom under the cardinal) , one of my own floral photos, red vegetable netting, an old red paintbrush and wired to the paintbrush- a cardinal feather that I found in our yard last spring.

The next book that I have to work on is the Aquamarine Book with Copper highlights!1 The fun just keeps on coming!

Today I am off to meet friends in D.C. to see the Joseph Cornell exhibit at the Smithsonian museum of American Art. Joseph Cornell is the father of Assemblage Art- the first "altered Arts " artist who created his pieces 70 years ago!! he was a true innovator and it has taken the art world quite awhile to catch up!1 Can't wait and I will share my experience with y'all in a future post!!