Tidbits

For a few weeks I've been spending time on Tidbits and I've rather fallen off the blog wagon . . . . .

I'm quite sure that occasionally time speeds, up how irretrievably it flees - one morning I'm going to wake up, to find it's my 80th birthday!!

Back in July I went to visit poet and fellow al-Mutanabbi Street book artist Ama Bolton to collect a copy of 'What is a book'. It's totally delightful, and lovely to have for my very own. 

I do hope she won't mind me sharing a couple of images, but it is such a beautiful book I'd just like to show you a little bit of it.

Talking of books. I particularly wanted to 'master' a technique which allows for pages to be inserted and moved around at will. I first saw this process at BABE 2011 in book artist Alex Pritchard's Pocket Orrery. I'm trying out ideas for a book where the viewer can rearrange the pages and create a narrative that resonates with them. 

My friend Sue runs bookbinding workshops at West Ox Arts and luckily for me she was running one for this very technique! 

This is my prototype, which I've filled it with postcards. I shall spend some time playing with the scale and trying out different types of paper before I decide how I want the book to be.  

Other than exploring book forms I've tried very hard to sketch every day - and failing miserably I might add - however, I've managed to get out with my pencil most days, either in the garden or 'over the back' where I talk the dogs for walks. 

 

Teasels 'over the back'! They are totally fabulous this year and are bound to make it into work of some kind.

I was starting on a print this morning, using some goosegrass found growing in the garden, but while cutting a piece of lino I managed to slice into my finger and after a fit of the faints I decided to take time out and bake! what . . . .

We have the village fete tomorrow so I baked a rum and raisin cake for the tea rooms,

and lemon meringue for us!