It's great to be asked to take part in a project, so when Sarah Bodman sent an invitation to make an artists' book on the theme of 'Regards Croises: France - Grande-Bretagne' I was very pleased to participate.
We had been asked to make a book on our ideas of France, for exhibition in Saint-Etienne and later, the UK.
In 2010 I'd made a tiny concertina book about tramping in the Haute-Savoie and I found myself looking at it again. It was the first totally digital work I had made, quite a departure for me and I feel the time is right to explore digital further.
I keep a small sketchbook by my bed - if I can't sleep I like to doodle - and this little character (Bella) runs through it. I think she's my alter ego. Sometimes she's a child, sometime my age, and sometimes 60 plus, she holds a running commentary on Life, the Universe and Everything.
This is the first stage for working out the flow for this book. Working from my scanned images I add colour and resize, before printing out, then it's a session of cut and paste and re-cutting and re-pasting.
I like this stage, there is time for reflection and the idea is still in its infancy so there is plenty of room for growth. I find this is an exciting time in the development of an idea.
By the end of the week work is complete and ready to be posted off.
A little postscript
I blogged today using Mr B's computer, mine has curled up its tiny toes and died. The book for France is a totally digital being, and exists/ed on my computer - I hadn't backed my work up for a while (I know, I know) so, if you haven't backed up yours . . . . .
