Curly Willow: Book 191

Remember when I posted about ecodyeing paper way back in July?  Shortly after dyeing those sheets of paper I needed to submit a piece of artwork for a juried show.  That week, things came together and I created an art book using the dyed paper, handmade paper, and a curly willow branch.

The curly willow branch was given to me by another artist earlier in the summer.  I had been saving it to use for a "stick binding" where a single signature of pages gets sewn around a stick.  The stick binding didn't seem appropriate for most of the books I had been making this summer, but the ecodyed paper was exactly what I had been waiting for!  I alternated sheets of handmade flax paper (that I made in 2011 during my internship at the Morgan Conservatory) with the ecodyed paper.  The flax paper has a lovely translucent quality that allowed the patterns from the dyed paper to show through.

Some of the pages had gotten torn and developed holes during the dyeing process.  I used earth toned embroidery flosses to sew over the damaged pieces of paper.  This functioned both as a repair and a decorative element.  The cover is a piece of recycled leather someone had been given to me years ago as scrap materials (I believe it was part of a thrift store leather jacket.)  Lastly, I sewed my folded signature and cover around the stick.

The piece was accepted into the show Rags Make Paper at the Morgan Conservatory in Cleveland.  The opening reception was on August 9th, and the show runs until September 14th.

Handmade Valentines- 2013 Edition

Snow is falling, Christmas is long gone, and everyone has gotten used to writing "2013" on their checks.  That means it is time for this year's handmade Valentines!

Ohio cards are some of my most popular handmade cards.  This year's Ohio Valentines are a bit on the Pirate side!  Ohio cards are available by request in any pattern or color I have.  Stop by the Urban Orchid in Ohio City or the Bazaar Bizarre Valentines Show to pick one up.

BW Student Art Exhibition

After the Senior Art Exhibition came down from the gallery, it was time for the Annual Student Art Exhibition.  Any student on campus is allowed to enter up to 5 pieces in the show, with a juror selecting the pieces to be displayed.  The juror also selects awards including 5 Honorable Mentions, first, second, and third prize, along with a Best in Show.  Additional awards are also given by the Academic Dean's Office and other groups.  The show ran from April 11-29 with a reception and awards ceremony on Friday, April 15th.

This year I had all 5 of my submissions selected to be in the show.  I entered two framed monoprints, an oil painting, a necklace, and a metal container.  My painting, titled Enter, was awarded an Honorable Mention.  Additionally, one of my prints and my necklace were purchased later in the month.

The necklace is a one of a kind piece created using a Euro coin and a gold toned pocket knife purchased at an antique store.  The coin is riveted between two pieces of copper and hangs from a handmade sterling silver chain.

My metal container is actually a Knitting Needle Case made from square brass tubing.  The lid of the box features a ceramic cash register found at an antique store.  The front of the box has glass cabachons set in silver and arranged to mimic the floral motif on the cash register.