More Works on Paper & in Books

The bitter cold has me inside more this past few days. Some of it admittedly streaming series that beg to be in the category of, “just one more episode”. I wanted to see how Succession ended. Then a few more Snowy Mountain MacGregor family episodes (even though they are a bit like Lassie episodes of Timmy down the well). The trees and scenery make it worthwhile. And last night a true story brought to life on the screen by terrific acting and compelling dialogue, The Man, His Wife and the Canoe.

But more drawings of the Scrabble story have been done…some a few times over….

And his friends sourcing materials to make a boat…

And three more rough drawings…

For some reason my Fastone Photo program has decided not to follow the instruction of rotating images, so this had to stay this way. I will research why this is happening later when I get this post off.

And while my basket making friends who also do lots of stitching, were gathered in Tasmania this past week I completed two more pages in the Gathering Book.

Each little scrap of fabric I pick up comes with a memory. Once they are connected to each other, I glue them down to a page and then fill the negative space with drawings of the things I have in the studio that have a connection to those at the gathering.

They have all returned home by now and I have closed the book until they gather again. Marla and I are going to gather things we no longer use in our work and send them down under before that next gathering for them to share with each other. They are wonderful at sharing and I like that some of my bits and pieces might be useful.

I have been asked to be a presenter for the Blue Ridge Writer’s Conference in April. It is all about self-publishing. Since I have muddled through six books this past year, I think I can share the experience with others asking questions about the different processes.

Poetry meeting is next week and since Covid is on the rise again, I think I will read Social Distance from the artist book I made with manipulated pages. I miss making books that take the form of ideas in the words. Remember all those Trump Books? Like the trump pincushion, they were good for relieving stress. Think I may need to get them back out.

And speaking of poetry, one of my fellow poets wrote this to me last week regarding my poems.

“….your particular talent of directness and complicated simplicity.”

Rather sums me up quite nicely.

All for now. I need a walk because it is near 50 degrees F. I want to wander through the lumber walls of my soon to be new neighbor and maybe send her pictures.

Til later….