I recently started a collaborative art journal round robin with four friends, because being part of one round robin wasn't enough pressure, I needed more art deadlines in my life. (and no sooner was this group up and running when a different friend asked me if I'd be willing to host a round robin. I wisely said no to that one, but not after thinking for about an hour that SURE, I could handle working in three different art journals every month. My sanity was quickly restored.)
For Round Robin #2, I'm altering a book from 1955 called "The Boy Scientist."
This is the inside cover:
Since the intention of the group is to add to and alter one another's work, a lot of my pages are just beginnings, or invitations to play.
The book has some terrific illustrations that I'm hoping my clever friends will incorporate into their work.
This page uses an aborted ICAD, it's glued into my book with the end sticking out like a little tab:
I decided to get interactive on the next spreads. The page on the right has a large circle cut out of it.
Here's what it looks like when you turn the page:
This one got a little random...
Naturally I couldn't resist a stamp head.
Harry Truman never looked lovelier.
I wonder if Bess knew he liked to wear ball gowns?
These last two could stand on their own as finished pages, but I'm not opposed to the creative alterations from my talented (and equally silly) friends.
Finally, here's the cover of the book:
I used layers of paint and tissue paper, and the tissue paper left all those nice raised wrinkles. I dragged a blue oil pastel across the surface to highlight the wrinkles. Hopefully the group will create some collaborative art on it.
I now have two journals in my possession, from two different artists, from two different groups, and they both need to in the mail by August 1st.
Time to start collaborating!
What fun! Figuring out when to say "no" is a challenge. Fun vs sanity, real life doesn't have a pause button! The page with the train and sea creature had me giggling. Made me think of old Japanese monster movies. Wonderful journals, they will be master pieces it the end.
ReplyDeletelove your book so far--can't wait to see the finished piece when it comes back to you.
ReplyDeleteThis fabulous. I'm still chuckling over the inside cover. How often I've wanted to say those words..and occasionally have.
ReplyDeleteKaren, don't even think I'm overreacting to this book you've shown us. There's no way to over-react to this. It's like being told one is over-reacting to winning the lotto, or being at the grand canyon or finally getting rid of hiccups. This deserves a huge round of applause. or even a round robin.
ReplyDeleteTotally fabulous! I look forward to seeing what you end up with.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing stopping me from joining a round robin is the exorbitant international postage costs. Pity.
ReplyDeleteExcellent collection of pages/colors/styles for your cohorts to choose from. What a fun project! I've found it's much too easy to over commit to art deadlines and I find I'm often working on the night before it has to go in the mail....why is that????
ReplyDeleteGreat start on what is sure to be a really fun journal when it comes back to you. RRs are so fun when it's the right group of people.
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