Altered Book Workshop at Hot Art Wet City for September 2014

I’ve begun scheduling workshops for the upcoming fall season, and the first of these will be an altered book workshop at Hot Art Wet City. There are ten spots available and it looks like four have already been spoken for.

The class takes place on Saturday September 20th, 12:30pm to 4:30pm, at 2206 Main street at 6th Avenue.

Altered book workshop at Hot Art Wet City

The altered book workshop is an introduction on how to create sculpture from books, using techniques like folding, cutting, rolling, and working with three dimensional objects. The goal is to inspire participants, and guide each person through creating a finished piece of work by the end of class.

To read the full description of the class as well as sign up, please visit the Hot Art Wet City web site »

Work Showcased in Design Genius

I had a surprise package delivery from the UK this morning, and in the box was a complimentary copy of Design Genius by Gavin Ambrose. I was asked to contribute work to this book as well as a brief interview about craft and design. I am pleased with how much of my work is showcased, and how well I articulated my thoughts in the interview.

Design Genius

Design Genius

I was so excited to see this book in person that I could’ve jumped up and down. I hadn’t expected to receive a contributor copy, because it doesn’t often happen.

Design Genius celebrates the creative thought processes of 69 leading artists, designers, creative agencies, animators, illustrators and typographers. While highlighting key design techniques and theories, the visual curiosities presented in this book aim to engage, provoke and inspire.

Whether you are new to design, or a seasoned expert, the many layers of information provided by this book mean it has something for everyone. Readers will delight in the visual and tactile effects of a number of subtle design features, as well as the vast array of illustrations on display. In-depth discussions with the creatives themselves as well as more practical design tips will also help you to discover the power of your own creative problem-solving skills.

Design Genius

Design Genius

Design Genius

Design Genius will be published by Bloomsbury Books in October 2014.

Microcosm Series: Triangles

These are two more of the recent works combining paper cut and drawing. The two previously shared pieces are circles, but I also wanted to play around with other shapes like these triangles.

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As with the others, these are about 5″ x 5″ on 8.5″ x 11″ black card stock using silver gel pen. The work is created freehand from start to finish. I decided to cover the entire surface of the triangle with the doodle of circles and it looks pretty intense (and shiny!)

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These will also be part of the show I’m having in the fall at Kafka. I still have plenty of work to do but things are getting closer to the end.

Made to Order Paper Cut Letters

After the recent paper cut commissioned letter C, and feedback from my newsletter subscribers, I’ve decided to offer paper cut letters made to order from my Etsy shop.

Custom paper cut letters

Custom paper cut letters-2

These are samples I’ve created for the listing using my first initial and a big B for Boris. The letters can be custom made in any colour combination of 8.5″ x 11″ card stock, from eye-blasting colours to black & white.

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Custom paper cut letters-3

Custom paper cut letters-4

Visit the made to order paper cut letters listing in my Etsy shop for more details.

Microcosm Series

I’ve chosen Microcosm as the working title for this series, and will see if it changes as things develop further. This is actually the third of four pieces I’ve created over the last week. It’s the second circle while the remaining two I haven’t shared on the blog are triangle shapes.

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I’m enamored of the metallic gel pens I use to draw with. Partially it’s the colours and how they catch the light (ooh shiny!), but I also love the feel as they glide over the surface of the paper.

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The circle is about 4.5″ in diameter on a piece of 8.5″ x 11″ cardstock. I’m enjoying the creation of these small quick pieces while I take a break from the larger, more energy consuming ones.

Under the Microscope

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The ideas explored in the sketchbook work I shared last week quickly made it’s way into finished pieces. I’m still working at a small size on these (5″ x 5″) because I find the drawing intense even though I’m marking making with simple circles. It’s the tight repetition that is the killer on my hands.

Microcosm

Microcosm

A friend remarked on Instagram that the series feels like looking through a microscope. This is exactly what I was thinking about these drawing/paper cutting compositions, and it will probably inspire a related title for this series.

Microcosm

Microcosm

I have completed two more pieces for this series, and will share more later this week.

Retreat to Bowen Island

Boris and I decided to spend an extra long weekend on Bowen Island earlier this week. It was lovely to spend a longer stretch of time there, and just relax. I walked in the forest every day, mostly in the morning and evening when the weather was cooler and the trails were empty of people.

Kilarney Lake

Kilarney Lake

Water Plants on Kilarney Lake

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Tree with elephant trunk

The extra days away were just the thing to recharge Boris and I. We were badly in need of a vacation.

Sketchbook Peek: Paper Cut & Drawing

A preview of two experiments in my sketchbook combing paper cutting and drawing that recently led to finished pieces (not pictured here).

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These are small, about 4 or 5 inches square, and I used those metallic gel pens I so love to draw with. The tiny circles are just the thing I often doodle obsessively, and once filled a page with them using pencil.

I’ve decided to include a series of small pieces like these in my upcoming fall show.

One Self Portrait A Month: Feeling Silly

As usual, I left my monthly self portrait to the last few days of the month, because I kept procrastinating even though it was on my mind. I came close to giving up on this series completely because I wasn’t in the mood. But I pushed through this feeling because I hate giving up on projects with such a clear deadline.

Feeling Silly

I feel silly shooting self portraits these days, so I decided to do something ridiculous. At least I am wearing a nice dress in the photo (a new birthday dress in fact). This is not at all what I had in mind when I started, though I did intend this paper cut piece as the background. I wanted to make myself small because it seemed to suit my mood.

Opus Presents, By All Means Create

Opus Art Supplies just released a beautiful new video campaign this morning, to inspire people to put aside the negative voices and create in every way possible. I make an appearance in the video along with 17 other artists. You’ll probably recognize the paper cut word Create from last year.

Check out this blog post mentioning the full list of artists. The video was shot and edited by the talented, Ryan Mund. (He doesn’t have a website but you can contact him at: me(at)rymu(dot)ca ).