Making little Note Books

The set of finished notebooks

A couple of weekends ago I found enough time and energy to make some little note books that I had been meaning to do for ages.  I wanted to get back into some book binding and to use the paper that a friend had brought back from Sennelier Art shop in Paris for me.

Note Book 1 front

 

The set of finished notebooks

I had brought some of the same paper on an earlier trip to Paris and hadn’t been able to bring myself to use it, although I would bring it out and admire and pat it on occasion.  With the extra my friend bought and the possibility to get more I thought it was time to get brave and use them.  The idea of using the paper as covers for sketch books seemed a great idea and I was itching to have a go.

Making the Notebooks

These are small (A5) size and I wanted to give them to some friends who would not necessarily use them for sketching but would be writing in them.  With that in mind I used some lighter bleed proof paper.

Note Book 2 front

Note Book 2 inside

They have light cardboard covers that I covered with my special paper on the outside and used some photocopies of my drawings on the inside for a pop of colour.  The binding is a simple saddle stitch, it really could not be easier to make a book.  I gave them all different closures to mix things up.

Note Book 4 front

Note Book 4 inside

So please with my few hours work and happy to have such useful little gifts.

Note Book 3 inside

Pieced Patterns – All done

Pieced Patterns Coloured Pencil, embroidery thread, ink and glass beads

They are all done at last and I spent yesterday hanging them in the Small Works exhibition at the Brunswick Street Gallery.  My first works in an exhibition.  Very exciting and a little nervous making.  If anyone is in Melbourne you are all inviting to come.

Here is the final one, it took awhile to finish as I had some problems with it and just couldn’t get it to work.  I think I was over thinking it and  just took it back to basics and it finally came together.

Pieced Pattern No. 6

Pieced Pattern No 5 Detail Coloured Pencil, nk, Paper, Thread and Glass Beads

Pattern 4, Paper, coloured pencil and thread. 21 x 21cm

Pattern No 3, coloured Pencils, glass beads and embroidery thread 21 x 21cm

Pieced Pattern 2 20cm x 20cm rag paper, coloured pencil, ink, embroidery thread and glass beads

Pieced Pattern 2 20cm x 20cm rag paper, coloured pencil, ink, embroidery thread and glass beads

I think my favourite is no 5 with no 1 coming a close second, I like the smaller pieces.  Well hope one of them sells!

Karen

Pieced Pattern No 5

Pieced Pattern No 5 Detail Coloured Pencil, nk, Paper, Thread and Glass Beads

Here is the Fifth in the series of six Pieced Patterns that are going into an exhibition in August.  This one is reminds me of flowers and the colour scheme I think worked particularly well.  It has been a favourite of my friends who have seen the works so far.

Pieced Pattern No 5 Coloured Pencil, nk, Paper, Thread and Glass Beads

I have decided to call them Pieced Patterns as they reminded so many of you of patchwork quilts and they are pieced together.  I will also be calling them assemblages as I do not see them as collages.  I do not use found material in them as I make and colour the paper elements myself.  I wanted to also include the meditative element of repetitive pattern work and will call each one a different name. All synonyms of meditate.  I have a whole list of words just not sure which will go with which.

I have one more to finish, it is almost there I just have to rejig the last element as it didn’t work then I will post it and all six of them together.

Karen

Pattern 4

 

Pattern 4, Paper, coloured pencil and thread. 21 x 21cm

Pattern No 4 is complete.  Well in fact I completed it a couple of weeks ago, but had not got around to photographing and posting it until now.  There is always that pull between making the art and posting it.  I am going to be doing at least six of these for an exhibition in August.

I finally found the work that inspired me to start sewing into paper and another artist doing similar work.

Michelle Forsyth did this great series of watercolours where she sewed lines onto the paper with threads called Dark Watercolours.  I saw the close up below and just loved it.

 

Michelle Forsyth. Dark Watercolor 05 17 x 17 inches

Michelle Forsyth. Dark Watercolors 04 40 x 40 inches

Later in my wanderings around Pinterest I found this other artisit Emily Barletta who does very intricate sewing into paper.  How exciting are these!  Well you can tell I loved them.

 

Emily Bartlett Untitled 73

Emily Bartlett Untitled 57

 

I thought I would get some inspirations from the names these artist had called their work, but no so luck they just numbered them.

I will leave you with a close up of my work and continue on with the next.

Pattern 4 Detail , Paper, coloured pencil and thread. 21 x 21cm

Karen

Another Pattern Done

Pattern No 3, coloured Pencils, glass beads and embroidery thread 21 x 21cm

I finished another of my patterns the other day and have just got around to taking a photo of the finished piece.  As I love a good show and tell on how art is created I did some of my own this time to share.

I started with the background and drew a grid and drew some pattern on it with pen, then coloured it in with coloured pencils, for this one I them chopped them up into squares and glued them down, I wanted them to look like tiles.

Pattern 3 Construction 1

When ever I cut out a paper shape I make sure that I colour the edges, it gives the shape more definition and finish.  I find the PITT artist pens with the brush end the best for this and they come in such a great range of colours too.  The brush ends will also go over pencil fairly well.

Next I did the squares using some of the colours from the colour scheme below.  The top square also had a pen design on it to give more texture to the design.

Colour Scheme from Design Seeds

Each tile goes through a number of processes, the are drawn, a pattern put on it, coloured in with at least three different colours and these have white or a pale colour over the top to blend them, the edges are inked, then a hole if punched into the centre then they are embossed to make them curve for more interest and texture.

Pattern 3 Construction 2 Embossing the tiles

Next step is to sew on the background with the embroidery thread and then finally sew on the tiles and add the bead to the centre.  it is weird, but fun to be sewing onto paper, it takes me way back to kindergarten and we would sew into cards with wool to make pictures.  I love the mix of mediums and the twist it gives the work.

Pattern 3 Construction 3 Sewing the tiles and beads on.

There it is done!  approximately 10 hours of work all up.  Well not all done, I still have to figure out how it is to be hung or framed and what to call it.  Anna Warren kindly suggested ‘Grid Series’ which I liked but grid sounded a bit short or harsh to me so I did a bit of wandering through the dictionary and starting with grid wandered around and came up with reticulated – to form a network and interlaced and motifs.  So at the moment I am considering Reticulated Motifs, Interlaced Patterns or Interlaced Motifs for the series and then individual names for each one.  Feedback on name very welcome.

Karen