Eithnas Finished Book

I actually had this book finished in 2013 but what with family at home over the holiday and other distractions I am only now getting around to posting about it. This time I made a meandering book, I find books without spines are easier. I like to use a different method for each book so that way my book making skills will be improving too. I used some nice Japanese paper for the cover which suited the sumi-e drawings inside.

Eithna 2nd Alphabet

At last I have made a start on my 2nd alphabet. I had many ideas but no work and lots of excuses. But this week my stars must be aligned or perhaps it is the combination of stormy weather that I can't be bothered to brave the elements, or that I'm still buzzing after my sumi-e course in Westdean, as well as our t.v. is broken so all that means I'm catching up with my "to do" list and the A.L.A.W. was at the very top 

I cut pages from my sketch book (maybe a hint of desperation here) to see what random images would appear. I rubber stamped the letters with red ink to duplicate the stamp used in Japanese ink painting and so my 2nd alphabet began.

  Apologies for the poor quality photos I will post some more of them when I have better images.

Eithnas Peace Book

Here is my finished Peace Book...........at last! Once again I enjoyed making it so much and I am happy to have another book to add to my collection. This time I tried a different method to assemble the book. It is an attempt at stitching the spine together. I find I will look up the instructions on how to do something but half way through I'll just start to improvise, I think I'm not good with "how to instructions" in general. After I started I realize that my book paper could have been a better quality, but I am restricted to what my local craft shop has to offer. Must make a note to self to stock up on quality paper when next I visit a big city.
                                       
                                           

P.S. When I finished the letters for this book I  made some collages from the extra letters I had done. I love when work generates or inspires new/more work. You can see what I did over at littlebitofblue.

Eithna....at last!

I said in my introduction a few weeks back "Peace comes dropping slow". I want to depict an inner/personal peace, those still gentle times when all is right with the world. I quoted Yeats poem where he was seeking peace in Inishfree, close to nature and the landscape. I also feel peace is a fragile quiet thing, difficult to hold onto when stress and chaos seem to bully it out of the way. With those ideas in mind I have at last begun my alphabet. I am using Bamboo 265gsm  paper, a small freestyle letter in ink that I have then covered with torn parchment (the baking paper type), the delicate petal is all that remains of last years hydrangea and some nice ragged handmade paper and random strokes of watered down ink.

The dead Hydrangea flower heads are beautiful and fragile, it is a shrub that keeps on giving.