Linkage.

I found this children's show called "Tinga Tinga Tales" I've decided to blog about it as the cartoon animals remind me of the animals that I have been making. In this cartoon the African animals were created in a non typical way, they are different colours with bright colourful patterns on them, just like the animal silhouettes that I have been making. Below is a link to a youtube clip of the opening of the cartoon.

Tinga Tinga Tales.

 

Bill Yardley.

My artist influnce is the late Bill Yardley, a very talented print maker who incorporated animals into his art. I chose him as I have a massive interest in printmaking that is growing every day, and because he based his work on animals such as foxes (my favourite animal) rabbits, sheep and owls. Bill studied at the North Oxford College of Art and at the Mid-Warwickshire College (School of Art and Design) and held a first class honours Diploma in Fine Art and a Diploma in Printmaking (Distinction)
He was also awarded an honorary Masters Degree from the University of Warwick.
 I like how his animals are indigionous to our own countryside. He uses almost muted colours in his works which I really like. The reason I chose him was because I am incorporating animals into my own work like he did.

Pop Up...

I have decided to make the book into a pop-up one. The pop-ups I plan to create will mainly be of animals. Because the book is composed of different recycled materials I have decided to incorporate the animals in the same way. The animals will be constructed from different recycled pieces of paper the same way the book is. I like the idea of having the pop-ups in a silhouette fashion.

Here are some page samples that the animal silhouettes will be made out of.

I began the process by drawing a template, in this case a deer onto thick card. Here I am carefully cutting out the shape with a craft knife.

This is the deer template, I plan to cover both sides of the card with this paisley design.

Here is the deer all decked out (:

Here are some I have done already they include two rabbits, a deer, it's antlers and a butterfly.

Entries.

Now that the book is finished its just a matter of fillin' it in. Reminders, doodles, song lyrics, magazine articals etc... Basically anything I feel like putting in my random book of anythingness.

Finito.

My book is finally finished! Get in! Here's an eyefull of my creation. I decorated the front and back of the cover with a maroon tissue paper that was wrapped around some clothes I bought online at Hollister hence the seagulls. I attempted to adhere a strip of gold leaf to the book but it was so difficult and finicky to attach that it didn't look very good so I just went with a strip of gold wrapper from a choclate bar instead. At the back of the book there is an elastic that can be stretched around to keep the front cover in place [I quite like that extra detail] I like that my book is 100% recycled, most of the pages within were scavenged for and would have ended up in the bin. So this is my "A Lot To Do About Nothing Book" hope everyone likes it as much as I do. (:

The front cover of my book.

The back cover of my book.

This is what the book looks like on the inside.

A look at the random pages within.

Brick Page.

Wood Page.

Stationary.

Right I've been looking at the book I made and I'm thinking it's more like a piece of stationary than a book. My piece is kind of interactive, because it's a jotter that you write in and not entirely just a piece of artwork.

I'm actually quite intrested in stationary, it's something we all need and use everyday. I think stationary doesn't have to be boring or drab like it so often is so I thought I'd show some cool examples of stationary with a twist.



Glueing The Pages.

Now that the cover has been completed, it's only a matter of glueing the pages into place. To begin I stacked the A5 pages together and proceeded to clip then into place with sturdy Bulldog Clips.

With the pages all held together its just a matter of using a paintbrush to glue along one side of the paper. This will require several layers of PVA and is very tedious (I'm not even certain that it'll work) Once the Layers of PVA are set, I'll apply a layer of hot glue from a gun and finally the outer layer of masking tape.

Overall the assignment seems to be going well. I have been using my time well juggling between course work, sociallising and working. I'm excited to see the finished piece and plan to do another entry later this evening.

Covering Up.

To start the cover of my "A Lot To Do About Nothing" book I collected some materials, cardboard folders, craft glue, gold leaf, elastic etc...

To start I took apart the folder and using a measuring tape and pencil i cut the card to the correct size for my book, leaving 1cm extra either side of the pages. The folder has some grooves molded into that helps the flap overlap the pages, as the folder fills, it can be bent to accomodate the extra content. These grooves were very usefull to me as the card bent to form a spine for the cover of my book.

Now that the cover is in its basic form it's just a matter of jazzing up the little bugger (:

Getting Started.

Roysh, Okay.
I had no idea what to do for the theme of my book hence the title of my blog "A Lot To Do About Nothing" then I realised the theme was already there. "A Lot To Do About Nothing" is a perfect theme for me, it's vague and uncertain like I am. My book is fairly hazy, it's quite structured on the outside like a genuine book but within the cover it's indeterminate and quizzical. What is it for? What do you do with it? The answer is anything you effing want. Draw in it, write in it, stick things in it, rip things out. Who cares? It's a book you can use and abuse.

I started my whatever book by collecting different kinds of paper, gift bags, tissue paper, scrap paper and anything that interested me.

I cut the different samples of paper to A4, all the same size. I then folded the samples in half to make them A5.

Once the pages were folded all nice and even I glued edges of the pages together. The sealed edge will be glued along the spine of the book and the folded side will be visible.

This is basically what I have done so far. Overall the book will compose of 30-40 sheets of different paper, some patterend some plain. Tomorrow I plan to fuse the pages together and finish my cover.
                                                                Keep Cooly-James (:





Just Saying...

Putting the "Crap" in Scrap Book.

As a part of contextual studies we were to create our own scrap books with our own themes and subject matters. I love the idea of creating my own book from scratch and filling it with all things that represent me as a person. The biggest challenge is choosing a theme that appeals most to me. I particularly like the idea of looking into textures and urban surroundings, I have a notebook, (that's too nice to write into), known as "The Walls Notebook" http://www.thinkofthe.com/product.php?name=walls-notebook Basically it's a notebook consisting of images from New York Citie's urban walls and gates. The idea is to write your thoughts and doodles onto these walls as you would a normal notebook.
Though I have tonnes of ideas for my scrapbook the idea of usings textures from both natural and man made object really does appeal to me, red brick walls, wooden floorboards, maps, gravel etc.

I think I'm going to incorporate textured backgrounds with anything and everything that influences me in everyday life. If I like it, it's going in the book.

Here is an excellent tutorial on how to create your own notebook.  http://www.designsponge.com/2010/09/diy-project-recycled-scrap-paper-notebooks.html

                              Enjoy (:

The Oragami Seagull.

Today at the Galway City Museum http://www.galwaycitymuseum.ie/ we went to view the exhibition "Modified Expression". Basically the exhibition was created in response to the work of the authors participating in literature strand of the Kilkenny Arts Festival, it features calligraphic text, deconstructed books, intricately hand-cut paper, and recycled and re-sculptured works. We were asked to find a particular piece in the exhibition that appealed most to us and then create a small sculpture inspired by it.
I chose a work consisting of small butterflies which were made by pages from a book. Observing the butterflies and the seagulls outside, it made me think of flight which then inspired me to create an origami seagull.
                          Keep Cooly- James (:

Here's the art work which ispired my oragami seagull mobile.

 I like the movement in the simple structure.

This is my favourite caption of the model as it really looks like a seagull to me.