Flags and Found Fun at the Fowler

Flags and Found Fun at the Fowler

It was a joy to teach a “Flag Books and Found Writing” workshop at the Fowler Museum at UCLA last Saturday.

Participants created the Flag Book structure (invented by master Hedi Kyle),

after perusing plenty of samples,

experimenting with color, and expressing their own sensibilities.

Then filled their books  with “found” writing, and images,

garnered from myriad scrap, recycled and repurposed print media. assorted papers, drawing and writing materials, and their own creativity.

They played with pattern, texture, shape, font, similarities and contrasts.

There were many surfaces of each book to consider adding content to.

Each student displayed an individual approach to color, collage, layering, placement of images, and use of text and image in their books.

Indeed.

This student cut letters out of paper patterned with…letters. (words),

integrating color, pattern, text and imagery.

They were focused!

This artist used the program from the museum about the current José Montoya show…re-purposing it for her book!

We used beautiful wooden tools designed for ceramics work, as our “bone folders“, to make our folds crisp, and “smooth” the process along (!).

This adventurous student even took off with the accordion folding technique, creating a second accordion fold book.

I was thrilled to hear what some of the participants felt about our workshop…

“….I really feel I have learned something useful. Thank you for offering the workshop.”

 “I enjoyed the flag bookmaking class very much. ….each of us produced something totally individual yet with the same format…. More, please!”

Yes, more indeed!

We Wrote The Book: Notes From the Field1

We Wrote The Book: Notes From the Field1

I am always amazed at the hunger people of all ages seem to have for not only making a book, but filling it. Often immediately. What they, You, fill it with, is called content. If you engage in this process,  you may find that the content of your book begins to resemble, uncannily, the content of your life. Or, it may just start out that way.

Whatever they, you,  fill it with, whether it be words, images, text, poetry, collage, drawings, painting, stitching, lace (!), the content created and the method, media and materials they, you, choose to use, inevitably expresses, and becomes part of, their, your, story.

I encourage a method of “Found Writing“, which may be similar to “Found Poetry”, as the process often yields up poetic self-awareness.

Makers simply respond to words, phrases and text they are drawn to, adding it to their book without self censure or judgment. The results are nothing short of remarkable: expressive, moving, and often a signpost as to the direction the maker is moving, or wants to move in their lives.

The “Flag Book” structure, invented by book artist Hedi Kyle, provides the perfect place for poetic text…

and images…cut up and reassembled in a new way through the book’s flag pages. Some content seems to be a message in a bottle, yielding up meaning as it is created and  contemplates, while some

speaks for itself, in a very direct way. No second guessing  the message here, it would seem!

Above, students busily create envelope books, which will contain an invitation to their parents to attend our end of class bookmaking event…

Some brave souls share theirs.

Sticker letters are a hit,

and translate into the family activity, which employs the humble (OK- this is a fancy one I lucked upon in our local 99 cents store) file folder. You can use the manilla ones.

I usually insist on no tape,wanting the students to learn how to glue (UHU Glue Stics are a favorite- acid-free too) and sew, but do make an exception for the joys of washi tape!

In bookmaking, as in life, you can use just about anything to tell your story. It is all grist for the storymaking mill, whether you are conscious of it or not, so, why not get started???!!! You ARE the StoryMaker!

Book eSCAPE

Book eSCAPE

Traveling between the covers…

Long stitch multi-signature book…with button…learned from the great Jeannine Stein.

Signatures are gatherings of folded pages that nest inside each other.

Here you can see the six signatures clearly!

A bit of unexpected “paging” …vintage recipes…

sheet music…

and upside-down maps provide moments of surprise and pause.

Flag Book with Found Writing,  designed as an inspirational sample for teen students.

Vision Book…

“Take action…Like Nothing Else”

The movement of the book  makes malleable meaning of its words.

Type faces and fonts work with color

to underline the meaning…or create new meaning.

“Double Fan Book”,  a model for a life-sized “Big Book” that could be used as an presentation space.

Covers and pages fan out from an accordion spine,

creating spaces between them.

“Windows and doors” are cut into the planes of the corrugated cardboard surface, creating more moment and views.

The parts are stitched / lashed together with hemp chord.

The piece is designed to draw attention to the parallels between books and architectural spaces, and explore the connections between them.

I hope you enjoyed this  Book eSCAPE, and  join me again to travel between the covers and through the sheets…of cardboard and paper of course.

Material Girl 3: Many Parts Create The Whole

Material Girl 3: Many Parts Create The Whole…FLAG BOOKS!

The fun and innovative Flag Book  structure can be a powerful  form to express thought, feeling and idea through word and image.

Within the flag book…there can be a

We all know that…

Above are Flag Book front and back covers..with a “found writing” title..which employs  text,  color, the font/typeface, the design, composition, and space between the words for cognitive and emotional impact.

A single word or phrase can pack the proverbial punch, when paired with color and placement.

Putting together “found” words and phrases can yield unexpected poetry…the poetic power of  Found Writing.

Found Writing can help us define our vision (or one of them…)

and give us a hitherto unknown directive of sorts.  We  find that we can advise ourselves…

within the context of numerous ideas.

The layering of words, colors, shapes and text

creates new meanings,

and may tell us something important…

about something we want,

or need

to know…

or experience…

or try….

You may find that you make a promise…to yourself…

That must be kept.

Something new…has been born.

Wave those flags!!!!

 

Material Girl 2: Many Parts Create The Whole

 

Material Girl 2: Many Parts Create The Whole

Preparing for bookmaking programs at the West Hollywood Library, the Diamond Bar Library, the Fairview Library, and the Montana Avenue Library isn’t just a labor of love…it can be pure joy.

The spread of papers of just the right thickness, ready to be folded into the versatile accordion/concertina spine.

Pages are attached to each fold of the spine. More folds = more page possibilities!

A rainbow of front and back covers cut to the same height as the spines.

“Mottled” book pages.

High contrast, and “grey on grey” spine-cover color designs. The effect can be elegant!

The glory of your basic colored construction paper…not just for kids.

Assorted papers…Japanese patterns, parchment, and ‘plain brown wrapper” card stock. Variety is the spice of life…and bookmaking!

Let’s take a closer look at those papers!  Now…what can we do with them?

Front cover design…

Use of paper heart found at “Trash for Teaching” in Los Angeles, on inside front cover.

“Fan” page designs! The pages will be attached to each fold of the spine, and will “fan” out when the book is opened by pulling the back and front covers away from each other.  The “fan” book can also be opened ‘traditionally”,by turning the cover, and moving through the pages by turning them consecutively.

Putting it all together….a family theme.

“Doors” and Windows” can be cut in pages and covers, to reveal the unexpected beneath and behind!

“Fan” pages are attached to the accordion /concertina spine, seen here in a variety of colors.

“Heart” openings on the “fan” pages  (“Windows/Doors”) reveal surprises behind and beneath…which can deepen and expand the theme of the book.

Cardboard shapes, another treasure found at Trash for Teaching, create a slight three-dimensional (“relief“) effect, and can be used to create visual frames for photos or other treasures added to the book.

Don’t we all?!!