Working pages: altered Book Chapter 10, Module 4

The focus of the final chapter of Module 4 was the creation of an altered book on a theme of ones own choice. As I had worked with flowers for most, if not all, of this module, I decided to do a book on flowers than had a resonance or particular associations for me. Some are based on my past memories, on interests and others on desires yet to materialise, one is a statement on my thoughts about the current situation in England re Brexit. 

It's been a great journey making this book, and I've enjoyed working on every page. I've kept the order of the blog as the pages appear in the book. It was of course quite tempting to put them in a different order but I think there's a definite progression through the book in terms of the complexity of ideas (and hopefully skills too) and that sense of development would be lost if I were to superficially edit the order of pages.

Prepping the book:

I chose a B5 sized hardback book with good quality thick paper. I also got a chance to read it while I was making the book, which I probably wouldn't have done otherwise. I was able to remove lots of pages whilst working and frequently used these to try out ideas on.

Pages 1 -2

The Tudor Rose

The Tudor Rose was designed to represent the union of the Houses of York and Lancaster under Henry vii. It was envisaged as a symbol of unity and optimism for England. However under the reigns of Henry viii, Edward vi and Mary i, England was riven with religious and social upheavel. Today as the fabric of the union of the United Kingdom is under threat, England is in a state of political disarray. It's a starkly worrying time for all, as populism bodes badly for future stability and prosperity.

I've chosen to work here on newspaper, since it's all about the news. A bleak Tudor Rose is cut in pieces and laid on a background of black gesso (to mirror the feel of a tudor portrait). This is a two page spread.

Sewn and gessoed pages

Working out layout

Adding a layer of black gesso

The Tudor Rose: biro on roughly painted newspaper

The page completed and varnished

A fold out page in hand calligraphy

Please note that from this point on I chose to insert text in a different way. Sometimes on the page, but also I printed information directly onto glassine paper. I've also tried to reduce the amount of working photos I took as this would otherwise probably end up being the longest blog in history.

Pages 3 - 5

Chinese Plum Blossom

My dad used to give lectures on Chinese art as an extra-mural lecturer for Queen's University in Belfast. He still in love with this subject and will wax lyrical very easily! I chose to create a memory  page with plum blossom, on a vivid red background. The red not just for communism but also for that bright shiny synthetic brocade satin from China. I'm glad it's still available.

This is a two page spread with additional written information. I worked in neocolour 2 and colouring pencil on a painted red base.

Some working drawings and planning:

Finding the right red

The painted page with design sketched in.

The completed page

The covering page, double layer printed glassine paper - making a return to module 2

Pages 6-10

Turkish Tulips

As a historian I've always been drawn to the elusiveness of Byzantine History and it's successor Istanbul under the Ottomans. Hard to miss, therefore, the opportunity to include my favourite flower the tulip, in the first of its two appearances in this book. I cobbled together a less regular repeating tile pattern here using a limited palate of four colours.

This is a four page spread with additional information page. I worked directly on the page, with watercolour, so the text of the book is still visible. I painted in some of the tulips breaking free from the rhythm of the tile to emphasize that they were the subject of the piece.

For the cover of this subject I firstly printed off a photo of one of the pages at a slightly enlarged size in monotone greys and pasted printed glassine paper over the top.

Pages 11 - 15
The 1960s and 70s

I love the fabric designs of the late 60s and early 70s, the colour and excitement of it all. Impossible to resist the urge to do a full on 'flower power' page spread. Another 5 page spread with opening folds, in hot colours. Worked throughout in non water-soluble colouring pencils. I cobbled the design together myself using various flower ideas from fabric designs of the period.

For the covering information I made a return to layering printing from the printer, from Module 2. Layering in hot colours of different sizes, in a 1970s font I downloaded, then a layer of printed glassine over the top.

Pages 16 - 18
Poppies

A two page spread with additional information. The symbolic importance of poppies need no explanation.

This is a return to something altogether more simple and I hope in keeping with the nature of the subject. I made a return to a simple gesso base and sewed the pages after glueing them. I worked quickly on this piece. A rough sketch of poppies, then drawn over with a pipette to get a drippy runny effect. I copied a war letter in paler grey in the background.

For the info sheet I double printed on glassine paper.

The splatter was to indicate mud and the grime that must have ended up on lots of letters going home to family. I wonder with hindsight whether a bit of red here might not have been a good idea.

Pages 19 - 29
Briar Rose

I went all out for Briar Rose, revisiting the idea of a stencilled and layered background. I glued lots of pages and cut them in reducing size inwards to meet at the centre. Then gessoed and layered stencils on and between each layer. On the reverse of each page is some calligraphy that summarises the tale of Briar Rose. The covering info is a double layer print on Glassine paper. Worked in watercolour:

Glued and cut pages

The Stencil made out of mounting card and sealed with shellac

Pages 30 - 33
Memories of Japan

I did a dual honours in Modern history and Japanese Language in the later mid 80s, and spent 6 months in Japan as part of a four year course. How could I omit that from my book. Although one immediately thinks of cherry blossom and Japan, I had already covered blossom for China so went to the next best thing - chrysanthemum.

A dark few pages these, maybe reflecting my conflicting memories both of Japan and also my university years in general. I made an intaglio print using Perspex for two of the images and painted a third directly on the page in some ways like a Japanese screen.

Pages 34 - 38
My mother's garden

My mother loves being outside, she's especially fond of strimming - even in her early 80s. she has a massive garden which is planted in a wild naturalistic way. The colours of Ireland - in particular the quality of the light - brings out the white of buildings and the greens of the land. It's quite hard to explain that particular light quality, but crocosmia, which are ubiquitous in Irish gardens, look phenomenal in this light. 

Working directly in glued pages in watercolour, colouring pencil and biro

Creating a hole in the central page

Drawing in the circles

Looking through the whole, back at the first page

Double layer printing on glassine

Pages 39 - 42
Fleur de Lis / Lily

I love France, hopefully one day I'll be able to spend more time there. In particular I love the Loire Valley and the area close to the Pyrenees, around Carcassone. The Citadel in Carcassone does much to inspire the imagination. I have always loved illuminated manuscripts and early botanical illustrations. This four page spread is an attempt to merge those ideas.

Wax crayon, watercolour and biro

Pages 43 - 44
Dutch Still Life

I've always been a fan of Seventeenth Century Dutch still

life paintings especially those with extravagant tulips. I wanted to include something along these lines in the book. Reviewing the book pages, I'd done so far, I decided I wanted to do something with a different format. I looked again through the work I'd done for an earlier chapter - altered books - and decided on a concertina page, coming forward out of the book and therefore giving a three dimensional still life effect. I'm afraid I forgot to take some work in progress photographs!

The concertina

Mock up with drawings on layout paper

Individual pieces slotted into the concertina

working on the flowers using watercolour and biro

colouring the concertina and starting to add the flowers

attached into the book

Pressed flat to the page with glassine cover page. I realise that I have forgotten to sort out the spine here. I had to remove lots of pages to get the book to close without bulging too much.

The Book Cover and Contents Page

A black and white cover, using acrylic ink on 220gsm paper and then varnished, layered over with a strip of glassine paper. Please note deliberate mistake, M4 Chpt 3 !!!!!, don't know what I was thinking.