Thing-a-day.com

My title today says it all - not just for the things I created today but for the whole month. When I started out on February 1, I could not have told you I would end up becoming nearly obsessed with books and paper and objects and silhouettes, etc. I had a few projects in mind and some quick hits for busy work days (really none of which I actually did).

Today, I secured the domain name www.creative-act.com for my impending blog. I know I am ripping off the class name that inspired Thing-a-Day but all the initial domain names I thought of were taken. I hope Frank Ze considers this a tribute to him and what he started (I would have been all over that class had I still be in grad school - I was 2 years too early to take it). I plan on beginning to set it up this weekend.

Mid-day, I created some more sunprints - from the leaves on the same tree as the flowers and pods from last week. I am not nearly as tickled with the images - not enough transparency to the leaves to make the sunprints really fascinating but they’ll do as a series of 3. Question is now whether to arrange them in the sequence they appear on the tree - leaves, pods, flowers or to put the flowers in the middle flanked by the leaves and pods.

(Oh, and I ran to Paper Source early afternoon which has to be considered a creative in and of itself.)

The evening was spent working on my Inspiration Book - it did not go as well as I had planned but I am thrilled with the direction it is going. I cut the sayings more to fit into the envelopes and make them uniform (everything must be interchangable, after all.) I also printed some sayings on a turquoise piece of card stock. My first mistake was applying the first stamp. I must have not applied the pressure well because the middle was blank. *Crap* But I mocked it up anyway with tape (I decided not to commit to anything further just yet) to give an idea of what I am planning.

Here, you see the mess up and the first 2 pages -  the directive to create and a short list of projects I want to endeavor. I think I will either use red paper or plain white with red lettering, however. The turquoise against the turquoise photo corners doesn’t stand out well (no red photo corners which were my first choice).

The 2nd set of pages are the envelope to store extra sayings and the directive to imagine. I especially like this page - not just because the stamp is perfect but the contrast of the red and turquoise photo corners.

That said, when I made the mistake, my first thought was to begin again or paste a page over the messed up page. But I am now considering it keeping it as it to remind myself that part of experimentation is failure. Thoughts, anyone?

So that’s it for me, at least here. I am committed to continuing to create regularly and post my experiments, successes and failures on my blog. It has been a pleasure and an honor to be amongst such a talented and committed community for the last month. If anyone wants to link up blog-wise as sort of a alumni community, please drop me a line.

Take care, creative ones. I’ll see you in 2009.

I began the day all ready to make more sunprints - this time using the leaves from the tree where I got the flowers and pods last time. I have decided a set of 3 window panes would make a lovely display and was thrilled to have /easily/ found more cyanotype paper yesterday. I was waiting a bit until the sun was in a similar place in the sky to ensure the light throw would be similar, then the cable guy came to fix my internet and then the fog rolled in. Foiled!

I worked some on my Inspirational Reminders book - printing out some words I want to have in the book to match some sayings I bought at Paper Source. To continue the color them of turquoise and red, the only colors in the book will be those two so I will print this again in red ink on my color printer at work - the black and white version in the photo below.

I want to include a rotating list of creative projects to work on so decided to use photo corners for the list so I can switch it out as I finish things. When I went to use the white ones I have on hand, however, my artists persnickety nature kicked in and they just wont do. I will pick up either red or turquoise photo corners this weekend. I did cut some red and turquoise nice paper to have stored in a little envelope for future lists.

With this paper corner decision, I think I will also use the photo corners to mount the sayings instead of glue as well so I can have a whole set of sayings and switch them out as desired. I like the idea of an evolving book that changes over time and with my mood. By the way, there is also an imagine saying which was hiding under the book. A stagnant book would just become a display; this way, I think I will come back to it often to assess what I need to see and hear from myself and change it at any time.

Lastly, I received my foil paper for the black Magritte book just now. I haven’t had a chance to open it yet but I am very excited to explore it. I have some more black books on order so that will be a project for March.

It didn’t seem like I did much today but in actuality, lots of creative plans were made, some actual work was done and as Thing a Day draws to a close, I feel like I have several projects in the works I am looking forward to completing.

I also turned my winter time display

into a spring time one.

(Which I just realize continue the color theme of red and blue…)

As Thing-a-Day draws to a close, I find myself gearing up to continue the momentum I’ve discovered (and numerous projects I have in mind - how is it that one idea begets another which begets another? The creative process is truly amazing). I am wondering how to remind myself what I’ve learned about myself this month as the rest of the year unfolds and I wait until next February. What I’ve learned is that I do have the time, the energy, the inclination to create something everyday - and some skills as well but it’s the inspiration that I want to harness and keep close.

Today was the first day I did not know exactly what I would create when I woke up. I had some ideas, of course, but nothing planned. I thought about it a bit and decided I would make a book for me - one to fill with reminders of who I am, all I considered and created this month and place it somewhere where I would see it often. I think, in the end, I will bring it into work to place on my desk as a reminder of who I am while I work at a job that is interesting and creative but certainly not exactly what I’d like to be doing all day.

I used the turquoise Japanese paper again for because it is by far my favorite (and my new found resolution is to stop hording my most favorite things but to use them and get joy from beholding them).  It is an an accordion book but without a ribbon (too cutesy for me). The photo seems a bit boring but once it’s filled, it will be a wonderful object of inspirational reminders.

This would have been posted much earlier but I have been having all sorts of telecommunications issues. Is Mercury retrograde (governor of all this electronic and communications)?

I found the time this morning to matte the other series of sunprints, the pretty little pods. I am extremely pleased with how these turned out.

One of both the flowers and the pods together.

I am not sure where or how I will display these. I love sets of three so I am tempted to make another series of sunprints and matte them into a window. I also may bring one in to my office because a) we just moved in and the walls are bare and b) it would be good to have something in my sight that reminds me of who I am.

Thing-a-Day has been so good for me - not only have I been very prolific for the last 26 days (I am astounded at how much I have produced looking back on the month) but I have very much enjoyed the community, having met some new friends. I proved to myself I can find the time during my busy days to do something creative, no matter how small. It has been amazing to make things again - to physically create something from nothing. To be thoughtful and inquisitive. To experiment and fail. To endeavor and to succeed at times, too.

So I dashed down to the nearby art-ish store today to see if they had matte board to cut mattes for my sunprints today. No proper matte boards but some pre-cut ones without backs which I purchased. Given it being a work day, no time to go to another store to buy actual matte board to make backings so I cut down the boards (the window panes have quite non-standard dimensions  - and different amongst themselves) to make them fit in the panes and “mounted” the prints with tape.

My plan is to create backings for the mattes and then figure out how to encase the entire back to keep things safe, dust free and secure long term. But that’s for another day.

Tomorrow, if time permits, I will do the pods - I did have another vertical 3 pane window stashed in my closet (in fact, I had 3+, goodness my eBay buying frenzies). I was also thinking given my evidently sufficient supply of window panes to perhaps make sunprints and put them in the windows as a gift. It’s a relatively funky look and I am not sure who exactly in my life would cherish this aesthetic as I do. I love refined things but there is a place and a purpose for a little funk.

That said, I am getting sad about the end of Thing-a-Day, am thinking of starting a blog because I am committed to continuing to create. Perhaps not every day but I have a project list that just goes on and on. Without a place to share the creations I am most proud of, and perhaps those I am not, I am afraid I wont do it.

After my discouraging day yesterday, I thought I would take a break from good old Magritte. But instead, I woke up and attacked a black ink on white paper version as originally intended. Having learned a lot of lessons yesterday, the white book went much smoother.

It turned out really well but without the black, I am not perfectly satisfied (when did I turn into such a perfectionist? I am not sure; I have not always been this way…).

I have the foil on order and need to wrestle up some more black paper to make more black books. But I am afraid that will not happen by the end of Thing-a-Day.

That said, thoughts for next time: I will try a different printer although with substantially less ink, it may not be a problem. I will attempt some test foil applications. I will remember to go slow, always slow. If nothing else, the black paper with silver foil will make a cleaner looking book without all those white edges.

My brother wants a copy so I will also look into a small run from an actual print house. I wonder how much that will cost due such a small quantity and specific size / length.

Of course, being so submersed in the book this weekend, and pleased with the results today, I can not wait to try it again in black…

I spent the better part of the day working on finalizing my Magritte book. The white on black one. I need to make the distinction because I think I am going to go back to the white on black so I have something I can be a little prouder of.

The white on black was tough, tough, tough. Not only did the ink smear despite hours drying and require multiple print outs and reapplications, the edges of the white paper are visible (I anticipated this but figured I’d go over the edges with a Sharpie) and I am generally dissatisfied with it.

From a distance, in this photo, it looks kind of cool and very much like the Magritte catalogue I saw last year. But in your hand, it is not the lush, beautiful object I was hoping to create.

So, as I said, to satisfy my need to create a beautiful object - not just a photograph, I will create a white on black version as well.

I will return to the white on black after researching the tin foil application suggested by someone on this blog as well as seeing if the print house I use for work would perhaps print  a small run for me with white ink on black paper.

It’s been a disappointing day - I worked long and hard and I am just not that thrilled with what I produced. <Sigh> What would design be without redesign?

After a long day of meetings, battling the weather and a plane flight home, my internet is not working so well.

I finished converting the images to white on black

and laid out 12 of the images in InDesign:

Tomorrow will be spent finishing up the lay outs, printing and beginning to assemble the book.

Not much time today - busy in meetings for work. I did get 3 more images converted to white on black for the Magritte book, however. Only 3 more to go.

I give you a screen shot of my progress.

More concerted efforts re recommence on Saturday when I am home…

I am in NYC this week - spent some time with my camera today in the subway and got this cool, low-light shot of a girl coming through the subway grate.

More Magritte tomorrow…

I was on a plane for most of today but until my computer ran out of battery, I managed to prepare about half of the images in white on black for my Magritte book, with the ones I did over the weekend, I only have about 5-6 more images to do. My hope is to continue working on this during the week so come the weekend, I can make the book once and for all.

Just a screen shot again as I didn’t have time to save all the files as JPGs.

It’s been awhile - like 10-15 years - that I experimented with alternative (read, historical) photography. I remember building a pinhole camera in high school and playing with cyanotypes in college. I bought this Sunlight Print kit years ago and, of course, never got around to trying it out. I began with botanicals to start and really love how they turned out. I used flowers and the pods of the same flowers for 2 groups of 3 photos.

I bought all these window frames a couple of years ago and it occurred to me in passing (since the frames and the sunprint kit were near each other in my apartment) that the prints would fit perfectly in the panes. My plan is to properly mount them and enclose the back of the frame and display it in my home.

Sorry about the flash - I will have to reshoot these in bright day light. Thus, I give you just the photos without the glass.

So, which do we like best? Which should I mount and frame for my home? Please chime in; I am conflicted as I like both. I think I have a similar frame stashed away at the back of my closet - if so, I’ll go with both. But for now, let me know which you prefer.

I am beyond pleased with how these turned out - I love them.

Today I made two books - I am quite proud of them as they are a bit more difficult than the accordion books I have previously tried. The one with the smaller spine was even more challenging because I had to figure out measurements for the paper (I could only find book tape that was 2″ which I actually like better). I am having fun exploring all the Japanese paper, too.

And one of them together:

I made a couple of mistakes - with the first one, I did not put enough glue up to the spine and thus the page was too loose. On the second one, I am not sure what I did but there are a couple of (basically imperceptible) wrinkles in the paper. Lessons are good.

I think they are gorgeous and will become gifts for my Mum and my aunt, I think. Next step is using book cloth, not book tape, which means gluing. Then, I hear there is a book stabbing class coming up soon… baby steps with these book things.

Tomorrow will either be another smaller book or a solar print type of photography. I also made some visual and mental space by cleaning and organizing after 2 weeks of creating.

I will work more on my Magritte book on my computer this week while I am traveling without all my supplies and stuff.

I have decided to tentatively go ahead with a black accordion book; black card stock is on order and I have spent my creative time today readjusting the book layout for a smaller page and converting the images and words to white on a black background.

Here is the PDF from InDesign (clean and perfect) and a screen shot (includes text boxes and guides, etc.)

magritte_black-book.pdf

You’ll also see my notes as to how I converted the images to white using the Bas Relief filter in Photoshop. It’s kink of a hack, but whatever - it’s coming out well, I think. I have a lot of work left to do, it appears…

I just realized that I can use the theme of Reversal for this whole shebang! I am not tied to the themes, but it’s cool when they work out.

I quickly (yes, quickly, I am getting better) made this pretty purple flowered book for my friend’s birthday tomorrow. She tried to say no presents but I assured her with thing-a-day, she really couldn’t stop me from making her something.

I am thoroughly enjoying and getting into this whole book making thing. I am waitlisted for a book about book making called Book Making for Book Artists. I feel like I have already moved beyond the accordion book - though cute for the right purpose. Over the weekend, I plan to endeavor a slightly more difficult book, one with a book cloth and a proper book insert (non-accordion) for a journal. Hopefully the book about book making will give me the instructions and ideas to begin even more complex and beautiful books.

Last night at BCAM, I bought a rather expensive book called Magritte and Contemporary Art: The Treachery of Images because it is the only place I have ever seen the Magritte manifesto catalog (it was catalog for his show Word vs. Image at the Stanley Janis Gallery in NYC in 1954) I saw last year at LACMA, which is considered the 2nd manifesto of Surrealism, by the way, as I learned from reading. As I mentioned before, Magritte’s catalog was printed in white or silver ink on black paper. I am now considering endeavoring using black paper for my Magritte book so it’s back to Paper Source tomorrow to purchase more supplies.

But how to print? Laserjets, which is all I have available to me, don’t print white ink. Perhaps if I made the background black, the text white and just used a whole ton of ink? Would that work? Anyone know?

I am <almost> finished with the valentine’s book - I got a bit of a disappointing reprieve as my beau’s flight was canceled so it wasn’t “due” this evening unfortunately. I decided to carry the spark theme from the magic page through the entire book and I have a bit more tweaking to do until I am happy with it. I will photograph it all tomorrow and post the final result. In the meantime, I finished the last couple of pages…

I’m liking how it is turning out very much.

On a completely different note, I went to the grand opening of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (sited next to LACMA) tonight and it was amazing. From Liechtenstein’s Rouen Cathedral (Seen at 5 Different Times of the Day) - a conversation with Monet and his series of the same name - to Richard Serra’s totally disorienting and fascinating Sequence to Robert Therrien’s Under the Table which made me feel like lilliputian to Damien Hirst’s beautiful and captivating The Kingdom of the Father made to resemble the most intricate stained glass window in a cathedral made out of butterflies to Chris Burden’s Urban Light, a light installation that left me breathless, I was completely inspired to view art I’ve only seen in books and be introduced to art that is new to me.

I am a total light geek and it’s a integral to my own art so I was thrilled to be able to take the below photos of Urban Light and can’t wait to go back with my good camera instead of my pocket one.

I don’t scrap book, never have. Don’t really have the inclination to either. When endeavoring to compose a valentine’s book for my beloved, I was seriously stumped how to make it one that would reflect both him and me. I spent a fair amount of time just considering options and mixing, matching, playing and failing.

One of the central tenets of my grad program was to experiment and not be afraid to fail. I seem to have lost that since graduation. Instead, I become a bit paralyzed. Not good. I am far less inclined to just experiment and play so I consider this to be a success not just because I am like how it is developing but because I found a way to allow myself to just do it - even if it wasn’t perfect.

So I present most of the pages - the third image is not yet complete. I plan on adding some of the sparks to the top page to continue the theme below. The last page is not complete at all but that I have it laid out in my head and planned. Tomorrow, I will finish up the sparks and the last page, wrap it up and present it for Valentine’s Day.

I am pleased with it - not too sweet, but loving nonetheless. A little wonky, a little silly but it will make him smile and feel loved. Which is the point.

It’s been a very busy day and far too eventful night. I did manage to make a Valentine’s Day card for my beloved. There is more to come tomorrow for his Valentine’s gifts but this was all I could muster tonight.

I went to Paper Source today and had a fabulous time buy paper and book making supplies which is, evidently, my new obsession.

When I am working, I am counting the hours until I can come home and create something or fantasizing about what it is I will create today, or this weekend, or next week. I am starting to feel the pressure, however, of not working until 7 or 8, in favor of creating things instead.

Tonight’s events, I just have to share. My brother came over as we typically have dinner on Tuesday nights. We Cholo’ed which is the name of the Mexican restaurant around the corner, El Cholo, used as a verb and there were margaritas involved. Then he realized he could not find his keys so I am posting this after searching the restaurant, the dumpster (where I had asked him to help toss a box for me), my home. He has just set out in my car to get his extra set and it was then I realized that he grabbed my phone as well as his (which are now identical).

I am also coming down with a cold so once he returns with the car and the phone, I am going to bed.

This year, everyone I adore is getting a little box full of candy and a pink or red fortune cookie with a sweet fortune inside.

The boxes are adorable - buttons for the boys and bows for the girls. It is so insipid around here I am going into sugar shock but I am enjoying every minute of it.

The fortune cookies are wonderful if a little uneven. I kind of like the wonky off center of them - perfect fortune cookies are a bit boring, after all.

Having a bit too much fun - love love love…

I am a bit fixated on the traditional Valentine’s Day colors of pink and red, right now. I remember when I was a girl I loved them together and would combine them in hair ribbons. That is, until some friend of mine decided pink and red clashed. Of course, at 11, that was enough to cease any further combining of the two - except on Valentine’s Day. I got over that eventually although I don’t wear ribbons in my hair anymore.

In that vein, I made a book today with the colors of red and pink, learning how to apply the paper to the book boards for the Magritte book. My first time out, I did really well although it was tough getting the last page to align on the back book board because the front book board was obscuring my view. I realized afterwards I should have just laid the accordion out and placed the last page only. But, learning this kind of lesson was why I made a test book. And it’ll be a nice Valentine’s gift to boot!

The front of the book with a bow - I decided to orient it horizontally rather than vertically as a bit of a twist and I like how it opens up rather than side to side.

I also arranged these beautiful pink and red tulips which I am loving: