Back to business

We are home safe and sound after a fabulous trip - sitting here sweltering in t-shirts and shorts and trying to remember how cold we felt in New York.

We have had a couple of catch-up days, settle-in days and sort yourself out days, along with a very busy Saturday. Barry headed off to Baroon Pocket Dam for the annual Bunya Dreaming Festival (here is my last year's post), whilst Noela and I headed off to Cooroy for a workshop with Glen Skien of silent parrot press.

We were doing collage, printmaking and book making - a good combination.  I was keen to try and incorporate some collage into my work - I rarely do - and I deliberately decided I would be as free and thought-free as I could be in the pages I developed. It helped that Glen spoke about letting there be no pre-conceived narrative, no page 1, 2, 3 developed in order or sequence; instead let the narrative emerge from the images you create.

Quite the permission to let go that a sequence gal needs!

I had armed myself with lots of options and materials for the day and as Glen said it was interesting to observe which materials we discarded and which we chose to work with - it was quite an instinctive way of working.  I had also decided that I would try to inlcude some very free, gestural, non-legible text which I would try to do using a brush marker.  So a few little tests for myself, and lots to explore.

Marks on a blank page. Words, text, letters still form the basis of my work I discover!

The left-over cutout letters from my pieces for the nuns emerged and were used in collage and printing.

Some of the printed pages. I also wanted to work with the warmth of brown paper for some reason, perhaps it felt less precious and gave me permission to play.

A couple of the pages folded into sections, ready to play around with and choose their sequence.

The day flew by as we observed his wonderful books and prints; and then got into the making ourselves. I was absorbed by the process and surprised at how I limited my materials right from the start. Choices and discards.

Glen also taught us a new binding - the silent parrot press journal binding. A quick and simple, yet sturdy stitch that holds both small and oversized books firm.

Given that the book we were making had only pages, no cover, I also wanted to make a quick soft cover that could slip over the book.  I used some photos from the trip, printed onto brown paper and glued onto the Fabriano Rosapina paper I had used for printing.  My first attempt was wonderful; then in a moment of madness I cut off the ends which meant that there were no bits to fold in and around the book!  So I taped it back together as a prototype reminder and made another cover today.

A couple of the page spreads. We were only printing using a roller - there wasn't a press - hence the softer, more muted and less crisp imagery.

Some of the details on the pages - hidden words, letters and swirls; and some lovely hints of gestural writing.

All in all a really fun day, a few challenges explored and a great way to ease myself back into making, after so much observing. Thanks Noela for organising for me to go!