Today was the day that Susan and I got together to work on our next books - the fourth book in our collaboration so far.
Each time we do a book, we try to collaborate differently. This has been one of the interesting discoveries for me - the number of ways in which one can collaborate. I think we often use the term collaboration quite loosely, and so it's good for us to sit and think "well how else can we work together, but separately?" before we begin each book. I am also lucky that Susan is willing to engage in these sorts of ponderings - they would bore many to death I'm sure so I truly appreciate that.
This time around we chose to work to a theme or a title for the book "starry, starry night".
We chose to work on 7 pages, then hand them over to the other to work on each page, and then return them to us to complete.
The approach is a bit similar to our first collaborative book - but we have noticed it is much harder this time. As we chatted today we talked about why we thought it was harder and came up with a couple of things - firstly we had worked on each page, so the book was already telling a strong story of its own before being handed over; secondly the decision that the other person would also work on 7 pages - kind of like half and half on each page meant we felt we had to add something special on each page; and then the fact that we had to keep the work to a theme. This was hard when you might have wanted to take the pages for a wander but had to keep saying, well no, it's starry starry night and I'd better make it look like that!
Once again the pair of us were both equally fearful and trepidatious about touching the others' pages. This fascinated me because I thought surely Susan would understand how I was scared of her beautiful pages which seemed complete to me already; whereas she couldn't see how she could add to the story I had already told! Funnily enough both of us had further stories to tell on our own pages and ways in which we had thought about taking them forward, yet the other felt the story had been told. We once again convinced each other that the books we were making needed to show the hand of the other - they are not really "my" books, more like "my-our" books.
Susan had worked quite large, about 40cm x 40cm pages on rusted black paper and transparent tracing paper focusing on the vastness of the sky. Here are couple of her pages...
May I just apologise in advance for my photography of both dark and light pages - very tricky at times!
Here are a couple of my test bits...trying to work out if black ink shows up on black paper, how piercing and thread work, which pencil colours show up best and so on, and a few options I had for the pages before I began...
Despite my fear I made some marks. Subtle, ordered and a few other words that would describe my work generally. But I made them.
Now the pages are back home with me to continue to work with them, until we hand them back in a week or so's time.
It was another wonderful day of companionship and art - sharing, trusting and encouraging.
Each time we do a book, we try to collaborate differently. This has been one of the interesting discoveries for me - the number of ways in which one can collaborate. I think we often use the term collaboration quite loosely, and so it's good for us to sit and think "well how else can we work together, but separately?" before we begin each book. I am also lucky that Susan is willing to engage in these sorts of ponderings - they would bore many to death I'm sure so I truly appreciate that.
This time around we chose to work to a theme or a title for the book "starry, starry night".
We chose to work on 7 pages, then hand them over to the other to work on each page, and then return them to us to complete.
The approach is a bit similar to our first collaborative book - but we have noticed it is much harder this time. As we chatted today we talked about why we thought it was harder and came up with a couple of things - firstly we had worked on each page, so the book was already telling a strong story of its own before being handed over; secondly the decision that the other person would also work on 7 pages - kind of like half and half on each page meant we felt we had to add something special on each page; and then the fact that we had to keep the work to a theme. This was hard when you might have wanted to take the pages for a wander but had to keep saying, well no, it's starry starry night and I'd better make it look like that!
Once again the pair of us were both equally fearful and trepidatious about touching the others' pages. This fascinated me because I thought surely Susan would understand how I was scared of her beautiful pages which seemed complete to me already; whereas she couldn't see how she could add to the story I had already told! Funnily enough both of us had further stories to tell on our own pages and ways in which we had thought about taking them forward, yet the other felt the story had been told. We once again convinced each other that the books we were making needed to show the hand of the other - they are not really "my" books, more like "my-our" books.
Susan had worked quite large, about 40cm x 40cm pages on rusted black paper and transparent tracing paper focusing on the vastness of the sky. Here are couple of her pages...
May I just apologise in advance for my photography of both dark and light pages - very tricky at times!
Here are a couple of my test bits...trying to work out if black ink shows up on black paper, how piercing and thread work, which pencil colours show up best and so on, and a few options I had for the pages before I began...
Despite my fear I made some marks. Subtle, ordered and a few other words that would describe my work generally. But I made them.
Now the pages are back home with me to continue to work with them, until we hand them back in a week or so's time.
It was another wonderful day of companionship and art - sharing, trusting and encouraging.
F- I am amazed how you two accept the challenge to work each other's pieces - I could not do it. B
ReplyDeleteIt's a hard thing isn't it? I am forever grateful that we find a way through and so far, it's worked!
DeleteI always enjoy your posts about your collaborations with Susan, I feel that I learn a lot. Not about techniques maybe (though the images are very inspiring) but about your thought processes, the obstacles you need to overcome and your breakthroughs. This abstract, intuitive part of creation that is so hard to define comes out wonderfully and teaches us (me?) a lot too.
ReplyDeleteOh, and the aesthetics are always great!
Thanks Ersi - I think the both of us learn an awful lot - most of it stuff I didn't realise or understand before we began. The learning is in how to negotiate this stuff, how to keep an eye on the other person's style and work and then complement it, how to set boundaries but not direct, how to suggest without dictating, how to re-negotiate if we both freeze about something...the ongoing communication is key as is the trust and repeat. And the rewards are fantastic!
DeleteBreathing a great big starry minded sigh over here.
ReplyDeleteHey J - I like a starry starry mind! Glad you are enjoying - this one has been very scary for us both, but we are nudging it along...
DeleteI think my biggest worry would be about spoiling the other persons pages too. These moody colours are drawing me in. The marks, scrawled writing and the stitching show up beautifully. I hope you keep the "test" in the 4th image. It really is a delicious page!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Robyn - I often sit in awe and wonder and think how on earth could I add to this, how could I improve upon it? Luckily we did this one after 3 others where we had learnt that it's OK to work on it and that we usually pull together something quite beautiful. But the fear was palpable this time around! Hopefully it works out OK.
DeleteI love to hear of your adventures together in this creative endeavor. And I can imagine how difficult it must be to work on someone else's pages. Especially when you have such a respect for the other's work.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the journey.
Thanks Jo - it's an amazing experience and yes, the fear can make my mind go blank at times; but together with the trust and respect we have grown, we manage it. Go well.
DeleteI'm with Robyn, I'd be afraid of spoiling the other person pages too and I really like the 'test' page in the fourth image as well.
ReplyDeleteKim Schoenberger said: I'm with Robyn, I'd be afraid of spoiling the other person pages too and I really like the 'test' page in the fourth image as well.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea where that comment went - it says it is published but it ain't! I'm with you too Kim - its a scary place, but I do think working with Susan in this way has made me braver.
Fiona, I always read about your collabroations with Susan with such envy. You are both so lucky to be friends, to live so close to each other and to be so in tune with each other's ideas and thought processes. 'Starry, starry night' looks like being another intriguing theme that will stretch you both and delight us all.
ReplyDeleteI think nudging is the greatest thing to help us think further than we would do normally....with the mindfulness of sharing.....we must always still think of art as being no matter what the outcome. Such beauty in these fragile pieces...you two would always make great art together.
ReplyDeletesharing, trusting and encouraging just about covers our wonderful day together Fiona. Tis always a joy - a terrifying joy! x
ReplyDeletelove the way you are leaving space for each other, it's like a musical jam making space for the harmonics to develop & fly!
ReplyDelete