Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Layering of letters

Every now and again a random thought pops into my head and I start to explore an idea with absolutely no idea of where it might go.

And so it is with this one.  I wondered if you somehow could divide letters up into their different components (or strokes as a calligrapher might say), and use tracing paper to produce the whole letter in layers.  Don't ask me why.

So a I printed a largish alphabet off the computer and started with A.  (I also ended with A  given time limitations, but I know there are 25 possibilities remaining!)


Stage 1. Colour in the left hand diagonal, halfway.


Turn the page, colour in lower half of left diagonal.


Head to the right diagonal and do the same, upper and lower halves of the diagonal.

About now I am enjoying what's happening on the left hand side of the page as well...



And finally the cross bar.


Sewed up quickly with red thread.

 The back.


The front.


The finished wee book-et.


A clearly has a few strokes, some of which I divided just to really layer it, so I ended up with 5 layers.  I could imagine O ending up with 4, C maybe two, U could get 4 if you tried, M could have 4 , 6 or 8...

None of which has helped clarify what I might do with it or use it for...but that might just niggle away at the back of my brain and appear randomly another time!

I am not sure what it achieves to dissect a letter like this, but part of me remains intrigued...

6 comments:

  1. It's an interesting experiment Looking forward to seeing how it grows

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    1. Thanks Jac - every now and again just having a what if moment can lead you somewhere. Sometimes not, but I have enjoyed reflecting on possibilities! Go well.

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  2. play ... for the sheer joy of it ... which puts me in mind of the cross stitching I used to do, building letters one line at a time

    no doubt this will lead elsewhere ... but it is more than enough, just as it is

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    1. So kind Liz! I do think we forget to play, and this was just that - following a weird thought and question and seeing what happened. I still think there is something in it, just not sure what yet! How ell.

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  3. I love it! Looking at your first printed A, my mind divided it an entirely different way.

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    1. Oh Paula, I love that our minds go in different directions! Feel free to dissect letters any way you wish! I am not sure why or what or where next with this, but it is an interesting thing. Go well.

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I appreciate your thoughts and comments; thanks for taking the time.