Some altered book ideas to consider when making your own book…..

Above:  Hard covered books to alter…. 

The ingredients for choosing a book to alter include the following:

-the cover needs to be hard covered and intact with the spine

-sometimes I choose a book based on a theme of interest

-also consider the feel of the book …for instance is it thick enough for a niche or drawers

- the font, the size, the colour of the cover, any graphics that might be in the book can enhance the altered book

-If the cover or spine is ornate or embellished in anyway, it might be used as part of the design

-Sometimes the content of the book might inform the theme for your altered book or it might unfold as a part of a process carried over a few weeks, months etc. 

-pages need to be able to withstand paint, collage - heavier porous papers are best vs. shiny thin papers

Above:  Spines for altered books should be intact and strong, the best spine from this photo is the green book, the second from the bottom.  The book on the top has a spine that looks a bit too slanted to one side/direction, and this may cause the book to not sit flat…but that can be an interesting look to the overall design too depending on your vision and preference

Above:  An example of an altered book cover, the theme of this book is "Art, Nature and the Soul"…..It is an old manual on teaching art…..

Above:  Layers of pages with collage, paint techniques etc. 

Above:  A prepared niche

Enjoy choosing your books and exploring ideas, a theme for your project.   I will continue to post here some other tidbits in completing an altered book & collage process.

"Creativity Needs Space to Present Itself…"

Above: A section of a collage in my art journal…..This collage explores the things that inspire my heart.

Recently I heard Robin Sharma, say in a video he shared on the benefits of journalling, "Creativity needs space to present itself."….This is so true, it resonated with my experience of journalling anyway.  Anytime I have taken the time to journal my thoughts, feelings, ideas, to do lists, it empties my brain, to make space for the creativity to flow…It truly worked like that.  

Another example of this is, when you might have had a hard time sleeping, or your mind is working a mile a minute and you are tossing and turning, for what seems like HOURS....  I have found if I just get up and write a "to do list" or journal all the things I am thinking, feeling, ruminating about…My brain empties and allows me to let go, relax and finally fall asleep.  I do this because I am tossing and turning anyway, so why not give it a try.

I am so excited about facilitating and teaching the upcoming Four-Week Gratitude Altered Books with Collage & Mixed Media program in June.  It is almost full - only a few spots are left.   Together we will be exploring gratitude, in our journals and working with a hard covered book, creating collages, acrylics and mixed media within the pages.

It has been my experience that when we express gratitude in journalling and art making we begin to see the things we didn't notice before - Or that we see things in a new light and enjoy our everyday, the more mundane aspects of life much more intensely and richly.

So here's to that lovely cup of coffee in the morning, or the feeling of warm water from the shower on our skin.  The smell of rain on the grass, or the sweet buds of violets growing all around us…The list can be endless in how we can see the beauty in our to day to day lives.   I am grateful to those who take the time to read these posts and choose to share or comment on it.  Or simply take the time to reflect privately on your own about the thoughts shared here.  Nameste!