Artists Books & The Search For More Space!

I spend Mondays with my printmaking group...while we work, we talk...or should I say "I talk", no, we all talk, but I think I talk the most!!!

Anyway, I bought in some artist books I had made with prints that didn't quite make the grade. As a print maker, I seem to accumulate loads of prints, that have the potential to be turned into other things...and lately it's been making handmade books!
My group, showed so much interest that we decided I was going to do a demonstration...so demonstrate I did. (although it was like preaching to the converted)...not that everyone had made an artist book before!
I created this little book, quickly and without much thought...I feel if I spend too much time thinking about a project I end up trying to control it and the piece ends up looking controlled.
I wanted something spontaneous.


Here is a detail of the "Demo Book".
It's basically a collage of pieces of prints, that I have glued together into one long piece.



I then fold the book "concertina style" and glue front and back covers to it.
In this case the covers were made out of old collagraph plates.


The above image is the work produced by the group!!!


S P A C E



The above image shows a small section of El's studio space...yes I said "small section".
This is where I am most Mondays.
Notice the S P A C E...it's an amazing place to work in.

For quite some time now, I have been on the search at home for more studio space!
I feel quite boxed in my room and have this burning need (notice how I used the word "need") to spread out more.

So the decision has been made that I can take over the back veranda room!!!
It's the most cost effective way I can go.
This outside "room" will need more light, so we are looking at skylights.
Gas is already connected, so a heater will be put in.(it gets freezing up here in the hills) and the open sections will need to be closed in with windows, somehow.
We are thinking about a row of veranda doors and windows.

The space itself is 6.7M x 5.4M, and the flooring is hard wood floorboards. So it's ideal.
We use this room in the warmer weather as a sitting/eating space...but for much of the year it sits idle.



The above image is the space I'm talking about.
I could really spread out in here!!!

If I think back to some of the "spaces" I have called my studio over the years!
The funniest would have to of been a space in our gable roof!!! At one stage I had no power up there and used an extension cord from down below.
I used my kitchen for years and still do as a studio space.
If I think about it, I have pretty much used every room in our house!!!
Doesn't really matter what size it is or where it is...what matters is how you use your space.

The only other news I have, is that I have taken on a Uni unit, art related (of course).
It's something I have wanted to do for years and I have now taken the plunge.
It's just one unit, for the moment. The emphasis here is " to enjoy".
My first 'topic' revolves around "Transformation". Perfect really :)