Tuesday 29 November 2011

Journals, collages, and an amazing auction.


It's amazing how quickly one forgets things.  A little over a decade ago, I enrolled in a few courses offered by the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists' Guild (or CBBAG, affectionately pronounced "cabbage"). I was trying to find a way to marry my love of paper and books and of making things with my hands.  Seemed a no-brainer.  It also helped me with my blank journal addiction: I couldn't - and still can't - walk through the journal section of a stationary store without having heart palpitations.  For a few years, I made quite a number of journals:  I sold some, used some, and gave some away to my long-suffering friends and family members ("Not another danged journal for Christmas...")

When I made my latest one last week, it had been so long since I'd done it - a few years - that I found myself making all sorts of cardinal mistakes.  I had to refer to my old notes, but they didn't help much, as I'd left out many of the very basic, obvious points which no self-respecting binder would have to think twice about.  Oh, well, at least the cover paper is beautiful.  While I was at it, I made a mini-journal with the cut offs.  I like all things mini, and enjoy these tiny books which are made in exactly the same way as the larger ones.



I've been working on a new series of collages, using leaves and flowers that I've found and pressed, as well as pieces from the old letters I purchased last year in London's Spitalfield's Market, and papers, some of which were already painted, and others which I painted a while ago.  I found myself very much influenced by the season's change with the pallet for these.






And I wanted to add my pipes to spreading the word about an amazing auction happening right now within the mythic arts community.  There are fabulous items - books and art and more - being auctioned off for a very, very good cause.  It can be found at Magick4Terri.

23 comments:

  1. Wonderful journals! Beautiful to look at, lushly tactile and totally useful as well ~ brava!

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  2. Beautiful journals. The cover paper is lovely. I also love your autumnal collages.

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  3. Thanks, Donna!

    And thank you, Sharon!

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  4. Hi Lynn,
    Thanks for your Comment on my blog
    :D happy about Your visit.
    I really like your collages. You have a wonderful sense of color. I love that
    I unfortunately can not make collagen.
    I wish you have a good time now, before Christmas.
    xx

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  5. Thank you, Petra!

    Collages can be difficult and unforgiving. I'm more used to oil paint - which you can change if things don't go the way you'd like.
    One of the collages in this series of 6 was such a disaster the first time around, I had to completely cover it over and start again. It was annoying as I'd used a perfect leaf on it, but couldn't save it.

    Ich wünsch dir eine Schöne Adventszeit!

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  6. I have a lot of journals, but none that I've made. Most have been gift. I don't think that I will ever - in this lifetime - use them all. Someday I will have an awesome give-away perhaps. :)

    ps I like the photo with your hand in it ... reminiscent of Steiglitz's B & W photo of Georgia O'Keeffe's hand.

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  7. These are truly beautiful Lynn, I absolutely love your mini journal - just the kind of thing I'd have hankered after as a child, and I confess, as a grown up too!

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  8. Lovely books, so amazingly done. I'd love to get one for Christmas!

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  9. I still have journals that I've either purchased or made but haven't used too, Jan - although I tend to begin writing in one, then leave it and start a new one. Bad habit!

    I love your comment about Steiglitz's photo of O'Keeffe's hand. His black and whites of her are stunning. It helps that she had beautiful hands. Mine usually look rather clunky and inelegant - I just got lucky with that shot!

    Thanks, Kate. I've always loved mini things. I too would have killed for little journals as a child.

    Thank you, Sue!

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  10. Gorgeous books! What a lovely skill to revisit on these long winter nights... I'm sure by spring it'll all come naturally again.
    Also, it's great to learn about CBBAG... yet another thing I wish I'd have known about before leaving Canada! I would love to learn bookbinding sometime.

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  11. I really love the collages you made. they are absolutely beautiful....

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  12. Thank you, Jodi. Funny how it's only once you've left a place that you discover certain things about it. There are a number of things I wish I'd done or seen in Canada too, before leaving.

    Thank you, Anna!

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  13. Your handmade journals are beautiful. I know that feeling walking through a stationery shop, paper and journals, and I find myself unable to leave without one. Like others , I have many still unused but I love them.
    Something very special when you make the book yourself, a great skill to have.

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  14. Thanks, Milly. So many books today - novels, etc. - are shoddily made as objects. It seems that journals are the exception for a well made and beautiful book.

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  15. Hello Lynn, thanks for stopping by my blog. Your collages are wonderful.. I love the leaves and the nature themes.

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  16. Your compositisions always look so strong and confident....fun too!

    Happy Christmas and New Year Lynn.

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  17. Thank you, Ruby.
    A Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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  18. Wow! I love your collage, and your journals, and THAT GUILD... It sounds like the most wonderful organisation in the whole world!!! I'm the same as you - I'm addicted to blank journals too. And I think they're at their most inspiring when empty, just sitting there on the shelf, waiting to be filled with the imagination of whoever takes it home. I always wonder where they'll all end up :) Anyway, I must go check out this auction now. It sounds great. Oh, and sorry I've not been on in a while. Hope you had a lovely Christmas and happy New Year :)
    Roisin x

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  19. Good to see you again, Roisin.
    The auction's over now, but it's worth taking a look at it - an inspiring thing indeed!
    Happy New Year to you too.

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  20. I love your nature based collages.. very Zen-like.

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  21. Thank you, Donna.
    I could use a bit more Zen in my life these days!

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