Work on the book is going pretty well, I just have the leather cover to go.
Book/journal is all finished.
I’m still working on the Green Beetle box. Trying to decide if I want to use eggs or cicadas with the pheasant skull.
I haven’t started the actual bird painting on the fence yet. The weather has been crappy and cold. I did spend a small fortune on paint yesterday. A gallon of white and four quarts of color; blue, grey, brown and orange. I think I can mix everything I need from these and I have ton of spray paint. It may turn into some kind of graffiti.
I thought that the marbled paper was too busy so I’m trying a solid color instead. I really wish that I had some real pheasant eggs but they are too expensive. I could blow out some chicken eggs and paint them. When I was a zookeeper I had to do millions (maybe not really, but it seemed like it) of ostrich eggs, so Im no crazy about doing them.
This is still pretty rough, but I feel like it’s a good start. Looking forward to nice weather this weekend to finish it up.
On the automaton, I made the holes into slots so the poles can move without getting stuck. It looks really rough, still need to file it down and make it pretty.
These two new cyanotypes have a lot richer color. I think I like the last one best. I may use a weak bleach solution to do sole highlighting.
Still working on the bugs. Still a long way to go. I love working in colored pencils.
I love the idea of painting those pelicans onto your fence, especially seeing what your backyard looks like! If you do end up using spray paint as well, I'd like to see what you end up doing with it. Maybe you could use it for the background of your pelicans, since spray paint ends up with a little bit of texture. Or you could use it with some stencils for things like details on the bird, maybe the wings or the beak. Your book is turning out nicely, and I love the visual pun with using a kind of newsprint and red thread for it (black and white and re(a)d all over). I don't know what you're going to pu…
I like that you have added a Japanese newspaper cover to your book cover. I love that you are finishing and adding to your beetle box. The combination of eclectic objects is really neat. And I know how you feel about writing your work. For me, English is not my first language so it's hard to convey what I really want to say sometimes. I understand the hardship.
First things first. YOU ARE AN INSANELY TALENTED ARTIST. I think your statement could be really beautiful. I am sure that Emma will help you figure that part out. Other than that, the book is looking great the red stitching was a great touch and I just want to open it up and read it so bad!
As for the eggs or the cicadas, I like the cicadas, they don't take the attention away from the skull, plus the color really looks interesting with the background you are using. I think the fence piece is going to look great, I am also really digging the idea of doing graffiti, That is such a unique art-form and isn't celebrated enough. Looking…
The book is looking great. As for the pheasant skull box, visually the eggs are working better to me as well. I agree that the simplicity of the eggs is a good contrast to the skull and they stand out against the background. But also consider which would convey your message more clearly. I can see the relationship easily between eggs and bird skull, but how would the use of the cicadas change the audiences interpretation of the skull and the message overall? If you'd rather use the cicadas you could consider painting/altering them for a more striking visual while still maintaining the image of the insect. Looking forward to seeing the fence, hopefully the weather will start working in…
Your book looks nice, I like that the thread you use matches the cover. On the green beetle box, I could see either one working, but the eggs are more simple since the skull and background are more busy. The cicadas' wings do go with the background, but I think maybe they don't stand out as much against the detailed background. Also, I know how you feel about the artist's statement, it was hard to write for me as well!