i should be blogging more often but seriously time must be playing tricks on me. chunks and chunks of it just seem to disappear from the face of the earth ... well, my earth that is. have stopped taking commissions for a while just to chill and not have to make art whilst fighting with time. takes away all the fun.
one of the last commission was an earring. when i say an earring, it really means 'an'. she only wanted one. so i made sure that it was good enough to go solo :)
named her Uni'q ... i'm actually quite smittened with that name HEH!
after Uni'q, i managed another 2 books. i've been thinking of revisiting some of my older designs. so i took the opportunity to go Celtic this week.
the Book of the Brotherhood and the Book of Celts ... both i love so very much! and also very thrilled at the fact that the motifs in the center were designed by moi, and then made into stamps. took me quite a while to sort out the over-under line crossings tho!
also love how this batch of rust turned out. beautiful patches and colors. even the shine-matt combination on the galvanized zinc seem so natural.
these books that i make take so many hours to complete. rusting the metal parts have to be done days before and closely monitored so that i get a good combination of rust and grey metal. and then the artwork itself, the background distress effect, the shading of the motifs to give them depth and the aging work. also, i have lined clay at the bottom of those strips so that they don't sit flat on the cover. there is a slightly raised edge ... just me being fussy ya know. but darn ... that took some time, becos we had to make sure that the clay was 'grouted' properly all round! yea ... me being fussy again! and finally, the pages are torn and sewn onto the leather spine. OOO!! i just bought a bunch of new threads that i am now in love with! Irish Waxed Linen ... should have used them ages ago!! they even come in beautiful colors :) now my celtic books ... one has Teal colored thread, the other has Olive Green ... MamaMia!!
Your books are sooo spectaculous!
ReplyDeleteOh that earing Luthien - I could use just one to decorate one of my journals!
ReplyDeleteYour books are just beyond beautiful!
I wouldn't care how many times you revisited these and displayed them in front of us again!
Enjoy your weekend!
L-great outcomes and that is because you put so much preparation and planning into each of your pieces. It does however remind me that we do our art because it drives us - we can never be compensated for out time. Go well. B
ReplyDeleteI am very very happy when I see in my feed that you have posted something! You are inspiration to me! My bookbindin has evolved so much since I found you. So please find time to make art for yourself and for the rest of us!
ReplyDeleteHugs
PS I also LOVE Crawford's Irish waxed linen thread
Your books are always to die for! LOVE the weathered look and the rusty bits. Brilliant my friend!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Gaby
I always admire how you get these treasures to always look so old and tattered like they've been hidden away for centuries. Maybe without sharing all your secrets we could see the process. Love them all!
ReplyDeleteAll beautiful, Luthien! You know I love those rusty metal strips!
ReplyDeletexo
I love seeing what you have created - my eyes love me for stopping by too! Everything is always so wonderfully photographed and inspiring - thank you!!
ReplyDeleteWow! You have some beautiful jewelry!! :) xx Holly
ReplyDeleteTruly beautiful, as always, Luthien! The little books are so lovely! You may be time poor but the work you manage to find time for is always stunning!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean about time - I think there's some sort of time warp effect that's eating mine up too!
ReplyDeleteYour single earring is certainly special and "uni'q" enough to go it alone!
And the Celtic books are beautiful, so much work in them with that ornate design and I am in LOVE with the rust - soooo gorgeous!!
PS Some photos of Whitworth Park for you - I'll send by email too :)x
http://artangeloriginalart.blogspot.co.uk/
I understand why you love these two book designs. They really are spectacular. The more I think of one "Uni'q" earring the more I love the idea.
ReplyDeleteLuthien, All I can say is WOW, love your site, your work is amazing and inspiring. Its a pleasure to visit, and I look forward to coming back. Blessings for the week, Amanda
ReplyDeleteI love your unique Lovecraftian style!
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