A Bird in Hand

I love making and teaching Altered Books.

Do you know what they are? 

This is the explanation that I have for my learner info when I do Altered Book classes.

An Altered Book is an art form in which which an old unwanted hard back book, destined for the recycling box, is taken and changed into to a new work of art!
We will be using all kinds of mixed media and I will have lots of ideas to help you to choose how to alter your book.

Altered books can take the form of a sketch book or journal which you can use for experiments or in which you can record your ideas.
They can also have a theme such as a travel book about a country which inspires you or be about flowers or birds or the 'Art of Sewing'...
We can stitch the pages, fold, tear and glue them. We can make pockets and tags, texturise them and paint or print them. The choices will be yours but we can experiment together.

You will need to find a sturdy hardback book with stitched in pages. The size is your choice but not too big nor more than about an inch in thickness.
Instructions and requirements to follow but I have lots of things for you to play with.

I have got quite a few classes coming up in the next year  so I have been looking through some of my books and adding to some new ones. I think a new favourite of mine is going to be the one about Birds.

I love drawing birds and using them in my art in lots of ways so a little book with some of my favourite techniques is going to be such fun to make.

Would you like to see the first couple of pages?

These are black and white drawings straight onto the printed pages. I really like the way the printing shows through the drawing. but I'm glad you can't read what it says. It was a very boring book. Hopefully not any more. Ha ha.

Some photos from some of my other books.

 Paper collage and rubber stamping with mixed media colouring.

Brinton's Carpet advert collage with fabric and drawing onto book page. 

Drawing in lovely Inge's book with cut away 'holes'

peeking through to next page.

Pages in 'Japan' altered book. Fabric and paper.

Double page spread in Jean's book. Featuring a magazine photo and mixed media painting and texture.

Peek through cut out shows the following page.