Does the Shark Signal the End?

Actually, the sharks are ALMOST at the end.  The tail end of the hogfish is the tail end of the minibook-except for the logo!

You would think that the fish below was expressing anger about that placement, however, that salmonish jawline is just how they are built. 

The aggressive looking shark is actually swimming behind the unsuspecting hogfish in this book.  Could this happen in the real Gulf of Mexico world, you ask?  Yes!  Recently a milk shark left a row of teeth prints on a swimmer off the pier at Ft Myers beach.  The family made a quick trip to the emergency room.  At first the staff thought it was a well orchestrated hoax, but finally decided the teeth pattern and wound depths were not likely to be self-inflicted.  The point being.....the family would have preferred that the shark go after any hogfish and NOT their son.  They were relieved that none of the punctures were not infected and did not damage vital muscles, tendons, arteries, veins, etc.  Great story to take back to New Jersey - and the scars to prove it!

Almost all secondary colors in this minibook, although the very orangy yellow still qualifies as .....yellow! 

ggg

Peek-a-boo  -  here's the logo mark!  Hope your Memorial Day was wonderful as is your return to work, your routine, and/or week-day life!

Layered Pages 3 AND Happy Memorial Day!

I have used the text block is several different ways to create a structured place for lists and notes.  In the green page above, I created a paper mask.  The bottom layer was the white piece of bristol tag, then a cut rectangular window with an opening the side of the area to be filled with text lines.  When these two layers were printed with the inked block, the part that printed on the bristol has a clear border when the rectangular mask-window is lifted.

The orange page behind the green page also contains a printed text page printed on a piece of bristol tag.  Since the text block is much larger than this small text page, the block was inked and the bristol was placed on top, then covered with a clear sheet of paper so that even pressure could be applied.

On both pages, the rounded corners were cut after the printing, but prior to the bristol being attached to the background tag anchor page.

Notice on the close up of the green page below, it is clear that the fish was printed before the text lines......how can you tell????  the lines are on top of the top fish fin.

The full page spread actually shows three pages, with the orange text page peeking out from behind the shortened green text page.  With intension, the sharks are LAST!!

Layered Pages 2

Once again the text block was very useful to create lines easily - this block is proving to have many applications!

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This fish needs a title, like "the thinker," or "the calculator."  Initially when I was carving this block, this fish began upsidedown.  His eye was droop, but his gill fins were more appropriately placed.  The furrowed brow and strong jaw give him such personality, however, that I flipped him over - also the reason he is swimming from right to left rather than left to right......think about it.......................

Visually, this page spread works for a couple of reasons.  First, the orange of the left hand page is balanced by the orange tag peeking out of the green envelope.  The orange ribbon at the top of the left hand page, for a previous page's tag, helps this balance.  The green ribbon peeking out at the side of the left-hand page helps the green of both the pocket and the green pocket-page that follows, be balanced.  Purple is similarly balanced between ribbon, portions ofr pages, and snouts of fish. 

Layerd Pages

Uggg!

When these little book's pages are finally assembled, it is fun to look at the layering effect when different size and shape pages are used.  Even when the boys were young, I was always intrigued by small board books, and cut-away page books (like the Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar pages.) I like the way they invite the reader into the storyline by providing a sneak-peek of what's to come and I love the planning and design elements that have to go in to the creation, development and assembly of these books to make them work in the way they are intended. 

Orange triggerfish on left-hand pocket page.  Note purple tag included in pocked.

On the page above, for example, the pocket serves a couple of different functions, inviting the book user to interact.  The tag can easily be slipped out, and the cut-out in the center of the front of the pocket encouraged interaction, as does the attached ribbon teasing the user.  I deliberately color coordinated the fish with the tag to make the overall image on the page more aesthetically appealing.  Human nature draws most people's attention immediately to the eye of the fish, but there is something about the contrast between the texture of the surface of the fish (thanks to bristol paper absorption) and the solid orange craft paper used to create the tag.

Close-up of pocket-guarding triggerfish

Yep, this is still one ugly fish, but seems to look better small!!!

If you compare and contrast the aesthetic effect of the color combinations on the left and right hand sides of this page spread, notice how much more cohesive the left is than the right; the right is almost unsettling.  In fact, I think of of the few things that allows the fish image on the right hand side of the page to be tolerable is the fact that the green ribbon, attached to a tag on the page that follows, helps anchor the color palette.  The orange ribbon probably does much the same anchoring with both of the pages in this spread, AND also the peek we have at the orange page (with the snout of the hogfish,) that is coming.  The consistency of all of the fish swimming from right to left is helpful for this cohesive feel, as well. 

Full page spread + additional page created by cut-away page

Once again, the orange triggerfish peeking out on the left hand side of the pocket-page below, helps the secondary color palette gel.  It does help, and was quite by accident, that the most visible part we can see in the peek is the eye.  We humans are drawn to eyes, eye-contact, and the "window of the psyche" notion that the lore about the eye provides. 

You probably noticed that both of the orange pages on the right hand side of the spread cited above, are pocket pages. I am not sure what I was thinking when I assembled this minibook, but it must have been linked to a plan for heavy-duty shopping, note-production, or receipt storage!

Hog fish emerging from the pocket envelope folder page.

Materials Impact

The minibook has been assembled for function in the event that I ever start regularly carrying one with me. There are images that I find appealing, tags for note taking and place holding, lined text pages for additional notes, and pocket-pages to hold "little stuff." 

Grouper block print, using colored printing ink, hand painted with watercolor paint, on Strathmore 300 series bristol paper.

When (and if) these minibooks swing into action, the embedded pocket folder is designed to hold small items, such as lists and receipts.  I decided to go this route because my purse is usually a jumble of receipts and lists. When I finally get to the point where I am drowning in little slips of paper, I know it is shredder time - this is frequently connected to "the changing of the purse" OR "traveling by air."

I have observed that there are some air travelers who deliberately create this type of messy, cluttered, or dirty environment - I presume to detour TSA inspectors from venturing forth into personal territory or property.  Interestingly enough, I have never seen one TSA even pause momentarily when heading into these unpredictable zones; in fact, I have wondered if they don't take some delight in adding to the chaos as they rigorously dig, tunnel, and plop items into different locations than the original packer.

I have not deliberately created the havoc zone prior to air travel, although I must admit that a time or two there has been purse chaos I did not take care of before my flight.  A time or two, there has been a stray lip gloss or four packs of chewing gum......and yes, I have lost the renegade nail clipper as a result of poor pre-clutter sorting.

The item that really surprised me was a small, knock off pair of Weatherman-style pliers.  I have carried this handy, fix-all gadget for years; a very practical Christmas gift.  Last fall, fifteen to eighteen years after I first got it, I was admonished by a TSA for carrying this transgressing, three-inch wonder, and told I would have to turn it over, mail it, or put it in a checked bag.  This handy little tool has logged thousands of miles and visited Las Vegas, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, and other destinations, before being sidelined.  Go figure.

Hogfish and text lines from blocks , printed on Strathmore 300 series bristol paper and mounted on magenta tag craft paper.

Back to the minibook - notice the pocket page above that is designed for dual action - note-taking and small item 'parking.'  The tags I have created also fit into this style of pocket page, although the tags have their own storage envelope toward the back of the minibook.  

Hogfish and text lines block printed on Strathmore 300 series bristol paper.

In this instance, the hogfish is holding down the printed text lines and seems to be guarding the pocket.  I am not sure why I started plopping images on the interior of these pocket pages.  Since the white paper the hogfish and text lines are printed on is not actually tag, but bristol board, part of it's appeal is the structure and rigidity it provides.  It is less porous than the colored tag of the majority of pages, and provides a much more appealing and smooth writing surface for ink or pencil.  The downside of bristol is the unappealing way in which it accepts the watercolor paint.  Bristol must be a compressed, composite paper, because it absorbs the watercolor paint unevenly and in a blotchy pattern.  Although it blends and bleeds out a little in the drying process, the transition is not smooth and the colors to not even out completely.  I know part of that is probably due to the nature of the paint I am using (it has sediment-like particles, it is cheap,) but even FW acrylic inks tend to layer out.  The effect is not as exaggerated as alcohol inks with additional solutions added, but reminiscent of that distilled, sedimentary layering.

Mixed media and mixed materials minibook; fish theme, secondary colors palette.

Once again, a great experiment in the properties and applications of various materials.  Time and time again, I am drawn back to Strathmore mixed-media, 500 series paper for it's superior quality and versatility......wish it wasn't so expensive! AND easier to find!!  (Hmmm - supply and demand - Econ 101, right?)

4" X 6 Block Prints

Grouper - front half of block print

 Each of these three prints was created as a 4" X 6" block print to use with greeting cards.  (Can you tell which two of these fish actually used the same block/??)   Since this minibook (and all of my minibooks,) are 'just for fun' endeavors, it made good sense to me to put the block to use here. 

Triggerfish #2 - front half of block print

Since I so seldom use water color medium, I decided to try that here - you can see WHY I so seldom use water color ANYTHING.  It works to make the secondary color cohesive, but is not particularly attractive.  I suppose it would make a difference if the fish had been printed using black ink instead of different shades of the secondary palette.......all in all........  a great experiment! 

Triggerfish #1 - front half of block print

Another aspect of rendering these fish "less than stellar" is the magnification of the image.  Block prints were not intended to be electronically altered, or enlarged.  Of course, this technique was developed LONG before electronic duplication and/or manipulation was even a glimmer of a thought.  The Babylonians and Egyptians even developed duplicate-printing devices, but not for mass production or manipulation of the image like we do today.  Did Albrecht Durer's thought go beyond mass printing to mass manipulation???  Hmmmmm??????

One of Many Trigger Variations

As I mentioned earlier, the first aquarium-contained triggerfish I have seen was a beautiful shade of lime green and periwinkle purply-blue.  The colors were even stronger when special lighting was added, leading me to believe, once again, that the lighting creates the color depth we see. 

Triggerfish  - back half (or the left hand side of the full-page spread)

It is challenging in this type of presentation to reveal the way these fish swim - it is very unusual.  I assumed that when a fish is shaped in the traditional way, it would swim in the traditional way.  No!  To watch this fish (granted - contained in a fairly large, but confined tank,) swim is like watching a large oak leaf flutter to the ground in a light autumn breeze.  Occasionally I observed "traditional swimming," but not very often. This fluttering action has been consistent every time I have visited this particular fish, and other triggerfish, as well.

Triggerfish - front half, or right hand side in a full page spread

When talking to gulf coast anglers, each seems to have a marvelous tale about catching a triggerfish.  Most include a challenging battle to land the fish, and the surprise at the relatively small size of the fish (dinner-plate size,) for the fight experienced.

Because they are pretty flat, and highly adept at the sideways, fluttery movements, I would think that could use the resistance of the water to be a formidable fighter.  Going though the water, snout first would be a streamlined maneuver, but working to move through the water side-first would create awesome resistance.

Triggerfish - full page spread in minibook

I had created this block print a couple of months ago and decided that I would use the original carving instead of making a small version to use only for this minibook.  I have a friend who does many split-image, full-page spreads like this, particularly in her sketch books. 

Minibook revealing full page spread of triggerfish (is the green border enhancing or distracting - I can't decide?)

While I don't see myself making a habit of these split images, it does serve a purpose.  Many illustrations in children's books, for example, use this strategy to carry the storyline from one page to the next and make full use of the left hand page of the spread to be as impactful and the right hand side.  I don't think this image would work nearly as well, for example, if the fish were headed to the left instead of to the right.  We begin to subtly convey the importance and power of observing the world from left to right at a very early age.....I wonder what split-page images look like in Japan????

Hijacked - DISGUSTING!!

This morning MicroSoft 10 actually hijacked my computer - has that ever happened to you.  On the screen was a singular option to accept MircoSoft10 - nothing else worked.  Option 2 - SHUT DOWN.  If you logged into this blog earlier, you probably noticed that I had not completed the page.  It took me 3 hours to find a way to navigate around the hijack.  OK, to be fair, I worked at it for about 45 minutes, then did a final shut down and walked away from it for about 2 hours.  I guess I have to acknowledge that, when it comes to computers, BIG BROTHER is alive and thriving.  YUCK!!!

As with previous books, this little book also contains pockets to hold tags for taking notes and captions.  This trio of secondary colors represents the color trio of this minibook.

Fish minibook pocket #1, with tag

Grouper print, inked in green and hand painted with blue ink.

These fish were originally intended to be snook, but as I continued carving, they became more and more embellished, looking more like stereotype fish than a specific species.  The jaw is more reminiscent of salmon than snook at this point.

Snookish prints, printed with blue ink, and hand painted.

They also have that furrowed brow line that is very salmonesque.  The color is taken from one of the many species of trigger fish.

Snookish close-up

With the exception of the blue on the artist version of the grouper, I have continued to try and limit my palette to secondary colors. 

Fish minibook, full-page spread.

Minibook #2 - In Swim the Fish

Carved some quick gulf coast fish to add to a fish minibook.  Thought it might be fun to focus on secondary colors.  So much of the coloring visible on fish is dependent on the light that reflects off of their surface.  The first photograph I saw of a young lady holding her prize hogfish catch, the colors looked very close to the colors below. She appeared to be standing onboard a fishing boat floating in the water.  The fish glistened, as if wet and it's mouth was slightly open, showing 'Miss Piggy pink' lips.

A cute little hogfish!

The next time I saw a photograph of a hogfish, it was various shades of gray (yes, it appeared to be a color photograph,) but did not appear to be wet.  I wondered if the first photograph was of a living fish, just caught, and the second was of a fish not living.  More investigation needed.......

Two hogfish in the fish minibook!

The colors in the fish printed below are a further stretch from the live grouper I have seen.  Most have been beige and patterned with a rusty color.  I have also observed mottled shades of gray in a grouper.  I haven't seen any grouper that are white with green and blue patterning.

Modified, artistic grouper block print with hand coloring!

During our visits to various aquariums, the tank lighting makes a tremendous difference in the color the fish appear to be.  Many of the tanks are lit with black light, so the fish almost glow with vibrant colors.  The first time I saw a trigger fish was in the Mote aquarium.  He was neon green and periwinkle purple - a beautiful fish.  My understanding from talking to those who have caught them in the Gulf of Mexico, they exit the water with subtle shades of these colors, but quickly change to gray, gray, gray.

Cousteau showed us, in his deep sea adventures, that the lighting carried to the dark depth of the ocean illuminate fish in a way that often makes them glow, as well.  Without the man made lighting, the fish could be missed by the divers. 

Happy Anniversary!

May 22, 1976 - Here's to ya!

Shelf Holder

This particular minibook has been a shelf book since its creation.  I has a larger than actual size presence because of the large ribbon width attached to the book rings.  In time, the ribbon will fade, collect dust, and become a detraction instead of an enhancement, but for now, the ribbon makes the book.  (As I said earlier, it was actually the ribbon that inspired the book.) 

The paint used to complete the block prints is water color paint.  I very seldom use water color paints and don't have a high quality product.  If I print additional block prints in any kind of quantity, I will either need to try acrylic paints or try acrylic inks OR explore other types of water color paints.  I am likely to go with either of the acrylic options.

Of course, I try to add a signature and/or logo to everything I create.  Above is  the logo that I included at the back of this minibook.  Although I usually print this logo in metallic silver, I decided to match the color of the green stencil print. 

Check out the glimpse of olive ribbon on the left hand side - it really does make the book!!

Is There a Purpose??

Lately I have noticed more and more stencils of font styles in sizes from 1/2 to 1 1/2 inch sizes.  I can only assume that there has been an increased demand for this type of product.  One of the most visible product lines of font stencils and stamps comes out of Stampendous and carries the name Heidi Swapp. 

Hand colored block print on minibook page.

Quite by accident, I also stumbled across a mixed media workshop in the Twin Cities.  Buried deep in the nth page of the advertising I actually found the location of the workshop in print.  It looks like several of their workshop offerings focus on text use using stamps and/or stencils.  That would support the need for more products supporting this work, ah? 

Letter stamping on folder page in Olive minibook.

Although this minibook has a small amount of stamp based text, I am not sure I will continue suing these images.  I don't particularly like the way they look, it is not essential material, and really narrows the ways in which the pages and pockets in the minibook can be used. 

Stencil page created using a lace cut-out pattern page from the Cricut lace #1 program with individually hand-stamped heart!

And there-in lies the 2nd presumption in the creation of the minibooks - that they will ever be used for any function.  The books I have made for sketching and capturing images have been well used.  The books I have created in which images are included, have seldom been used to gather and store additional information.  I need to think about that, particularly in the creation of lists - I am good at lists....there is not a lot of reason to keep, store, restore or recall lists once they have been used, however.  A minibook is a great please to find a list that has yet to be checked off or used to its full capacity, but the next location for the the well used list is a trash container.........hmmmmmm.  What is the function of the minibook, again?  They sure are fun to make.............................