The End of the Bike Tale

OMG, not even any lines to capture fleeting thoughts or closing remarks.....looks like the classic photo album page, doesn't it? 

I think this is the book I began to experiment with the addition of tags.  There are pros and cons to having these stray ribbons sticking outside the borders of the pages and even the cover boundaries.  With much use I think these will look rag-tag (literally) pretty quick, but it does create anticipatory set to entice the view inside the pages. 

I think I might experiment with bigger book pages and smaller attached tag envelopes some time in the future to see if I like the effect better if the tag AND ribbon are enclosed entirely inside the borders of the book cover....not sure that will make for a very functional tag, however - it might lose its' purpose! 

Still included the logo, however!  Awesome! 

Love that Bike!

I hope your three-day-weekend was delightful and helped prepare you for the symbolic beginning of the new work year or the real beginning of the new school year.

There are several subtle progressions in this minibok that I work in tandem.  There is an increase in color - even notice the range of colors and shades in the lines on the left.  In combination with the background painting, there is much more color here than in earlier pages with lines for text.  The facing mini page not only has more colors, BUT also has another heart and they have greater space between them.

the back of the four-heart mini-page has even more hearts and the appear to have a falling or motion suggestion.  Between the seven-heart back and the next two 'visible' blue pages, there is more ink, as well.

This is one of my favorite combination of pages because you can see the smaller relief print on the left and the larger on the right.  It takes a minute to realize that these two, with the visual blue spacer in-between, cannot be from the same block.  So, there is not just one bike image being used in relief, but at least two!
 

Again, the anticipation of seeing more of the image theme.....

And you finally get to the page that holds the larger bike image - spoke details, and all!  Are the hearts in motion, is that paint, or part of the inking - ??????  Let's assume motion! 

The Next Section

As you can see, I put some sequential thinking and planning time into trying to make the pages have some type of logical sequence.  I haven't done a minibook this well planned since, but looking at the overall effect of this one makes me think it might be time to do another.

I have not a big fan of purchased rubber stamps, so either end up using the same few that I have over and over again, OR...making my own relief blocks and using LOTS of time carving and perfecting just the right image before printing anything. 

In reflection (always closer to 20/20, right?) I think using the bicycle relief block for the central theme and building all of the other "fluffy" stuff and loose brushstroke paint around it was a pretty good plan....hmmm

By allowing some aspect of a bicycle to peek out on almost every page flip, the theme screams "bike" without being overly burdened with the same bike image on page after page.......you know, sometimes you get lucky - right? 

......or should I say it was all methodically planned?   

Here's the surprise when you finally flip pages to the "bike" short - the seat is blue!  "Surprise!"

The repeating pattern on the washing tape, whether using a long strip or a solo bile, sure is handy to keep the central theme visible! 

The left hand register (page) below is the first where I have shown the larger bicycle exiting the page......the hearts seem to be on the increase, as well!

The page spread above looks like it should be the intro book plates for a wonderful bike journey tale! 

Expression of Bike Love

The next series of layered pages is a little less anticipatory, but continues the "flow of the bicycle."  On the left hand pages of this section, there is both free brush strokes to try and unite the variations of paper colors with an integrated paper and the squiggle down the left hand side is actually a rubber stamp image.  The bike that is peeking on the right hand side of the page implies an image that does not materialize.....

The short periwinkle page is intended to be just enough to move the bike into the next scene.

Because there really wasn't the bike image on this page spread, either left or right, I remember going back and adding the solo bike in the washi tape.......just enough to carry the theme that began on the inside front cover.

.....who knew there was another periwinkle page behind the first lined page - the beauty of layering!

Lots of spaces for writing additions on both the front and back of this charcoal page.  All of these images are from stamps or relief blocks (lines only).....nothing hand drawn on these pages - or in this minibook when I think about it!

Yep, even those little hearts are a stamp on the end of a pencil - like an eraser end.....I think I was going for the notion of "love my bike......" 

The Bike Book

The bike minibook is unlike any of of others I have attempted for a couple of different reasons.  As I recently shared it is printed light on dark AND it is a real mixed media combo of painting, drawing, stamping, etc.  What I didn't share is that it is also a mixture of page sizes with lots of overlapping that results in morphing images.

The cover looks typical enough.....

And the first couple of pages, using washi tape, are also traditional enough...

But then the layering and overlapping begins! 

In this set of four, each page looks different when it is the top of the heap and not embedded within the sequence.

Page #2 now looks like a little title page with the solo washi bicycle moving the transition forward.....the "anticipatory set" you could say.

The third page of the four actually reveals a more detailed version of the front of the cover bicycle (and also a favorite bike of mine!)  Notice in the two pictures prior to this one, this bike is not visible in the set.

The last page in this series places the bicycle off in the distance - it's only  fond memory.  Certainly not animation, but never intended to be that, either......just intended to move the story line along! 

I enjoy this type of image book and would like to spend some more time creating another.  Although I am sure it doesn't look like it, this style of minibook takes me much longer to create than any of the others on yesterday's post - even longer than those that are all original pen and ink drawings and sketches! 

Minibook Covers

These little minibooks continue to intrigue me - probably why I continue to make them from time to time.  The first two have a citrus focus.

I shared this one earlier - it is primarily the stages of rage of an octopus with a shark or two thrown in for a little variety.

All three of these books contain only "quick sketch" images filled in with either FM acrylic ink or Inktense inks, activated with water.

The three minibooks below are a combination of drawings and purchased stamps with hand painting added.  I wanted to be sure and show examples of books that can be created even if you are not a drawer or a sketcher.  In fact, it is not even necessary to add color, but it is my personal preference.

Both books below have a coffee theme and most of the stamps come from the company Stampendous. 

The minibook below includes free-style painting, various stamps and a few sketches.  I think this one is visually interesting because much of the printing in 'light on dark' instead of the two above, which are 'dark on white or light.' 

 The key for me to pull together a minibook is to narrow the theme to a very small scope and create the page size to add the images.  For all of these books, I have also used a large amount of glue because I have wanted each page and tag to be very durable.  the only component that is not multiple layers is the pocket feature used to hold layered tags.  Of course, all of these layers further limit the number of pages possible with the pre-determined binding template (as I have mentioned earlier.)

You may have also noticed that there are two different book shapes in the examples above - kinda fun!

School Bus Safety

Yesterday must have been the day for bus drivers to travel their route in preparation for picking up students next Tuesday morning.  There were so many busses on the roads in our community that you would have thought it was a school day for kids and all of the schools dismissed at one time. 

I imagine that instead of dismissing from school sites, they all left the bus barn at the same time after a meeting to go over rules and procedures, check radio communication, agonize over road construction (a major expressway is under construction, cutting across the northern part of our district from east to west.)

It is my understanding that there are several states have have recently installed seat belts in school busses.  That topic has been an on-and-off hot button here for almost 30 years.  The bus company argues that each rider is allotted a 12 inch width of "butt space," and if students are properly 'packed in' - three to a seat, they are sufficiently wedged in to eliminate the need for seat restraints.  Of course, each time the topic is discussed, there are questions about redistribution when riders are absent (no way - assigned seating,) sparse ridership at the senior highs because so many students have cars, and .......have you measured the width of a child 12 years or older - 12 inches puts student number three half-way in the aisle - one cheek on and one cheek off.....

I will be interested to hear what states that have enacted the seat belt rule learn about rider safety, frequency of use, enforcement of use, etc.  Are the belting devices like a car belt with a woven belt and a buckle (great for slingshot action,  lost front teeth, etc.) or amusement park roller coaster style with drop down armatures (......if there is pressure on the seat, the arm moves into position).....tough problem with many solutions.  Of course, the final discussion was also $$$$$$ and tax payer dollars here (still no restraint system)....hmmmm...but that discussion didn't change in the states that have implemented!

Watch for those busses!!