A Book a Day? What's Up With That?


Hi, and welcome to this year-long project. So what's this all about and how did it happen, you might ask. In mid 2007, artist Noah Scalin decided to make a skull out of anything he could find, every day for a year. It stretched him in ways he never imagined, as an artist, a writer and a person. His experience turned into a blog that went viral, and then a book.

Others have picked up on the idea: 365 Hearts, 365 Masks, 365 Bears drawn on a cellphone, 365 paper napkin mustaches.
I wanted to play, too, and I chose books. I love books, I know a bit about making books (thanks to my talented book-maker sister, Marilyn Worrix), and they're broad enough in definition to give me a lot of creative leeway.

The whole point is not really the books. The idea is to stretch myself in many ways as an artist and a person, to set up a discipline, stick with it and see what that teaches me.

I hope you'll join with me and follow along on the journey chronicled here, and let me know what you think.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Day 108 - Marias Cookie Pack Stab-Binding Soft Journal

Just a  little late with this one. Yesterday, after a wonderful day of art-making, good friends, good food, (and a little too much sun), I came home exhausted. Flopped onto the bed with the thought of "just a nap, then I'll make a book." Of course, I slept through most of the night. And during that time, I made at least 4 books in my sleep. I'd half wake up, think "no, I didn't really make that book so I'll go back to sleep and when I wake up again it will really be made."

Finally, I got up at about 5 am and started actually making one. Since I am by no stretch a morning person, 5 am is still the middle of the night for me. So I figured, obviously since it's not yet tomorrow morning, it's still yesterday, and I'm still on schedule!

Oh well... works for me.

So here is the actual book I actually made, out of real stuff instead of dreams. The cover is cut from a cookie package for "Marias" cookies, filled with "cajeta," an absolutely delumptious caramel type spread made with goats' milk and caramelized sugar and one which I love entirely too much. Yummo! The package is a sort of cello-like plastic, but thicker, and partly transparent. The book block is made of the kind of grid paper that kid's here in Mexico use a lot in school. It is wrapped with pink bond paper to show through the cover.

A Japanese stab binding stitched with brown waxed linen thread ties it all up. I left some excess at the top edge then knotted it to form a bookmark. The journal is very soft and can be rolled up to fit into a backpack (sort of like a packet of cookies).





2 comments:

  1. Just one great idea after another. Sleep well tonight.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Rachel. I believe I shall.

    ReplyDelete