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, August 28, 2011

Book 207 - "Muhahaa!" - A book of Laughter - Accordion Book

Tonight I felt like laughing, so I made a little book about laughing. I've had the vintage image of the laughing man for some time and really wanted to use it. It was perfect for this little accordion fold book that features a quotation from Kurt Vonnegut:

"Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do."

I printed out the quotation on a hand-torn 24" long sheet of Arches Rive art paper (wonderful paper), then folded it and glued it into covered boards. The hardest thing was trying to figure out how to get my printer to print a sheet 24" x 3 1/8". But now I know and next time it will be easier!  Cool thing... I learn something new on just about every book I make.


One of the reasons I wanted to laugh today was because of something Allen said to me. He's a morning person. I most definitely am not. He goes to bed early. I usually stay up late and make my daily book after he is asleep. Then I leave it on the table for him to look at in the morning.  Today he was talking about how there is always a surprise and a discovery for him in the morning. Then he added, "I'm like a farmer with one hen, who lays a single egg every night and leaves it in the nest for me to find."

Or, I added, like someone with the cat who leaves a dead mouse on the floor as a "gift."

Anyway... fun little accordion book.





2 comments:

  1. Both the hen and the cat gifts made me smile. I had a cat who left gifts for me...even sauntered into the bathroom and left one at my feet while I sat on the toilet!! LOL! That ought to add to your laughter for today. ;)

    If I have a day without laughter I am in deep dodo! :)

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  2. Love that you learn something new with every book. Count the day lost we do not learn something new.

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