G3 Packet 3+4

Exquisite Encounters Book Project

Artwork for Mary Ruth’s book. Her theme has to do with clothing and its relationship with identity. My concept is based on split paged books, like the ones that allow you to put different animal body parts together to make strange creatures.So, I collected (12) HD paint samples that have names like “Intellectual” “Indiscreet” “Echo” “Ashes”.

It took awhile to come up with the body I wanted to use. My first efforts were cut from magazines, but I didn’t like the effect. I decided I wanted something to remain the same on each page, even as the colors changed. The idea was that the identity may change, but the person remains the same. So, I found the 2400 BCE goddess figurine- talk about withstanding the test of time! I am using my favorite new drawing implement- the wood burning tool. It burns away the paint, so it’s like making scratchboard drawings. The image embeds in the paper, unlike ink which sits on top. So the colors, the labels and the surrounding environment change, and you can switch tops and bottoms, but the woman remains the same. The colors + names have been chosen specifically for their top or bottom positions. I had considered the effect of having intellectual on the bottom ½, but I opted out of the smart-ass references…