Sunday, September 25, 2011

Two years and nine months later...

We have a book!

This was the book I started with an elderly WWII vet back at the start of 2009. His wife heard about the project I did at Rose Schnitzer Manor and thought I might be interested in working with him. And now two years and nine months later, I have completed the project!

The book is an edition of 26, Gocco printed on Nepal Heavyweight, a handmade paper from Nepal; each also has 5 etchings on cotton paper handmade by Helen Hiebert.

Here's a stack of a few books. The cover paper is handmade mulberry paper from Taiwan. The image is Gocco printed and then brushed with a foam brush.



The front & back covers, and the back of the accordion. The back cover is created using the same method as the front cover.



Detail on the back of the accordion. It's the melody from San Antonio Rose. If you know the song, you can follow along. Otherwise, it might just look like a landscape or the water.



The opening pages.



The first trifold. The brown paper with the etching is made by Helen and contains soil from the South Dakota farm that he was born and raised in.



The trifold opened up.



The second trifold. The blue paper with the etching contains water from the Pacific Ocean.



The trifold opened up.



The third trifold. The green-blue paper with the etching contains water from the Columbia River.



Opened.



The fourth trifold. The gray-blue paper with the etching contains water from the Willamette River.



Opened.



The last trifold. The brown paper with the etching contains soil from his Oregon farm.



Opened.



The closing pages.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

No wonder it took so long! Just think of the getting the ingredients from all the places! I would have given up on this a long time ago! Congrats! And salute to your tenacity! At least more tenacious(can't spell and too lazy to check) than I ever could or want to.

shumei

fingerstothebone said...

Thank you!

The ingredients was only one of the reasons it took a while -- when I'm waiting for various things to happen, I'd get involved in other projects and it would take me a while to get back to it. But I didn't have to get all the ingredients myself. I got the Pacific Ocean water myself, but all the other ingredients were sent/given to me by other family members.

Suzi said...

Amazing! Incredible memory book! and such patience on your part!
Thanks so much for sharing this with us. You should be very, very proud!

Rebecca said...

Beautiful work - well done!
cheers Rebecca

margaret said...

Congratulations! Must have felt great to get that one out of your head and hands and into finished form.

fingerstothebone said...

Thanks, Suzi, Rebecca & Margaret. Yes, it does feel great to get it done!

Melissa said...

It looks great! You are so creative; keep on doing your thing!

fingerstothebone said...

Thank you, Esperanza...which is one of my favorite names, btw.

Gloria Freshley Art and Design said...

The book is beautiful! And to think . . . an edition of 26! Kudos!

Unknown said...

good