Adventures in Bookmaking (Part 4)

     For my coptic bindings I wanted to get a little experimental. Since the binding is exposed I wanted to try and decorate the edges with decorative washi tape. I picked a tape that matched the paper I was using for the cover boards.

     You can see the tape on the inside of the book, since it was layered on the outside of each signature, between the holes I punched for the binding stitches. I didn't design the inside of these books, so the pages are all blank!

Pink end papers

     For this next book I was even more experimental. I played with different page sizes and shapes. The goal was to create a book that had smaller independent 'books' inside of it. I wasn't as precise as I could have been in cutting out the pages, so while everything sewed together fine and functions as one whole piece, the pages don't turn as easily as I had imagined.

     I also played with 'windows' cut into the cover boards for the book, as well as different colored end papers, and a variegated rainbow cording for the binding.

What is beauty?

     In trying to answer this question we must first determine whether beauty is made up of multiple cultural viewpoints that differ from one another, or if there is an inherent standard for beauty that transcends all cultures. For the most part, beauty remains in the eye of the beholder. Just like your sense of humor, different things appeal to different people. Beauty as a cultural standard is subjective and ever changing. This can be seen in the transition from contemporary to modern art, in the differences between eastern and western art styles, and in the changing of fashion over time.

     Small side note: Not all art is meant to be beautiful. Art has the dual purpose of catching the eye, but also of conveying a message. This applies very much to the design collective Dada and Marcel Duchamp's piece Fountain (pictured above). The work of Dada was to create art that rejected all that art had previously stood for and to show how the perception of art had changed in previous years. Their goal was less to display the beauty of a factory-made piece of porcelain and more to prove a point that something can become art if it is declared so. This is an interesting discussion on it's own, but not the one I came to make today.

     Despite all this, in the end, beauty remains a social constructive, albeit a standard that transcends viewpoints. How then, can two vastly different forms of art, such as a rock song and a piece of Mozart both be considered beautiful? It is here that we can break down some objective standards of beauty, specifically in art forms that have crossed the boundaries of time and culture.

     Something to be taken into consideration is the technical difficulty of the piece. In essence, how hard it is to replicate. In this case, difficulty adds value. As humans, intricacy amazes us. This 'awe factor' also points back to God, his creation, and things we cannot understand that inspire our awe.

     When we see something we consider beautiful it points us back to God, the true source of beauty. This then allows for an infinite spread of options that beauty can take form in, varying from genre, culture, time period, and medium. Even so, only God can be perfect and truly beautiful. He is Beauty and everything else can only be beautiful in their own capacity. This also means that everything has some intrinsic beauty. God is the Creator of all things and is beautiful; anything that he creates is beautiful in at least some way. Therefore, everything that exists, having some connection to God and His creation, then carries value and a standard of beauty.

    It is true, however, that beauty can be distorted and warped. And we must be wary of this. Even so, just be existing, an object has some connection to God and his creation. Therefore, it has even just a smidgen of beauty, inherent just by it's existence. This can be applied to many things, from warped beauty that while dangerous and alluring has some redeemable qualities, to people and places that seem without hope.

     By the same token, even if something is beautiful, we don't necessarily have to like it. Bringing us back to our comparison of the difference between classical music and classical rock. We only affirm beauty - we can't assign it. However, society can value certain forms of beauty over another. Therefore, each person may not appreciate certain beautiful things a much as another person. However, that does not diminish their inherent beauty.

Still, with all these differing standards of beauty, what can be considered beautiful? There is a message that I want to get across to each and every one of you reading this; You are beautiful! Yes, you! Have you ever thought about that? Have you ever said to yourself, “Yes, I am beautiful.”? I know it can be hard. Society likes to cram unattainable standards of beauty down our throats sometimes. But the truth is, you are beautiful! You are completely and totally unique - no one is exactly like you. And, most importantly, you are made by God and in His image! How cool is that?

So, the answer to my question is: What is beauty? It’s what each and every one of you are!

Pictures:

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/duchamp-fountain-t07573

Essay inspired by a discussion from the Upper Room Society.

Tara Donovan - Of Paper Plates and Straws

 

     Tara Donovan is a world-renowned artist that innovates with everyday materials to create extraordinary sculptures. Donovan broke onto the art scene in the early 2000’s. Her work deals with space and light, with industrial materials that appear organic when assembled together. She mostly creates site-specific installations that are either wall-based or free standing. While her works use found objects and mass-produced materials, they are never ready-mades. Also, Donovan’s pieces are never outsourced - she and her assistants undertake the development of every project. 

     Each project begins with a singular material. It could be a cup, or a button, or a straw. Donovan starts by experimenting with the material and seeing what physical elements she can exploit. She follows predetermined rules to make modules, or units of what the piece will eventually become. Because of this process, of modules becoming modules and growing into bigger things, her pieces mimic the process of growth and nature, in that order and structure can give way to the unpredictable. Her sculptures gain a life of their own in this process, as they move away from a singular element to an unified armada. The original material is disguised by the sheer amount of units and the method of construction. 

     Many of the materials Donovan chooses have neutral or transparent qualities. This allows her to bring out the inherent qualities and aspects of the materials. As a whole, her work lacks a specific narrative and Donovan does not have a personal attachment to the materials she uses. Instead, her work is more an exploration of what the material could become, from something ordinary into something extraordinary.

Note: This was an assignment for an Art History class studying Modern Sculpture at school.
 

Adventures in Bookmaking (Part 3)

     This book was made using a fabric cover and a bound using the longstitch method. As seen in the image above, the stitches that bind the signature together form a decorative pattern on the outside of the spine.

     For the inside, I chose a vibrant color that related to the blues and greens on the cover. I also sewed in a ribbon into the cover that wrapped around to hold the book together in a nice package.

Adventures in Bookmaking (Part 2)

   
     This book was made using a traditional binding method - sewing on tapes (shown below). Out of all the books I made this was the one that I went the most in depth with. At one point I had to redo the cover because of a structural issue.

     Inside the book required even more work because I also created content for the book. Using the topic of modern fashion icons I curated a selection of women in the last century that have been looked up to for their style, either in being timeless or in pushing the boundaries of fashion. I fashioned a paper doll model using the help of my teacher who is well practiced at drawing the human figure. For the book I wanted to focus on diversity and beauty across different times, ethnicities, and body types. To help illustrate this I made my figure to be a plus size model. 

     The paper doll pattern I cut out of the pages of an old book I found at the thrift store. I liked the neutral color of the paper and the way the text interacted with the rest of the image. I also think it related well to the paper I used to make the cover of the book. After researching the fashions of my icons, I recreated some of their most famous pieces. These I pasted onto my paper doll model in layers to add depth to the illustrations and finally placed them in the pages of the book. I also included several facts and timelines regarding such things as how long each person lived and when, and how many times they had been married.

Adventures in Bookmaking (Part 1)

     It has recently occurred to me that while I have had this blog for several years and have named it "Taking Life a Page at a Time" because of my love for books, I have never shared the handmade books I learned how to make when I took a bookmaking class over a year ago! Well, that is going to change starting today! I won't share everything all at once. I will instead do several installments where I share one or two books and then talk about them individually.

     The first book I wanted to talk about is a flip book made using vintage patterns and a Japanese stab binding method. In retrospect, the stab binding isn't the most user friendly in flipping through the pages. But it still gets the job done! You can alter the girl's outfit on the top, bottom, and middle sections of her body (shown below).

   
     If I could do this book again I would probably use a different binding method. However, I am really pleased with the overall look of the book and how the different patterns line up to create the effect I was looking for.

     Since the book doesn't have a cover, I created a more heavy-duty backing for the book using some heavier card stock and layering pattern papers to allude to the vintage patterns used inside of the book.

Semester #8

This semester hasn't been as hectic as semester in the past, academically. It also has been very different in a lot of ways. Before I jump into what classes I am taking I want to give a quick update. Over winter break I applied for and received an on-campus position at my university. I am doing graphic design and marketing for one of the offices. That has been a great opportunity to get some experience under my belt and a position to put on my resume. My co-workers and supervisors have really made my work a great place. I am thankful to be working with them. In all of this, I still have a few hours a week at my previous retail job.

However, things are looking quite different now than they did at the beginning of the semester. Starting this week actually, all school has transitioned to being online to 'flatten the curve' of the COVID-19 global pandemic. These are strange times to be living in! This means that in addition to doing home schooling, I am also working from home. This has been an adjustment. However, the semester is almost over! Just gotta push through for the last little bit!

#1 - Drawing for Visual Communication
This class is technically a graphic design course, but it is more focused on the discipline for illustration. It has been fun to take on more 'light hearted' projects and stretch my drawing skills. Some of the projects we have tackled so far are various posters and illustrations. An example is included below.

#2 - Sequential Media

This is my other graphic design class for this semester. It is a more traditional graphic design course. In this class we have designed CD covers and gotten a bit into web design with art blogs.

#3 - Professional Practices

I took this class last semester and will take it for my next two semesters. It is a one-credit course that teaches us the ins and outs of our profession. This semester we have learned about paper and the printing process. Occasionally, we will have guest speakers come and talk to us. Aaron Draplin (a famous designer) was going to visit and give a talk this April, but that had to be canceled unfortunately due to the restrictions we are currently experiencing.

#4 - Art History: History of Graphic Design

I have taken several art history courses before, but this one is special as it covers the history of graphic design. We started learning about illuminated manuscripts and are now learning about the Art Nouveau movement.

#5 - Honors Research

Nothing against this class, I just have a hard time motivating myself to get excited about it. However, it is the last requirement I need to fulfill for my Honors track. We are working on group research projects. My group is studying how technology affects different generations differently. 

Semester #7

     In a lot of ways this semester has been tough. This can be evidenced by the fact that it is now halfway done and I am just now getting around to posting what classes I am taking. But, now that I am taking upper division graphic design classes, maybe that is to be expected.

1. Typography II
     Similar to Typography I, we continue to explore type, typefaces, and typographical layouts. An example of a project was to design a brochure on a period in design history. I had Art Deco.

2. Package Design
     Pretty much what ti sounds like. We design packages, mostly in the 'box' range (haven't gotten into bottles or pouches or anything crazy like that yet). A memorable project was making a paper banana (pictured below). This was supposedly our hardest project of the semester. Good thing we got it out of the way first! As a whole, I am enjoying this class.

3. Explorations of Graphic Design
     My other main graphic design class of the semester. This one is more general in application, as we are exploring various methods of design. So far we have worked on logos, icons, posters, and now advertisements.

4. Professional Practices
     This is less of a regular class and more of a weekly 'how to' seminar. We have learned about resumes, assembling our portfolios, and other bits and bobs necessary to become a graphic designer. I am also somewhat involved in the local graphic design guild.

5. Intro to Marketing
     Funnily enough, this is the only non-graphic design class I am taking this semester. Marketing is connected to graphic design and it has been interesting to learn about some of the other sides of the coin. I enjoy my teacher and the class, but am not looking forward to the two papers we will have to write this semester.

Kora's Sloppy Joes

Kora's Sloppy Joes
     This recipe came from a family friend. 10/10 would recommend.

2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 c. celery

2 TB vinegar
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 tsp. worcestershire sauce
2 Tb brown sugar
ketchup to taste
1//2 tsp. prepared mustard
1 1/4 tsp. salt, pepper

     Brown and mix beef, onion, and celery. Drain extra fat and juices from mixture. Add additional ingredients to meat and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve on buns.

Note: For more versatility this recipe can be altered to become 'Taco Joe.' Now it can double as Sloppy Joe filling and also taco meat. Just omit the brown sugar, use less ketchup, and add some taco seasoning.

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice
     This one pot meal is easy and delicious! Serve with tortilla chips and some freshly cut veggies or fruit to round out the meal. Bonus: it's great leftover as well.

1 TB vegetable oil
1  medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. lean, ground beef
1 c. regular rice, uncooked
1 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups hot water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. mustard
dash black pepper

Heat oil in skillet. Add onions, beef and rice. Stir over high heat until meat is lightly browned. Add tomato sauce and remaining ingredients. Mix well. Bring quickly to boil, lower heat, cover tightly, and simmer for 25 minutes. Serves 4.

Mom's Chocolate Chip Muffs

Mom's Chocolate Chip Muffs
     These muffins were a staple in our household growing up. Now I regularly make them for breakfast and keep them in the freezer so they last. Just nuke them in the microwave and they're good as new!

1 egg
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 c. milk
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. chocolate chips

     Beat egg in a mixing bowl. Stir in oil, milk, brown sugar, and vanilla. Sift in dry ingredients and add chocolate chips. Stir until just mixed. Fill 12 muffin cups and bake at 375 degrees for about 18 minutes, or until done.

Mini Ground Beef Crescent Rolls

Mini Ground Beef Crescent Rolls
     This recipe was inspired by a meal served at my high school. It began as an experiment, but I would say it was a success.

1 container refrigerated crescent roll dough
ground beef. browned
Optional: other fillings such as jam or cinnamon sugar.

     Open can of dough as instructed. Use a small handful of ground beef as a filling before rolling crescent rolls. Bake as instructed. Necessity is the mother of invention - I didn't have a regular baking pan, so I placed the rolls in my muffin tin. They self greased themselves and came out perfectly! Serve with a dipping sauce or gravy.

     If you are feeling adventurous, try experimenting with other fillings. These rolls can be served as a meal or snack.

Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp
     Apple crisp is a mix between apple pie and a fruit cobbler. It's great because it's easy to make and it can be whipped up quickly, even quicker if you're a wiz at cutting up apples. Plus it tastes great!

1 TB lemon juice
2-3 apples, partly peeled and chopped
1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
cinnamon
salt

Add lemon juice and sliced apples to pan. Mix together flour, sugar, and butter. Add a dash of cinnamon and two pinches of salt. Cover apples with mixture. Bake for 40 min at 350 degrees.

Rag Wreath

     A cheery rag wreath is a great way to make your house feel like a home, as well as an easy craft that will make a dent in your scrap stash! You will need 1 wire wreath frame from your local craft store (I used an 18" one), as well as color-coordinating cotton fabric scraps. Be warned, depending on the depth of you stash you may need to purchase more fabric to finish your project out. If you are buying fabric for this project you will need an estimated 2.5 yards total.

     Once you have your wreath frame and fabric it's time to get ripping! Or cutting, if you prefer. However, with the woven nature of cotton, ripping is more accurate, as well as more time and energy efficient. If you have not ripped fabric before, it may be a little intimidating. Feel free to test out your technique on a separate piece before beginning. Make an incision into the fabric a couple inches, where you want your rip to be. This gives you a start and something to hold onto - your fabric will rip along the grain!

     Whatever your method, figure out a process, because we will be ripping a lot of strips! Your strips will need to be 1.5" X 8". I recommend ripping a long 8" wide strip and then cutting that strip into 1.5" lengths. This seemed to be the most efficient process.

My strips are in a summer-fall color scheme.

     Once you have all your strips ripped, it is time to begin tying. Using the wire wreath frame, you will have three rows of strips. Pick a starting point and first tie a strip around the two outermost wires. You'll need to do a double knot to keep the tie in place. Your next strip will be tied around the two middle wires, and your third strip on the two innermost wires. Obviously, your strips will be overlapping each other to some degree. This helps to evenly disperse the strips. Continue this pattern around the wreath.

Here is my wreath, partly finished,

     It may take a while, but the result will be worth it! When your wreath is complete and all the wires have been covered, fluff out your ties a bit and hang your new wreath proudly on your door!

Corn Dog Muffins

Corn Dog Muffins
     This recipe uses a boxed corn bread mix to make simple 'corn dogs.' It's like hamburger helper! Just add hot dogs!

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1/2 package hot dogs
8 muffin liners

     Follow directions for boxed mix. Place mixture into lined muffin tin, filling liner up about 2/3 full. Cut hot dogs into appropriately lengthed segments and place in batter. Bake according to directions on box.

Note: Needing something to do with the other half of your hot dogs? Either make another batch or try out this recipe for easy Hot Dog Dinner!

Hot Dog Dinner

Hot Dog Dinner
     This meal creatively uses hot dogs for a unique spin on a one-pot dish.

1/2 package (1 pound) hot dogs, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
1/2 medium green pepper, julienned
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Hot cooked noodles or rice

     In a a large skillet, cook and stir hot dogs in 1 Tb butter over medium high heat until lightly browned; remove and keep warm.

     In same skillet, sauce the onions, celery and green pepper in remaining butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, oregano, paprika, pepper and hot dogs. Cook and stir until heated through. Serve with noodles or rice.

Note: Recipe can be altered to cater to serving amounts and taste preferences.

My Top 3 Artifacts

     An artifact is defined as something made by humans, usually for a practical purpose. Looking at artifacts is an excellent way to study another’s culture because each culture creates artifacts that are unique and special to that people group. Over the years my family has gathered many different artifacts from various cultures. For example, on our fridge we have 12 international magnets from 5 different countries. Many of the artifacts we have come from personal travels or as gifts from friends. Some of my favorite artifacts include a basket from Zimbabwe, ceramic ornaments from the Czech Republic, and a carved nativity set from Israel.

     The basket from Zimbabwe came into our family through my mother. She taught science in Zimbabwe for four years and was given the basket by a villager during her time there. She considers the basket a piece of art because it is very beautiful and intricately crafted. The bowl is made with coiled bundles of grass laced together with strips of plastic sacking. Basketry is a traditional art form that spans the entire continent of Africa. Attaining the status of ‘master weaver’ in a community requires the highest level of skill in fiber preparation, dyeing, and weaving. Most of the people who attain this status are women.

     The decorative ceramic ornaments were brought back as souvenirs from a trip my mother and I took to the Czech Republic. They are designed to look like buildings in the town square of Litoměřice, a town we visited. The ornaments are displayed on a shelf in our dining room where we can admire them and be reminded of our trip. Buildings in Europe are much older than those in America. The buildings the ornaments were inspired by are probably 400 years old. While in the country my mother and I enjoyed Czech architecture, especially the many colors. A lot of the buildings are painted in shades of pastel. At one point we visited a manor that was pink. Blocky utilitarian buildings that were built during the Communist era have now been enhanced with strips of yellow or peach.

     The third artifact is a hand carved nativity set made in Israel, with olive wood. Although it was made in Israel, my parents bought it at an international fair sales craft store in Newton, KS. We use it every Christmas and it is a central decoration. The olive tree is a symbol of Israel and has been a native plant since ancient times. Olive trees have a high endurance and fruitful capacity. It is considered a sign of peace between God and mankind. Also, many of the carvings made from olive wood use trimmings from when the tree is pruned. This keeps the trees healthy and means that no tree is damage or destroyed to make the carvings.

     These are just three of the many international artifacts my family owns. However, they are some of my favorites and portray a good variety among the three, coming from three different continents. Our artifacts remind us of our travels and of the connections we have to others around the world. They carry both cultural and sentimental significance, as well as help to decorate a diverse home.

     Note: This is an assignment done for my International Communications class at school.

My Food Culture

     I would like to think that my food culture is wide and a bit more varied than the average American. While my family eats meals that comprise of the meat and potatoes so often found in American comfort foods, we also derive inspiration from other differing sources. My food culture has been influenced by my ethnic origins, American culture, and international tastes.

     Growing up in the United States, my food background was fairly common in some ways, but in other ways it differed. My dad grilled steak and hamburgers and my mom packed us sandwiches for lunch and made casseroles. When I began to learn how to cook, a casserole was one of the first things I learned how to make. There isn’t anything much more American than casseroles. Other American or Americanized dishes that we commonly eat are hamburgers and fries, pizza, or meatloaf.

     Even though a lot of the food we eat in America has foreign influences, those influences have been watered down or altered so that once international dishes have become something traditional to America. An example of this is pizza. My family does similar things to food and recipes, like stir-fries, but there are some foods that have retained their originality. One of these dishes is kima, an Indian curry. The dish came into our family from a family friend who was Indian so the dish is fairly authentic. Another international food that has come to be a cultural symbol in our home is the Mediterranean salad, tabbouleh. It was inspired by a vegetarian restaurant in New York, where my aunt went to college. My mother tried it out on my brother and I, and we really liked it. Now, tabbouleh is a common offering from our family at family gatherings and potlucks. They wouldn’t be the same without tabbouleh.

      Another part of my unique food background hit a little closer to home. My mother's side of the family are German Mennonites. Through this group I have access to a culinary heritage unique to a specific people group. These dishes are different from average American fare, and have interesting names, like verenika (cottage cheese dumplings served with ham gravy) and borsht (cabbage soup). Dishes like bierocks (buns filled with meat and cabbage) and german sausage are common additions to our supper table and my grandmother brings zwiebach to almost every family meal. For Christmas my mother makes peppernuts (small anise cookies), but with her own twist. My Mennonite heritage has played a big part in diversifying my food culture.

     Although my food culture takes references from vastly different sources, they all combine to create one big beautiful and diverse experience. My childhood and my life now would not be the same without these foods. They have had a vast impact on my life. I am able to retain some of my ethnic roots through food, consider myself to be a true American, and am still able to appreciate foods made by other cultures.

Note: This is an assignment done for my International Communications class at school. Some of it was inspired by an assignment I did for my Language and Food class several semesters back, since they were answering the same questions.

Semester #6

     This semester I will be finishing up my junior year as well as applying to my program (fingers crossed that everything goes well). Also, if you are wondering, I have decided to put aside my ambitions of getting a Spanish minor. I guess you could say my last Spanish class quenched what desires I had left, but honestly, it was getting to the point where I wasn't enjoying it as much and was starting to struggle more. I decided it wasn't worth it and while I am glad for the learning and experiences I underwent previously, I am also glad to have that load taken off my back.

     This semester I am attempting to tackle the remainder of my general education credits. I'm pretty excited about my classes and I think this will be a fun semester (if I can survive getting through the program that is).

1. International and Intercultural Communication
     I'm not completely sure how to describe this class. It seems to be a seminar learning about how society is structured and how different cultures interact. Most of the time in class we watch related videos or have group discussions about our own personal cultural experiences. So far, it seems pretty manageable for a 300 level course.

2. Art History: Modern and Contemporary Sculpture
     Similar to my previous art history classes, this one is taking on the theme of sculpture, especially more recent works of art. The first artist we looked at was Rodin, who is most famous for his sculpture "The Thinker." This class also has the most lengthy readings of any other classes so far.

3. Intro to English Linguistics
     Some may remember that a year and a half ago, I took a linguistics course about food. Well, this class was inspired a bit from my experiences with that course. It is taught by the same professor and it is a common class for education majors, so I have gotten to see some old friends.

4. Book Design/Production
     Last semester I thought I had my class schedule all figured out. But then I found out about this class. I really love books and I didn't know when the class would be offered again, so I decided to throw caution to the wind and jump in. It took a little bit of finagling to get it to fit into my schedule but I am really glad it all worked out. We are learning how to make our own books by hand! It is also an upper-level course with a smaller class size, so that is a fun experience as well.

Ham and Potatoes Casserole

1 pkg (1 lbs 10 oz) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1/8 tsp pepper
2 T onion, chopped
1 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 lb ham, diced
1 1/2  c. cornflakes + 1 1/2 Tb butter for topping

Mix thoroughly thawed potatoes and all the ingredients except cornflakes. Place in 9" X 13" pan sprayed with cooking spray. Top with cornflakes. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.