At Squam Art Workshops this past week I took an amazing altered book class with Colleen Attara. She’s an amazing person, artist and teacher, and I simply adore her style of combining found papers, objects and stitching into beautifully textured altered books.
Our class took place in the camp’s cozy library, which Colleen transformed into an art wonderland. She covered tables upon table with a huge variety of art supplies, vintage papers, trim and other unique findings, all artfully displayed in old suitcases, vintage wooden crates and boxes. And best of all, she brought her blue vintage typewriter called Flo for us to use when inspiration struck.
Here’s the small 5″ x 6″ book I started … I attached found papers to the covers and layered them with thread, words, paint glazes, modeling and crackle paste. I finished them off the front with a wooden drawer handle.
Below you can see some of the thread I used to create texture. The title was handwritten by Colleen.
I wrapped torn fabric and twine around the spine and embellished them with two metal stitch markers used in knitting.
The back cover has a similar mixture of papers, words, paints, thread and modeling paste.
And here are a few of the pages I made. This first one includes a packing tape transfer from a magazine, found papers and words typed with Flo on handmade paper plus lot of stitching.
The second page includes another word written by Colleen plus more magazine images and stitching.
I’m excited to keep working on my book and will post more pictures as I complete them. I hope you’re lucky enough to take a class with Colleen some day – you won’t regret it 🙂
I really enjoy seeing what you did (at least, the parts that you finished) at your whirlwind weekend work-a-way. It would have so much fun to watch first hand as everyone explored, exchanged ideas, and worked away at a piece of creativity that is a reflection of their lives.
Your designs are lovely. So inspiring. I am wondering what is Flo? I love the typed font. Thank you. Jo