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Altered
Book Gallery
This page will feature pages done by art
teachers around the country. Several Tip In exchanges have taken
place. Artists/teachers make a set number of pages, mail them to a
host. The host sorts them into piles for each member and mails the
pages. The participants then Tip In their pages into a book they
have selected - generally, by removing the existing pages from the
book leaving a 1/2" tab to glue to the new pages. There are
many creative ways pages can be assembled. Some members make their
own books with the pages. It is a fun way to get some unique works
of art from friends and colleagues.
"Identity" - Summer Tip Ins by Judy Decker (click to see
larger images)
Page
1
page
2
page
3
page
4
Tag detail (fold out hand)
Read about Techniques and Meaning
"Passions" - Fall Tip Ins by Judy Decker

Back side (page 1 and page 4) Detail page
4
Inside spread
Read about Techniques and Meaning
"The Elements" Values -
Winter Tip Ins by Judy Decker
Click here to see
Value Card images
Read about Techniques and Meaning
Techniques, Symbolism and Meaning in Summer
Pages by Judy Decker
Theme: Personal Identity
(also tied in Dreams, Numbers, Nature and Colors)
Since
I spend so much time at my computer now, I felt my pages should
reflect that. All pages use text from Genesis Creation Story
overprinted a digital image of the sky (as originally, I was going
to alter an old Bible – starting with Genesis). The text is
deliberately lightened. I believe Creation Stories connect all
cultures. Each culture has their own way of telling how we all got
here. To me, art and religion go hand in hand (each is a way to
for man to make sense of the world around him). On top of that is
collaged my Chinese fortunes printed on mulberry papers
(representing my love for handmade paper and interest in cultural
arts. All pages include digital images printed out. Landscape
patterns come from National Geographics (some have been scanned in
as I was running out of suitable material). I have used PVA glue
(Poly vinyl acetate fancy name for Elmer’s) so pardon my
occasional errors and sticky finger marks.
My choice of glue would have been rubber cement to avoid
the warping (but that is not “archival”).
My
theme is Personal Identity – as well as My World, Dreams,
Nature, Colors and Letters to tie in themes of other group
members. One could also say it is A Day in the Life of an Art
Teacher as they also symbolize some of my lessons. “The
Beginning” is about me and about the list serves. In the
beginning there was the “Getty Pond” – then I added
ArtsEducators and Art Education after I took over Incredible Art
Department. I have often used a fish to symbolize me in artwork,
as I am a Pisces (and also a Christian). Fish have a positive
symbolism in all cultures and represent knowledge to many. We (art
teachers) are all fish in the pond. Some of us go with the flow
– so of us go against the current and
work
for change. The “ideas” are my posts to the lists –“feed
the fish”.
The
first page also represents my drawing from life lessons. I often
bought fish for my students to draw and brought in my houseplants.
We created fantasy/ surreal compositions (using Georgia O’Keeffe
and Henri Rousseau for motivation). I am “magenta” in this
“pond”. What Color are you? Color your fish. Originally, I was
going to have more interactive things for you to do with these
pages. The illuminated letters represent my medieval art lessons.
The borders represent my cultural arts lessons – each one
derived from a different culture/time period. For many of you, the
colors are your favorite color.
Page
two is my “forgotten dream” to own a Victorian home. I found
this photograph on the Internet quiet some time ago and it fit
what I wanted to do as I could change the colors of it quite
easily to match my pages. I found it last summer make a shadow box
for one of my dollies. I will share that with you when I finish
it. The angel cherub represents my Renaissance lessons. The roses
represent my roses. The Oriental fabric pattern at the bottom of
the pages represents my Cultural Threads lesson.
Page
three represents my jungle lessons – most recently, art of
Haiti. I did animals in art with all sixth grade classes. It also
represents my childhood (which I won’t go into here). I have an
elephant collection so have selected the elephant as another one
of my totem animals. The
last page gives you a brief summary with my “Wish for today and
everyday: Peace”. The
signature card includes a Mandala (from the Girl Scout site that
was posted to the list). I felt my hand was an appropriate card for my pages as the
hand is a symbol of power in many cultures.
Techniques, Symbolism and Meaning in Fall
Pages by Judy Decker
Theme:
My Passions
I
have many passions and they seem to change from day to day. My
current “passion” is sewing and I have used it here on these
pages. I just got a new sewing machine so I am putting it to good
use.
My first
page shows my passion for world peace - as well as education. The
scanned background images are from writings by my Great-Great
Grandfather. He taught in a one-room schoolhouse near Peru,
Indiana. He was also a farmer. The schoolhouse in the lower border
represents this. The
Window and dove are images found on the Internet and altered to
suit me.
The inside spread shows my passion for Art - Art History –
Judy’s "saving the world" through art - Art connects
all. It also represents my passion for the Internet (Incredible
Art Department - Incredible Art Resources). The underlying text is
an email from a post I made to Art for Peace List (words are not
of any significance).
The back
page is my love for family. It has a picture of my son, Matthew.
It also represents my passion for meaning of names. My personal
version has a fold out image of Johannes (John) over the picture
of Matthew.
I
used the images from Internet, scanned images, and my computer to
compose the pages – sewing to secure. The overlay for the inside
spread (and window on the first page) is a transparency (a
technique I grabbed from Kris Fontes). Since I didn't know what
kind of glue to use to attach it - I used sewing. I antiqued the
edges of the pages with my gift from Kathleen Arola - a Cat's Eye
Topaz Paint Pad (the color was perfect). The inside spread has
some gold marker accents and a gold thread added to the stitching
for a touch of "riches”.
Techniques
and Symbolism in Winter pages by Judy Decker
Theme:
The Elements - Values
The backside is scanned in play
money (the money is larger than life –about 4” x 9”). I
enhanced the images with colored pencils to show some value
shading (some were done with various crayons). There is a little
tiny paper bag with my signature card - the card has some collage
on it with my info on the back. A drawing of my hand is inserting
the card into the bag (layered to show fingers under thumb - lift
up the thumb to remove card).
The inside is “My Values” - for “The Elements”
Money looks good "on paper" (Play money embellished with
colored pencils and gold marker accents) - There is lots of
symbolism in the images chosen. The mask on the left is a Dover
clip art image representing a "clash of cultures" - and
in memory of an email from a student I received asking me why Mali
was so poor today when once they were rich. I sent his inquiry to
Madafo, too (my story teller friend - whose name means "My
Friend"). Madafo and I gave him similar answers responding to
what happened after European influences - how the trade routes
changed - and how Mali is so rich in other ways. It also
represents my African art collection - part of "my
wealth". How
much money do we really need? Mark and I have enough to get by.
Lincoln of course represents
Honesty to me. Ben Franklin represents Science and Invention - as
well as my Father and Grandfather - Benjamin Franklin Richer Jr.
and Sr. Inside the pocket are my Values Cards. I picked 8. I
wanted to include religion, but was concerned how that would make
others feel – especially since they wanted to show students –I
will add religion to my own set of pages.
The
Values Cards are: Family (my work 7-11-17 is representative of my
Family - 7/11 is my anniversary and 11/17 is my son's birthday);
"Material Wealth (textiles from cultures - shown represents
my Molas); Friendship - represented by a yellow rose, the symbol
for friendship since Victorian times;
My Fortune (showing my Chinese Fortunes - members receive one of
mine glued to this card); My Art (shown is Venus Rising - a self
portrait 3-D mixed media which is framed and hanging in my
bathroom); Wisdom Knowledge (represented by a bronze fish - I will
replace image with my Bronze Gold Weight for ones I finish after
Christmas - right now it has a photo of a brass fish from China);
My Collections (image shown is a Senufo Mask representing marriage
- one mask from my African art collection; and Nature (shown is a
butterfly - another Dover free art - since I once had an insect
collection) – representing appreciation of what God has made.
Missing here is my love for animals – especially my cats, Boomer
(still a kitten) and Nala. I will include them in my own set.
The U.S.
Treasury holds the Six Pillars of Character Education. Some of our
elected officials need a refresher course. The really need to work
on Trustworthiness - Caring - Fairness - Respect - Citizenship and
Responsibility. I will sign them up for a course in Trustworthy
first. The V-A-L-U-E-S is done in a font that I have used in my
two previous Tip-ins as a way to connect them all.
Sewing
is symbolic of textiles and also adds interesting textures. A gold
thread has been added when pages were joined – more
“riches”. If one looks closely, they will be able to pick out
some textures of the oak desk I am working on. The texture is more
obvious is some more than others. Cutting the image of the
President for the pocket was actually my husband Mark’s idea - I
was going to put a transparency over all of it with pockets sewn.
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