Altered Book

Front Cover

Back Cover

                    

Here are the front and back covers of an altered book that I started in 2003. I was student teaching in Art at Canby HS and saw students making this project under the excellent instruction of Lori Shippy. I have added to this project over the ensuing years and watched it evolve into a sort of passport for life's journey.

 inside left page

inside right page

The inside pages are cut away with an Xacto knife, then bound (and glued) together by drilling holes through the corner edges, then stitched using needle and thread. Acrylic paint, photos, stamps, gold leaf, objects are added. Quite a little treasure, eh?

The inside pages of my book show photos I took in Estonia in 1999, when I had the privilege of singing in the Laulupidu festival. Check out 'The Singing Revolution' film for the history of how the courageous Estonian people kept their culture alive through songs (many of the songs I learned are veiled political protest songs of homeland, dignity, honor, because singing the National Anthem was forbidden) and their song festivals during the 50 years of Russian occupation.