I just wrote a story in a style of magical storytelling about an artist who rides her bicycle into the mountains to find out her truth about being an artist in the world today. I also drew an illustration for each page that is symbolic of the words on that page. I found that as the book progressed I looked for more ways to relate the drawings I made to the words in more interesting ways than the actual visual images that the reader might have.
I'm intrigued by the process of making my own books with the craft and also the emotional energy that is immersed into each book as I put the materials together. I also am happy with the visual presentation of the book, it's beauty and originality. The cover is made with handmade paper in two layers. I'm including photos of the book here but if you'd like to buy a copy go to http://www.ellensgreenart.etsy.com.
I've made eight copies so far and am in the process of making eight more since I can make 16 copies from one large roll of drawing paper. The pages are folded in the Japanese style with pages on the front and back.
I'm also at work on another story as well as continuing to paint. I've made a lot of progress with my painting since my last blog in November. Check out my website at http://www.ellenmcmahill.com for some of the latest.
