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Altered Books
 Introduction

There are many wonderful sources of information on altered books. Go to the Yahoo list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alteredbooks/ and join if only to view the wealth of art in the files. There are also tutorials, recommendations of books and magazines, files of tips & tricks, links, lists of sources and supplies and many saved archives on specific topics.  I started collaging in commercially published books in mid-2001.   Click for larger images Book altering is a medium with a small “canvas”, facing pages and hard covers that conceal the work within. The final product will be manipulated—it is interactive! This is a great part of its appeal to me. The viewer is personally, intimately involved with the exploration of the art, and I have witnessed much delight as discoveries are made, page by page. For those of us who have always loved books it is a satisfying way to meld our interests, incorporating the book as another collage element: it is background, foreground, material to be folded, torn, painted, stitched; into a 3-D sculpture that begins with paper and ends…? Altered book artists join from a variety of other art areas: painting, drawing, stamping, journaling, mixed media, textiles. I think the richness of the art form is due in large part to the culmination of these arts and experiences. An especially rewarding experience for me has been participating in exchanges, or Round Robins. When they are well-run and well-attended, these mailings of artwork around the country and around the world expose an individual to a variety of techniques, styles and materials otherwise unavailable at your local craft store or art class. If you’re interested in joining one, hang out at the Yahoo list, they are frequently announced. If you decide to join, be prepared to take deadlines and consistent communication with your mailing partners very seriously, over a period of months.   Click for larger images Click for larger images I have served as a mentor with the Yahoo altered books list and compiled some pages of questions and answers from those correspondences. Click for larger images More Recent AB pages Persephone spread Making Backgrounds Sign In Pages Questions & Answers Fairy Tale Redux, A Sample Artist's Statement Dealer's Choice AB RR