Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico

My friend, Sharla and I attended The Call of the Wild Soul at the Ghost Ranch in New Mexico.  It was a great time searching our souls and putting it all toward the journey of art making.  One of the workshops I took involved Eco dying which I loved!  Here is all the papers and silks I did the first day.

The eco dying was led by Elizabeth Bunsen and we were all amazed at the results of the day.  The second day was led by Orly Avineri and we put all those pieces to good use.  We were challenged to make something wearable for lunch that day and I put together this little medicine type pouch.  There is a stained tea bag over the Hibiscus tea stained paper stitched on the sides and bottom to make a little pocket.  The little heart is a copy of my grandmother's handwriting stained with paint.

Orly had us work on a flattened box.  The idea being that it would not become precious but to concentrate on the journey.  This is the beginning of one side of the cardboard with a little collage. We started with white, then watered it down and used a pipette and then mixed it a color to finished the last third.

Here is the other side started with black gesso.  It has paint, collage of paper and silk using some of the eco dyed pieces as well as one of my old wood block prints.  Very interesting and I'm liking what is happening but what do I do with it now?

Refold it into a book cover!  This is the front with a narrow flap folded over from the back on the right side.  I loved this idea as soon as I folded it into this shape. I really like the little peek a boo corners from the inside showing.

Here is the back when folded.  I am not sure how this will develop as I work more in the inside to make it richer and then what pages of who knows what will go inside but I am ready when the time come to continue the journey.


Book size  10.5" x 13.5"

Open  10.5" x 21"