Collaborative Art Journals and Shared Visions in Mixed Media by L.K. Ludwig

It's super sneak peek time! I just got my Be-u-ti-ful advance copy (available for pre-order) of:

Collaborative Art Journals and Shared Visions in Mixed Media
By

LK Ludwig

Using a variety of formats, collaborative art projects result in wonderfully complex pieces, and often provide the glue between artists within a community. Heavy on visual inspiration, Collaborative Art Journals and Shared Adventures in Mixed Media covers various organizational structures for collaborative art projects, offers instructions and tips for organizing such ventures, and includes interviews with organizers and participants of collaborative projects, as well as a healthy smattering of techniques including how to create books that can be added to as they travel and how to devise various binding structures for different paper projects.

L.K. Ludwig (Zelienople, PA) creates art and chases her three small children around in a Victorian Foursquare in a very small town (pop. 4,023) in Western Pennsylvania. Many weekends are spent in the woods and at the river where family memories and art are made. With a strong belief in creating around what she knows nature, parenting, love, and life these elements seep deeply into L.K.'s artwork. Her work has been featured in a number of books and magazines and shown in various galleries. She is author of True Vision.

Collaborative Art Journals and Shared Visions in Mixed Media will be available in June, just in case you were wondering when you would be able to share in all the creativity!

I know you are dying to see the sneak peek, well here ya go:

 

Click on the image to read all about The Spring Secrets Collaborative project organized by Julie Collings.

 

This collaborative journal, Sing at the Party, contains work from Lilia Meredith, Julie Collings, and Kari Ramstrom.

And it is where I drew my inspiration for my card,

Rattle The Cage

Here is how I made my applique, stitched and cut paper bird cage card:

First I ironed on some double side iron on adhesive.

I cut the bird out of the fabric before I pealed away the paper, I find this make the cutting easier.

I then pealed the backing paper away and ironed the bird onto the card stock.

I drew the cage onto the card with a light pencil line.

 

Off to the sewing machine! I set the length to the max-5, and used a universal needle.

Then I chalked the background a bit to make the cage pop.

My final step was to do my ransom style lettering with cut out letters from a magazine.

There you have it!

Let me just say Collaborative Art Journals and Shared Visions in Mixed Media is packed full of some of the most magical art and you will savor every page and, as I did draw inspiration for your own creations.

I have officially put my thinking cap on to figure out what kind of collaborative creative endeavor I can put together with people I know.

That brings me to my question:

What kind of collaborative projects have you been a part of, heard of, or would like to participate in?

Leave a note in the comments and you'll be entered to win a free book!

Comments

[rush]

i am intrigued by collaborative projects, but i won't participate in one. if there is only one, who gets to keep the final piece? what if i hate the style of another person? i guess i still need alot of control over my art pieces. now, atc "jams" might be different. i have the same concern about someone else's style, but because the art is so small, i wouldn't have much of problem letting it go. also, a jam consists of 3 cards, so i get one back that should resemble the others.

[Gail]

Wow, I just saw this and checked it out. what collab have I been a part of? How about this book. Darlene, Val and I (Gail Pierce)are on pgs 56-57. (thanks for the tut on barbed wire that led me here. The card you did barbed wire on is great!)

[Janet]

I have created limited copies of pages that were incorporated and bound together with each participant receiving a copy.

Have always wanted to take part in a collaborative journal. But I agree, who gets to keep the end product.

[MonkeyGurrl]

Wow. Those are gorgeous. And I love the "rattle the cage" mentality!

I've knitted squares (of my own design!) that were sewn into afghans for a knitfriend... does that count as collaborative art? :)

[Martha]

This is such a neat idea. I like tip-in swaps. People sign up with the theme they want for their pages, and everyone on the list makes a 2 page layout for everyone else on the list in the theme they have chosen. That way everyone gets a book and it will be something they will like.

[Katina]

I have done several "fat book" swaps but no true collaborative books that are set up like round robins. I am intrigued by the process and would love to start my own group so this book would be right up my alley!!

[Teresa]

The sneak peek caught my attention! I have participated in altered book round robins where everyone starts a book, the books get passed around, and everyone get's their book back filled with other people's art. I have several and love to look through them again and again.

I can't wait for this new book to be released!

[Anita Van Hal]

I'm currently participating in an international round robin art journal...there are 14 of us, we all chose a theme, and we create a two-page spread in each others' journals...we're only on round 4 but so far it's so much fun, especially getting to know people from other countries...I'd love to do collaboration for a quilt or something someday...can't wait to get my hands on your new book...

[Lynda Taylor]

The book looks amazing. I would love to be able to do something like that.
I have never participated in collaborative projects but I may be willing in the future.

[wendy m.]

I can't wait for this book to come out - thank you for the sneak peek (is it June yet??).
I've participated in several altered book round robins, as well as many of the "fatbook" swaps. I also did an artbook swap between myself and one other artist that turned out quite nice. We sent the book back and forth for several months.