Throwback Thursday - The Stick Book

This was one of the first books I made and an early calligraphy work that doesn't make me cringe when I look at it. I scribed and illustrated a poem that was written by the Eldest when she was a child.

The book structure is called a Stick Book by Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord  I thought the binding was clever. The pages are held in place with any sort of straight "stick": an actual stick, plastic drinking straw, pencil, or dowel.

The book measure 4.25 in. x 5.5 in. The cover was made from a piece of black Canson mi Tientes that was marbled with Ziller acrylic inks. The marbling was done in a workshop taught by my Aussie friend, Kaz when she came up over in 2000 to teach workshops around the US.

The paper is called Diploma parchment. I don't know the mill just it's paper that is traditionally used to print diplomas on. The paper works well with ink, watercolor/gouache, and gilding. Its thickness/weight is about a 90 lb. watercolor paper.

Title page: Fall written with gouache. Leaves punched from the marbled paper. I did not correct spelling errors or punctuation. 

Fall is here near peak

some color past peak

leafs Fall down

Verso (left page): turn colors Th winf

blows Cool birds fly

South days grow shorter

The illustration was a torn scrap of watercolor paper, crumpled, and painted 

Recto (right page): nights longer winter is

coming near, grass Gets frost on it we wear

Verso: two layers of mateiril.

sweaters jacket

sweatshirts dress warm.

Recto: Colophon

Fall was written by

Angelica Kennedy, age 6.

Photograph of Angel, age 5, 

and Cory, age 1, taken

6. October 1993 - Sutton, MA

Scribed with pride by

C. J. Kennedy - Sept. 2003