One More Library Card Project Sample

WELL, it's not just a sample. It's the latest addition from Rosie at Ruminations, Rambles, Reflexions.
She sent me a picture of her contribution to the illustration of the simple story I wrote.
NOTE: I said "simple" so that no one gets the idea this is going to be a particularly famous story one day. It's just a figment of my brain cells for now.
I believe this illustrates the part in the story where Johnny almost walks straight into the Ladies Room. However, I could be wrong.
It will be interesting to put these cards together in a small book and look through them in the days to come. I am preparing an e-book in a pdf file, so when it's complete I'll be offering it up if anyone wants to read the whole story and see all these great cards. - The Art Provocateur
p.s. A sudden thought: Maybe this is Mrs. Pinchley, the crabby older librarian! Wow! If so, it's perfect for her back story.

More Library Cards to Report

I HAVE received more library card pockets. Things are coming together and there is only one more card in England that has to return "home."
This "mystery" card with the pink sticker came to me at work, delivered by an anonymous player. It turned out to be Carol from the Main Library and I am so happy she has decided to contribute. I will write an epilogue to the story and stick it in the pocket.
I like how she used the library numbering system (Dewey Decimal?) to provide my project with its own section in the library.

JoAnn concentrated on a portion of the story that involved - you guessed it - a doctor! I like the dictionary clip and the underlined words. Everyone, I think, has taken a clue from the bit of the story that was sent to them.

Then I got another card posted, by Dawn, decorated on both front and back. Dawn got the very first part of the story and I really liked her illustration. It set the tone for this dark tale.
The Cat Man is depicted as a small boy looking at the "thing" he sees in his room. And he's called the cat man because of his love of cats and the cat hair that covers his pants in one part of the story.
Nothing against cats, of course.

Part 2, "in which tinfoil and chapstick are applied" uses text from the story and is a card and pocket Michelle decorated.
I like the blue elements, too.
I am so pleased with all part of this project. It has really been fun, and that was the whole object!

Then, Nathalie came along and worked on the jealousy factor of the story. Very smart looking pocket, with male/female interaction. This is another part of the story that just happened to come into my brain while quickly pushing the story along so I could send it out - bit by bit - with the library cards to decorate.
I am going to try and get back here very soon to put links to all these artists' blogs, because you need to see the other things they have been doing too. - The Art Provocateur

Library Card from Australia

BRENDA, The Crafty Chook, has finished her library card and it's a doozy! (That's an American expression for "something extra special wonderful."
Her illustration fits the story so nicely - and she won't even know how nicely until the whole story is published when all the cards get done. (A little incentive to keep folks who haven't finished on their toes - working, hopefully.)
I hope you've been having fun today, wherever you are and whatever you've been doing. These art projects, sent out into the world and shared with others, are really, really fun.
I can't wait to begin a new one, but first things first. - The Art Provocateur

Another Library Card ... and it's from ME.

I FINISHED my Library Card Project and I guess I'm sort of happy with it.
I have the last - the 10th section - of the story I wrote and it became obvious how I would decorate my card. It (for me) would have to relate to the story.
So here is the card.
As soon as I have pictures of all the cards - and the deadline is supposed to be March 31 - then we can put the story all together. It may not be a Pulitzer, a Booker, or even Honorable Mention at the State Fair (or county fair) but it's my story ... and I'm sticking with it.
NOW I am working on the next guerrilla art project and I think if may have found the beginnings of it. This evening, while cleaning out the craft room, I found plastic, fold-together, take-out containers. Filled with the right elements, they could furnish lucky finders with the materials to make something wonderful! I'll keep thinking on it and let you know - signed, The Art Provocateur

Remember the Library Card Project?

HELLO there and welcome back. I have had two people finish their library card pockets.
They did an awesome job and set my spine tingling with their great illustrations of sections of the story they were given in each card.
In case you are lost - my Mister is amazed any of you bloggers know what in the world I'm talking about - let me explain: I had gotten some library cards and card pockets from a friend. I wrote a story and cut it into 10 sections, put one section in 10 library card pockets and sent them to 9 people to decorate as they wished. I kept the last one - the end of the story!
Now I have gotten two pockets back - one from Susan Sanford and one from Art in Red Wagons' Kimmie.
They did excellent jobs and have set me a difficult task to make mine as "worthy" as theirs are.
I want to start working on it tonight and will. I'm going to search for some perfect elements and then lay them out ... and who am I kidding? I'll try and be methodical but probably just flat out go for it!
Tune in to see what happens! - The Art Provocateur

Rendezvous Complete!

TWO lovely people have reported finding my guerrilla valentine packets and one person - Carol R. - found time to make something by altering the packets' contents.
I adore people who find time to accommodate my whims! Don't you? Doesn't everyone?
So here is what Carol did with her bits and pieces: "I assembled and sewed the book, adding raffia and the Valentine string and some pink and purple accent beads to match the cover and the end papers, then used a metallic paint to accent the recycled cover art."
Then inside the book this is what she did next:
"I had printed out St. T (Sainte Therese) from the blog (see the photo down below in an earlier post) and used her along with acrylic paints and a fortune cookie "fortune" I stumbled across when assembling my supplies. Serendipity!"
- Don't you love the way her cheeks and lips are painted pink? And the swirls of gold paint with dots in the middle? Too cool! -
Finally, another page incorporated the German text from the translated Joan Aiken book and Carol used the horrible copy I did on the fax machine (knowing it would be more resistant to the elements in case it was somewhere where it got wet).
I guess the valentine was turned in to Carol because she knew a little German and no one else could figure out what in the heck the packet was.
Hence the need for more prominent altered books distributed here and there. Oh, my fingers are itching! Got to find more time in this here world of mine.
I am still wondering who found the packet out by the library duck pond? Ah, questions, questions, and no way to discover the answers. Just try again, I guess. - Signed, The Guerrilla Provocateur

Rendezvous With Me.

ANOTHER scattered art project is taking shape.
This time, instead of leaving things out for people to find, I am mailing them out. I am sending library cards and pockets. There is a part of a story on each library card and the receiver will decorate the pockets as she wishes. (At this point there are only five budding artists and five more cards and pockets to be dispersed. If you would like one, speak up!)
One will go to the U.K., one to Australia, one to California, one to Alabama, and one to Oregon.
These are all lovely, willing participants and I hope they enjoy their part of the story and want to read more.
After they decorate their project they will take a photo, send it to me and I'll post it here.
At the end, after all 10 pockets have shown up, I'll post the whole story. It's a somewhat grim story. Not sure where it came from, since it's not an experience I've ever had, and I don't even own (or am owned by) a cat.
I am going to drop off the first one today - one that I can walk to its destination. Dawn, if you're "listening," the card will be in your hands very soon. Choose any theme you would like.
Contact me by e-mail at the address listed under my profile. Sincerely, your art provocateur

OK ... I'll Go First Then.

HERE I am, posting my art journal page I have arranged with one of the pieces from the guerrilla valentine left around town before Valentine's Day. (See below for more information on this.)
I will go first so those of you who are shy may try and do something similar with the pages from your packet. I gave away all my colorful string, so that did not make it on to my page.
I am working in an old book on Beethoven. It is really a wonderful tome and I hate to ruin it, but actually I want to think I'm not ruining it, but just turning it to another purpose.
Artistic recycling! Yeah, that's it!
So here I began painting the page over with white gesso and green acrylic paint - going every which way.
Then I put down a piece of painted newspaper (it's on the left) with glue and I glued down the picture of Sainte Therese with matte gel medium.
Next I gave her a sort of a collar with one of the pages of Beethoven's music. Holes are punched in it to give it the look of lace. (Those eyes! Aren't they piercing? I was going to use the other side, but when I saw the eyes I had to add them as part of the rendezvous.
Now the word "rendezvous" taken from a photocopy. You have that too, if you have one of the guerrilla valentine packets. Now what? I asked myself and just puttered on. Working with glue and a paintbrush is fun after a day at the computer.
I used an Exacto knife and cut out a stencil of a bird and then blotted on paint in the stencil. I came up with some birds for Sainte Therese, to sing sweetly in her ear.
Finally I ripped some strips of rose-colored paper from a magazine, with some musical notes on them. The word "rendezvous" written out in stabilo pencil and a little glitter, just for good measure was last.
It's no work by a Picasso or anything, but it is very therapeutic. Exactly what I needed tonight.
NOW let's see what you can do. If you found one of these valentines, please let me know. If you don't want to comment, go to my profile on the right, click and you'll find a place to e-mail me. It's safe and might just be fun! - femminismo

Haven't Registered Your Guerrilla Valentine Yet?

WHAT are you waiting for? Haven't you seen me: pages of German writing, with a painted, pounding red heart, all wrapped in colorful string with a special tag telling you where to take me?
It is perfectly safe. Pick me up, take me home and go to this blogspot and leave a comment.
You have a "guerrilla valentine" and we're all waiting to see what you do with it.
Here's what I propose: Take the contents of the valentine - go ahead and tear it apart - and make something from it. Maybe a page for your art journal. (You do have one, don't you? If not, now's the time to start!)
I will add the original photo of Sainte Therese, since a clearer version of her would be helpful. Take some glue and stick her down. Paint her, give her a bracelet to wear, gild her in gold. Do whatever you want. Make her a dress from the torn German book pages. But please come visit and let me know you found your valentine.
(I hope the famous photo at the top of the blog hasn't frightened you, but Robert Doisneau's "The Kiss" was actually a staged moment, I guess. Looks very real to me!)
So here is another photo of a guerrilla valentine left at the library near the duck pond. If you find this one I hope it's before it's rained! - femminismo, blog provocateur

Have You Found Me?

DID you find me and take me home? Do you want to continue your art journey?
Please leave a comment if you found a packet that looks like the one in the photo.
Then we can continue with our rendezvous.
Do not worry. You are among art friends who love mild mysteries, meetings with friends and ART!