Archive for the ‘Photographs’ Category

Zellig, an Artist’s Book – Morocco

May 17, 2012

click to zoom to enlarge image

In Morocco, moushrabiyas or geometrical screens keep Muslim women hidden from view. These screens allow women to observe their surroundings without themselves being seen.

When making an Artists’ Book with this beautiful young lady, I asked her in sign language if she had some scissors. She took me to her room where she flicked on the TV. A static zig zag pattern filled the screen. The room was set up for her family, three outfits hung on rope across one corner of the room. We tore the sheet of paper, folded it and sewed it together with a piece of thread we found. I wondered what this girls’ future was going to be. This idea was the impetus for my book.  Zellig, also spelled Zellige, is a collage of patterns making up the tile decoration in Morocco. When making the book I used a collage of my work made up of my poems, paintings, drawings and photography.

Iris printing, on Somerset 175 gram soft white, by Urban Digital Color.

Typography and letterpress printing by Norman Clayton One Heart Press.

A limited edition of twenty copies and three artists proofs
Bound by John DeMerritt, Emeryville.
Copyright by Carla Trefethen Saunders
San Francisco, California 2000 $750.00

Zellig   2000

Limited edition of 20 with 4 artist’s proofs

Letterpress, iris prints, vellum UV Ultra 11 white, Somerset 175 gram soft white,

Rives heavyweight buff and Lamili Lokta paper

Images and poems by the artist

Original drawing

8 x 8 inches

This book is in the following collections:

San Francisco Public Library, Special Collections
F.W. Olin Library, Special Collections, Mills College
University of California, San Diego, Special Collections
University of  Vermont, Special Collections
Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, Artist’s Book Collection, La Jolla, California
Private Collections
Zellig is for sale on Amazon.com

One of the Pleasures of Traveling

April 30, 2012

Click to zoom

One of the pleasures of traveling is meeting people and being invited to visit their homes. In Egypt we were sailing down the Nile in a felucca when we were invited to stop by our guide’s home on an island. We shared a pot of tea and he showed us his neighborhood. In Bhutan I had an impromptu lunch prepared by my friend’s sister. Our hosts in Japan treated us to a traditional tea ceremony in a little tea house in their garden.

One evening we struck up a conversation with some travelers visiting our city. Wanting to continue our conversation we brought them home. In the kitchen we found walnuts, raisins and port. The evening was filled with stories and laughter. The next morning the table and the floor were covered with walnut shells, a few raisins and an empty bottle of port. We had a good time.

Friendship

April 27, 2012
Floating on the surface of the ocean
Arms and legs spread open
Open to blue sky
Closing my eyes
I relax
The sea gently rocks my soul.

Hipstamatic – California

April 26, 2012

Thinking About Gauguin in San Francisco

April 23, 2012

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57402101-93/instagram-clicks-with-hipstamatic/

I’ve had hipstamatic on my phone for about a year but never really used it. I tried it out on some tulips. Wow, I like the results. I had nothing to do with it. I have no idea what I am doing. So here we are – thinking about Gauguin in San Francisco.

Studio Shadows

April 19, 2012

WordPress Blogger From England Influences California Blogger

April 2, 2012

click on images to see  larger versions

We are going backwards here. The top image is the last one painted. This is the first painting I’ve done in over a year. Here is your official notification Terry,  http://terrygreenepainting.wordpress.com/paintings-2011/  I’ve been following Terry’s just another painter blog. Gail, http://www.gailtrobertson.com/helped get me to this point, also. This little series of 6″ x 8″ images started out with me going to to a friend’s house and making collages. I didn’t know what I was doing – no inspiration. I came home with nothing. The next morning at 5 am I was tearing up magazines. Abstract eight – Shadow was born. That reminded me of a photograph I had taken showing the shadow of a sculpture in my apartment. Early morning sun hit the stone sculpture in a way that created a soft realistic shadow of a nude.

Shadows – Ephemera

March 30, 2012

Goodbye South Africa!

March 24, 2012

click on image of Impalas

Thought Process Leading up to “Abstract One”

March 23, 2012

click on image

I was thinking about Terry Greene’s work on edges. http://terrygreenepainting.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/de-kooning-on-painting/ 

I was thinking about the  dark jewel colors of a bouquet of ranunculus

set in front of a large dark painting. I was thinking about zebra’s stripes.Abstract One was created last week.


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 153 other followers