The Pink Book

I am not enrolled in Sturt Summer School this year, and I could only stay in Bowral for 3 days, so I brought with me the Eugene Atget book I bought years ago because I wanted to paint the window displays in the book. I planned to bring the way of painting I did for the chair series in winter. I have so far paid attention to two of the photos – a boutique pour enfants and a pour hommes. Paying closer attention to the photographs is very interesting: what’s the men’s wear shop selling trombones for?

I’ve also done a few where I just took the letters in the signs in the picture (fourrures, vins de bourgogne) and used those shapes. Some of the images are just colour (I’m using the pens that write easily, because it’s a pleasure to use a sharpie sometimes!). Some of them I’ve laid down some collage underneath.

I’m enjoying the scrapbooking like element of the collage, and the colouring in element of the drawing. both are simple, both easily portable. The pink book itself was given to me last Christmas (or maybe the Christmas before?), and as it’s A4 size and lined I probably won’t use it – won’t fit in my handbag for day-to-day note-taking, so not practical for work; I already have a diary for the occasional times I need it). So i’m pretending the lines aren’t there – collaging or drawing over
them. The paper isn’t quite fabulous, but I’m using the principle that I used with collage before: the photograph becomes the work if I decide to exhibit or display. It also means I can use any kind of pen I want to.

Here are some pictures.