Tuesday, November 23, 2010

wooly bear

yesterday another student finished his book. he took two pieces of scrap leather (all we have is scrap) and sewed them together because he wanted a larger book. he sewed his signatures into the spine with a long stitch. he originally wanted lots of overlap of the skins, but trimmed them. he was delighted to make a rolled leather button and braid the waxed linen for a closure. and see the fine weaving he did on the spine?
his pride in this book, which has a strong intention (as a memorial for soldiers who have died in iraq and afghanistan), was touching.
on my bathroom floor a friendly wooly bear. another proud survivor, like my student, who has survived much in his eighteen years. the wooly bear was given a trip back outside, to the garden where the violas grow.
this was monday. it's tuesday now, and i am off for five days. 

13 comments:

  1. that's a good solid book, he must be very proud of it. it's been occurring to me lately that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been going on for so long now that these kids have grown up with it as part of their whole life experience.

    ReplyDelete
  2. omg that is an AMAZING book!!! that weaving...obviously he is one of *your* students! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. kaite, i never thought of that-you're totally right.
    aimee, you saw that little bit of weaving. grin.

    ReplyDelete
  4. oh my! I love the color of his book! He must be so very proud of creating something so beautiful that has so much meaning not just for himself but for so many people who have suffered for, yes, so long!
    -Leah (your old friend)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I came to the blog, Velma, because I found some inspiration on the internet and was reminded that you "live" here too! This was this evening's inspiring site:

    http://www.leafcutterdesigns.com/shop/matchboxtheater.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. leah, we're having shrimp thursday. love the site, thanks for the link. miss you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Shrimp? Locally sourced I hope? Oh, I know: Lena's jealous of the bird dogs and has decided to bring her own contribution to the table so she's become a doberman shrimper!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Local-shmokel! I know I will be thinking delicious and perhaps envious thoughts about your shrimp feast on Thursday! I'll certainly be thinking of you!!! I miss you too!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hallo, wunderschöne Bilder, wunderschöner Blog.
    Liebe Grüße aus dem Waldviertel in Österreich
    Silvia-Maria

    ReplyDelete
  10. and now the comment in spanish (^_^)
    how wonderful. those kids can work with their emotions through bookmaking.please enlighten me. what's a wooly bear? what do they do?are they good or bad?can one live comfortably without them?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Velma - must admit the wooly bear intrigues an Australian too! I've never come across them. Fabulous success for that young fellow - it's a really solid looking book; something to hold onto...

    ReplyDelete
  12. leah, i swear to god the shrimp are sourced at harts falls. grin.
    silvia, i'll have to translate.
    neki and fiona, wooly bear caterpillars are the species pyrrharctia isabella and are very common here in fall. you see them everywhere and the amount of black is supposed to indicate the severity of winter to come. the adult is a yellow moth.

    ReplyDelete
  13. the book is such a triumph, for both you and your student. You are sharing something with these kids that they will carry with them forever. And I have never heard the bit about black on the wooly bear--but if the rooks are nesting high and the berries are plentiful--look out!

    ReplyDelete

be in touch!

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *