new adventure

I have asked six art friends to collaborate with me on an altered book round robin project. For our project, we were each to select a theme for our individual books, and then select a book to alter. Each artist is to complete 3 spreads (2 facing pages) and then pass it on to the next artist with a description of the theme. Then each subsequent artist interprets the theme in her own manner. Now you have to know that none of us have ever done anything like this before, but each is an accomplished or upcoming mixed media artist in their own right. We are doing this as a total learning experience -a 'playpen' if you will to try all kinds of things before using them in our own artwork.
For my theme, I pirated an idea I saw on the web -but I cannot remember where I saw it! Sorry!! My book will be called "Four Letter Words". I just loved this theme as it is so open ended. I love the fact that 'four letter words' have a vulgar connotation, but on closer inspection there are a lot of very beautiful four letter words.
This is my first completed spread. I must admit that I rather suck at this, but hopefully will get more confident with time! For this spread I used image transfers of cute photos of my kids -these are the images that you can see the text through. When the transfers were done, I loved the way the 'ghost' looked left on the photo paper, so I collaged those in too. I used seveal different rubber text stamps, a stamp of a clock to show how time has flown (they are no longer the cherubic cuties shown here -they have grown into their beauty) and sponge painted in burnt orange, white and gold acrylic. I masked out words from the text that seemed to tell their story. Unfortunately I had to use a flash to photograph these and it just lights up the metalic paint. My four letter words: 'Guys' & 'Doll' -3 boys and l girl -also my middle son had the lead in a stage production of Guys & Dolls, so it has a bit more meaning than usual for me.
Enjoy!