Category Archives: Forms

Posts featuring the wide variety of forms that can be created using encaustigraphics or e-graphics.

Various accordion forms

Altered lotteria cards make up a sample accordion book
Altered lotteria cards make up a sample accordion book

Encaustigraphics are an interesting medium for accordion books. You can easily bind pages or sections with sewing (either using a machine or by hand) or taping (colorful washi tapes or even “invisible” tape), but the material also scores cleanly to create crisp folds. Below are two examples created for an upcoming class at Kalamazoo Book Arts Center—the first shows a layout that uses the idea of discrete “pages” or sections, and the second features a long flow of imagery divided intuitively and then cut and shaped to create a very sculptural book.

Match:Book
Vintage matchbox covers make up a small accordion book.
Jungle:Book
A continuous flow of imagery is an alternative to individual pages or panels for an accordion structure. Creative shaping adds to the interest.

Books and other 3-D forms using e*graphics

Scoring, folding, tabs and cutouts let you use encaustigraphics for a variety of sculptural forms. This example is quite simple, but imagine using your own images to create luminous 3-dimensional art. The next class is February 13, 2016 at Kalamazoo Book Arts and focuses on a variety of techniques for using e*graphics to make accordion books. Plus, KBAC’s Accordion Book Show is approaching, so come and try making your own folding structure using this luminous material.

Some simple forms showing the possibilities for using e*graphics in accordion books
Some simple forms showing the possibilities for using e*graphics in accordion books

A new year…

Looking forward to a new year of sharing the e*graphic process with other creative hearts and minds… warm wishes to you all!

E*graphic leaves
E*graphic leaves in all shapes and colors

Light for the Solstice

Layered e*graphic mandala
Layered e*graphic mandala

I’ve been experimenting with layering pieces and parts of e*graphics using tabs, fusing, and cutouts. This mandala also has a glow-in-the-dark center element that appears to float when the lights are turned out.

Playing with Forms

Oakleaf e*graphic

This 6″ oak leaf form began life as a 3.5 ft. piece of copper wire—after forging, I cut an e*graphic loosely to shape and attached it to the framework with hair fine copper wire. This will be one of many components that join to become a longer hanging suspension.

Pen Dragons retreat demo

Last Saturday was the annual retreat for the Pen Dragons calligraphy guild, and I was invited to demonstrate e*graphics to the group. What a fun session with a group of talented artisans who were up for learning a new way to repurpose their art. Everyone got to make the small demo project shown below (calligraphy by Lisa LeBlanc) and get a taste of the e*graphic experience. Contact me at the email provided on the “About” page if you have a group that would enjoy learning how to create a new art material and the many things you can create with it!

Invitation and demo project for the Pen Dragons' 2015 Summer Retreat
Invitation and demo project for the Pen Dragons’ 2015 Summer Retreat (calligraphy for invitation and the demonstration piece by Lisa LeBlanc).

Earrings!

E*graphic earrings
Encaustigraphic earrings

E*graphics are so lightweight, they’re perfect for use in jewelry, especially earrings. Combine that with the fact that you can make any shape or image you like, in any colorway, and you have an amazingly versatile new addition to the many materials used for personal adornment.