Balance

Balance I, detail of 8 x 10 collage-drawing

It's been awhile since I added any art work to my Etsy shop. I've been entranced with art journalling and mail art.

detail of collage, postage stamps, and leaf impression

Last month, I was looking around in my favorite antique shop and found a 1912 bank account book for $5.00. Only a few of the pages were used with records of deposits and balances.

pages from a 1912 bank account book

My love of fountain pens and the handwritten word had me glued to the entries written in the ledger book. I don't usually spend that much for a vintage book, but I had to have this one. How would I use it though?

Dexter Horton and Co bank account book cover

I set the book down and walked around the antique shop while I thumbed through ideas in my head. I finally alighted on one that I was excited about, so I bought the book.

mail art, DNA series

First I worked through my ideas with photocopies of the pages for a mail art series titled, DNA. I am fascinated with the images of DNA and how each sliver has a meaning in and of itself. Then when you put all the slivers together, you get a new meaning.

For the final 8 x 10 collage and drawing, I decided to use my butterfly linocut, postage stamps, and leaf impressions along with an original page from the bank book. Below is the final result.

Balance I, collage and drawing, 8x10, juana almaguer

This is the first in the series titled Balance. And I am already working on the second one with my bee linocut in lieu of the butterfly.



wishing everyone a good weekend and joining sunday sketches.