Adventure is Out There - Original Altered Book Art

Adventure is Out There 

Altered Book Art to Inspire You

Books have a way of inspiring each of us to follow our dreams. This stunning piece is no different as it actually has its beginnings as a discarded, vintage paperback book which has been transformed through the art of book folding and origami. It's a gentle reminder that life is an adventure and you need only reach out to experience it.

The beautiful flowers which are the focal point of this design are handfolded out of vintage maps in a modular origami form known as the Kusudama Flower. Each of the delicate petals is folded separately and then gathered together to form the blossom. The paper flowers are then gathered and inserted between the folded pages of the once discarded book. The entire design is sent on an aged and weathered piece of wood which I found laying in the parking lot of a local post office! Please note that like most artists I do "sign" all of my pieces but unlike others I use a non-traditional way of signing each piece. If you examine the artwork closely, you'll see a miniature, hand-folded origami crane. That tiny crane represents not only my unique signature but is also a tribute to my grandmother who taught me the delicate art of origami at a very young age. "Thank you Grandma Candy!"

All of my altered books are one-of-a-kind originals--no two pieces are exactly alike. I love to "rescue" old, unwanted books and restyle them into unique keepsakes. Regretfully we live in a disposable world and paper bound books seem destined to become a thing of the past. The only thing worse than an unloved book gathering dust on a shelf is a discarded book in a landfill. And so, I see my work as a way of transforming these soon to be relics into wonderful pieces of art. Designs featuring symbols, words or patterns are meant to inspire and encourage and ultimately to make you look at a book and even art in a new light.