For the past couple of months, and up until last week, I was unable to paint. I continued to feel a strong desire to create… but had absolutely no oomph to continue work on any of my paintings or projects. I found myself in an unfamiliar position… unable to pick up a paintbrush. That’s when I joined the Concertina Retreat, hosted by Suzie Chaney. It was one of the many artist challenges popping up on Instagram as the quarantine days took hold throughout the planet. So, I entered the world of concertina sketchbooks.

For those unfamiliar with a concertina sketchbook: all the pages are connected in one long strip that can fold up like an accordion into a book.

We received instructions on making the sketchbook and then one prompt a day for six days. (Some of the prompts were: botanical, the earth, all beings, and more.) Over the course of the week, I filled the pages with papers, printed text, and stitched threads. I was thankful for the new creative experience.

*Front cover of Threads, a concertina book*

When I began this project, I didn’t consider the idea of creating a visual connection from one page to the next. BUT, as soon as I began to construct page two, I found joy in the idea of a harmonious flow by using machine stitching and the same papers throughout. That’s when I got excited and engaged in the process.

I ended up adding a 7th page with it’s focus on Peace. Then the cover was completed on watercolor paper and sewn onto the front of the book. I love the way the threads look with all the pages hanging down when the book is closed.

*First page of the 2nd concertina book, with a focus on Peace and Simplicity.*

I was hooked on concertinas and began constructing a second. The last page of the first book became the jumping off point for the second book. Peace and Simplicity was the new theme, which seemed perfect for the times we are living in… and I decided to keep the color palette monochrome.

Our lives are so pared down now with a focus on the basics. It reminds me of camping. When we camp we have whatever we’ve brought with us and our needs and expectations are simple.

*Simplicity in a single leaf. A page in the concertina Peace book.*

I am grateful to have found joy and creative solace in the paper collage pages of these books. I’ve been collecting (and using) papers since high school with a large stash to choose from. So, they were readily available for this project.

During recent weeks, I could have focused on the uncomfortable feeling of being disconnected from my usual painting flow…. but instead, I found another method of creating, a new format to love, and each day in the studio became a new adventure.