I've been working on this project for the last two months, and I'm happy to say that it is finally done!
The project goal was to illustrate a Language Book, in a language that is not English, therefore I chose Dutch. Furthermore, the success of the book relied on the ability to communicate with images. As I like trying new techniques, I illustrated the images using quilling paper. For my subject, I decided upon birds, as I believe birds are beautiful and majestic creatures, and the quilling technique would have worked perfectly with the lines of the bodies and feathers.
After illustrating all birds, I photographed them from different angles, trying to focus on the shadows and details, and how I could best show the quilling technique in my book.
While working on the project, I came across this poem by Jennifer K. Sweeney, and as soon as I read it I knew I wanted to include it as an intro at the beginning of my book. I just love the feeling and atmosphere the poet tries to create, and in a way I cannot explain, sometimes I feel like I relate to the story...that I feel like a caged bird, longing for freedom...that I feel ghost-scripted, always falling...
Please read it below.
In Flight
by Jennifer K. Sweeney
The Himalayan legend says
there are beautiful white birds
that live completely in flight.
They are born in the air,
must learn to fly before falling
and die also in their flying.
Maybe you have been born
into such a life
with the bottom dropping out.
Maybe gravity is claiming you
and you feel
ghost-scripted.
For the one who lives inside the fall,
the sky beneath the sky of all.
It was an amazing project overall, learning how to work with the paper, experimenting with photography, working with a foreign language, printing and binding the book by hand...a 2 month process...countless sleepless nights... a lot of stress and tears, but in the end, I can honestly say it was all worth it!
