San Francisco Streets: A Book

In San Francisco, as in many large cities, homelessness is a critical issue.  The SF Coalition on Homelessness is working to protect the rights of those forced to remain on the streets.  Their biggest fundraiser is the annual art auction and this handmade book was created as a donation to the fundraiser. (for more information visit www.COHSF.org)

This piece is a mixed media art book with the theme of San Francisco Streets.  Rustic. A bit grunge.  Eclectic. As I created this book, I tried to convey the essence of the beauty of eclectic San Francisco and the streets of the neighborhoods.  Each collage has a theme and includes a piece of a map of San Francisco streets.. 

The Cover:   The cover of the book is made from mixed media paper as a base.  The words 'San Francisco' and various parts of the city were written in graphite pencil then painted over in white acrylic paint and coated with gel medium.  A vintage book page of a photograph of Telegraph Hill was overlaid on the outside cover.  On the spine, the waxed linen thread of the stitches of the book signatures are visible and are where the fabric string is anchored to tie the book closed.

The Insides:  The book contains vintage and retro ephemera collaged onto acrylic painted backgrounds.  All the collage backgrounds are hand painted mixed media paper, embellished with stenciled ink and paint. The collages are mounted onto tea stained mixed media paper to make the book pages.  Between the signatures are various vintage papers (advertisement, programs, postcard & envelope and similar items).

Here is a video flip-through::