Für Elise

It's taken a number of years, but I have finally gotten around to making the book that I started planning as a gift for my child several years ago!

In the ceramics workshop a couple of years ago I created book covers for a small accordion book. I  impressed lace on the clay and used a stamp set to put my name on the back cover before the covers went in the bisque fire. I glazed the covers, brought them home - and forgot about them! I kept remembering my plans to make the gift just before xmas and birthday every year, but never having the time to actually make the gift!

As with my other books using ceramic covers, I knew that I first had to glue some paper to the insides of the covers to ease the affixing of the final accordion drawing. Prior to doing this, I threaded some garden wire through the back holes; this would provide an element with which to close the book.

This year, remembering once again too late, I decided it would just be a late gift and took my time about it. The gift was actually quite simple: the first few bars of Beethoven's beautiful song Für Elise would comprise a transcribed drawing. The only decision I had to make was colour and media.

I drew the piece in pencil first and finally decided on pen and coloured inks. While I was careful in my transcription, I also thought that smudges may lend some authenticity to my drawing so did not pressure myself to be perfect.

Für Elise, 10 cm x 10 cm, accordion-fold book, ink on acid-free papers, ceramic covers, plastic-coated garden wire, 2019.