Interactive Art Workshop : Jill Berry Blog

The Book is out, the book is out! We are all so excited. Kim asked me over a year ago to contribute to her book, and here it is in print. I am going to make a video of some of the projects, because they all move. One of the ones I did is here.

Flip book journal

This book has pages that flip as you pull the ribbon, and in this case reveal new pictures text on the backsides. The plumeria flower on the front page turns to a gecko on the backside, and so on. This is a little journal of my time on Kauai, in the summers of my college days, when I was the Arts and Crafts Director for the YMCA of Kauaii. Those were halcyon days, so simple and fresh. I lived in a hut on the beach and watched the geckos dance on my ceiling. I wove leis of plumeria and palm fronds, and hung them in the window. I ate things I’d never heard of—poo-poo platter, strange shell fish, poi—and hiked in shoes worn by the Portuguese fishermen. My job was to cook part time and to do sand candles, murals and crafts with the local kids who came to Camp Naue, and through that exposure to the locals was invited to celebrations and luaus in the Hawaiian tradition. I made this little book as a memory journal of my time there. It was really satisfying to do this partly because I got to dream-trip through those tropical memories, and partly because I just did not worry how it looked. When I started I thought it would be a mock-up for one of Kim’s projects, but it ended up looking like it felt to live in Kauaii, casual and colorful, so I just sent it in. Lucky me, they used it!

This weekend I will teach this little journal at the YMCA in the Rockies, where I have been working with Deedee and Sarah to build up a wonderful destination art center. It is an incredible place surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, and staffed by the best people in Colorado. The new Craft Building will be done late in the Spring. Come to Colorado and check it out!

I will be posting more projects from the book soon, so stay tuned.