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Secret Letters


Secret Letters came about as a result of a commission to write seven hundred names in a leather-bound book
to acknowledge all those who helped to build a Hungarian church outside Melbourne.
Each page contained names beginning with one of the letters of the alphabet, and to avoid a monotonous look
I made the initial letters down the page gradations of the decorated versal which was on the opposing page.
Each letter of the alphabet had its own colour combinations and elements taken from traditional embroideries.
I scanned each of the pages on completion and years later decided to make a concertina book using reduced size images. It was a very long book, with the photos standing out from each page.
I have never really known how
to display the book, and in some way I prefer it curled into a circle where you
can't even see the painted letters!


The concertina was made from Canson Mi-Teintes paper
with fore edge strips of green kozo paper
The book measures 7.5cm x 10.5cm


Displaying this book is probematical as it stands best when formed into a circle.

I haven't found a good way to display the book to show all 28 alphabet letters.
The Hungarian alphabet has two extra letters a Ü and an Ö.

 



This is just a few of the palettes with my colour schemes for each letter.
I used Winsor &Newton artist quality watercolour tubes.
I continued to use these palettes for months after completing this commission
as the paint was too expensive to just discard.
Please email for any further information