I made a folder for my mother in mixed media. It is in A5 format, so that she can have it in her handbag to carry work-papers. In this post are photos I took during the process of making it.

I started out by cutting an office folder in half, and taped over the rubber-band so that it wouldn’t get acrylic paint on it.

I placed ephemera, and chose paints:

I glued on a first layer of scraps related to dancing (my mother dances tango).

I then moved along to add more and more ephemera, and acrylic paint. I went overboard!

Below is the first version of the back of the folder for my mom. On it is a tree outside her cottage, a drawing of her cottage, and a cat from a napkin she gave me. The tree and the cottage drawings were made on watercolour paper. It led to the folder becoming thick, and since I am making this for her to have in her handbag… I didn’t like it, I don’t want her to carry unnecessary weight, even if it is a matter of grams.

Below is the first version of the front of the folder to my mother. I wanted to add so many things. In the end I felt it became a bit too much, the composition didn’t feel right. I later moved the ticket stub and coated over all but the dancing couple. In the middle is both mine and my mom’s handwriting, we were comparing how we write the letter ‘a’ in long hand. That bit is still under there, but is painted over.

Below is when I had added so many layers of memorabilia and paint that it had become unbearably messy. I ripped off many layers so I could remake its front and back.

I re-made the front and back into this:

On the inside, to the left, I glued on a drawing of the trees that grow by her cottage in the forest.

Now I’m just hoping that she will actually USE it, and not treat it as a piece of art hanging on a wall 🙂