Fatherhood Adventures
About the Project
Being a father is full of memories that we never want to forget. Photos and videos have taken center stage in our ability to capture individual moments and it is up to us to recall how they made us feel at time of recording. However, I’ve always felt that there is so much more nuance that flows into each memory we make. How we feel changes over time, but capturing that moment is just as precious as the moment itself. While time is a rare commodity these days, especially when self-employed, I’ve found that the day-to-day adventures are beyond priceless.
My wife and I are blessed with an amazing being. She is creative, confident, curious, and often bombastic. The games we play require an open and imaginative mind, playful beyond age and timeless with FUN.
This book is an extension of all that.
I have many journals for myself. Either made out-of-hand or surviving from some previous experience. The memories I’ve written down feel scattered and “placeless”, finding homes among the blank pages of books I have on my shelf. This journal is my response to the frustration I’ve felt. Much like a photo album, I wanted a place where I can fully express the memories we make together and revisit them when needed – and, hopefully, be a record for her, if she ever wants to.
The Process
The process began with a vision. While I wanted a book I could write specifically to record my memories with my family, that was only the inciting incident.
Thankfully, my daughter is a prolific artist and she creates countless pieces to work with. The piece I decided to work with for this is a recent rendition of her collaboration with my wife and their interpretation of “Dragon”.
They worked together to bring this to life and the original piece really showcases the life they bring to the art they make. My wife is a wonderful artist herself and has been such a great teacher for our daughter. She is kind, patient, and encouraging – everything I hope to be for her someday. I’ve learned a lot just by watching them work together!
The book was much larger than the original artwork, so I had to break it down into two pieces
I then began penciling out the design. I used a very nice Morocco leather (veg-tanned goat), which has a great showcase of the pours and ridges from the animal. After carving (cuir-ciselé), I used a tan gel antique and both color the leather and fill in the pours with a deep shadow to replicate the original design.
