Scribble Town (ST): Béatrice Coron is a visual storyteller who creates in the forms of illustration, book arts, fine art and public art. Béatrice describes her work as, “Collecting memories from individuals and communities, I stage narrative allegories in silhouette to create a dialogue with the viewer in playful fantasies.” Wanting to know more, let’s start with, where are you and what are you up to these days?

Béatrice Coron (BC): A lot of different projects, fences in Chicago (http://oakpark.suntimes.com/news/publicarts-OAK-08152013:article), a subway station on the A train in NYC (will be installed 2014-15), artist books, an ebook and of course papercuts for different exhibitions.

ST: Wow! How did you become so well versed in so many different mediums?!  How did these mediums get introduced to you and was there anybody to encourage you in your art practice?  It really amazes me when I look at your portfolio which consists of paper cuts, public art installations, animation, and what else am I missing? I can imagine the adventure has been an exciting one!

BC: Self-taught. See my TED talk:

You cannot make a living on papercuts alone I’m always curious to cut my stories with different materials. The base is full and empty shapes, the material and techniques varies.

ST: Amongst them all, what tools and mediums do you find most helpful when building your creations and visions?

BC: Sketching with pencil, cutting with xacto knife

ST: October looks like a busy month for you already with upcoming workshops and lectures.  Please let us know about some of the events.  We’d love to participate, if possible.

BC: The workshop at the Future of Story Telling was really interesting as everybody comes to this conference with an open mind and looking to discovering new fields. It’s a yearly event.

ST: Where or when do you find yourself feeling really inspired to create?  Do you ever listen to music or look at other art to trigger inspiration?  I know that when I look at your work, I want to pick up some paper and cut away!

BC: I listen to podcasts about philosophy, history and current affairs. I also read poetry. Every domain is an inspiration.

ST: You have done some remarkable public art pieces like Postcards from North Carolina and Bronx Literature.  How do you go about creating for that space?  Do you sit in the space for a while and observe the visitors or is there some other way you work with the space?

BC: I research the history of the place and study the space. From there I visualize how it feels to arrive in that space and what I would like to see. For example in Charlotte’s airport “Postcards of North Carolina” depict the historical roots of the region.

ST: What or was there a pivotal point in your childhood that got you making art?  Where did you grow up?

BC: I grew up in Lyon, France. I am an only child and was very quiet. I often escaped with my imagination.

ST: Who are some artists and authors that you like?  What draws you to them?

BC: Among many and many artists I admired, I like woodblock prints of Felix Vallotton, I enjoy his black and white’s balance. I also enjoy Japanese prints for their creativity in composition.

ST: Béatrice, what is a good piece of advice for Scribblers?

BC: Just start to cut and enjoy!

ST: Will do! Thanks Béatrice! For more info on Béatrice and her artwork, please go to http://beatricecoron.com.

It seems like magazines always find a way to pile up. For some reason, I can never bring myself to just throw them out. Filled with beautiful images, colors, and articles, it feels wrong for them all to end up in the trash. So anytime I can put them to good use with an art project, I jump at the chance! This magazine strip silhouette is a great way to transform your old magazine pages into something creative, personalized, and beautiful!

 

For your silhouette, you can pick an animal, a person, your home state—whatever you want. Just keep in mind the level of intricacy involved in cutting the strips to fit the shape.

 

 Photo via Meaningful Details on Etsy

 

You’ll need some old magazines, scissors, glue, a pencil, an X-acto knife, the shape you want to trace for your silhouette, and something to mount this project on—it can be canvas, cardboard, or poster board.

 

Start by cutting your magazine strips. Tear out any pages that have a lot of color (or just the colors you’re looking for). Don’t worry if it’s a picture of something weird—you won’t be able to see it once it’s cut up. Cut them into thin, straight strips, roughly the same width (the length can and should vary).

 

 Photo via Apples of Gold Set in Silver

 

In pencil, trace the silhouette on your canvas. Then, start gluing down your magazine strips inside. You can trim each piece with your X-acto knife as you glue it down, or you can mark them with a pencil and trim them afterwards.

 

Once your silhouette is all filled in, it’s a good idea to finish it off with a coat or two of mod podge. This will seal down your collage.

 

 Photo via Designed By BH

And that’s it! Let it dry and hang it up. Colorful, customizable, and recycled—this fun project is great for the eyes and the environment. What are your favorite projects with recycled materials? Any other fun ideas for magazines?

Now that October has arrived, Halloween is on the horizon. That means costume planning, spooky decorations, and of course… candy and treats! Since it’s only the beginning of the month, one way to slowly start gearing up for the holiday is to incorporate things that work for both fall and Halloween.

 

The perfect solution: a little candy corn décor! This quick and easy craft is perfect for setting the tone for October… plus it has pretty fall colors! Bonus: it’s simple and safe enough for kids to work on, as well.

 

 

Photo via Danielle, My Life as I Pin It

 

You’ll need yarn (white, yellow, and orange), scissors, glue, and a foam cone (in a pinch, you can create your own cone with some poster board and tape).

 

Start at the bottom with your yellow yarn. Glue the end to the foam (you may also be able to just tuck it in the back… depends on your cone) and start wrapping! Once you’ve gotten about a third of the way up, cut the yarn and glue or tuck in the end. Next up: orange! Repeat the process with your orange yarn, and finally finish up with white to the top. Tada!

 

 

Photo via Sarah, Thrifty Décor Chick

 

These candy cuties add some festive fun to any room without going too overtly “Halloween” too soon. But as the month goes on… look out! More delightfully spooky projects to come.