Finding Joy
Welcome to the pages of Finding Joy! This project started early in 2021 after finding a copy of Elizabeth Searle Whitney’s Invitation to Joy in a box of inherited books. This project focuses on found poems (also known as blackout or erasure poetry) but also encompasses paint, collage, drawings, photography, and stitching. The text found on these pages is erased, covered up, and hidden in order to create new phrases, thoughts, haikus, etc. Only in very rare and obvious cases (for example, Vol.1, page 55) are words re-arranged. Further fun can be found under flaps, in hidden compartments, and other ways of interacting with the books. For me Joy is about exploration, connections, and fun!
New spreads will continually be added here as they are scanned.
Only Joys
Made in 2024
The entire book with omission of every word except “Joy”. Painted using acrylic paint and cut by hand.
In the photo below, the left side is a view into the book from under the front cover. The right side of the image above is the view inside the book from under the back cover. Click on the image for a larger view.
Book One
2021-2022
Book Two
2022-present
Book Three
2023-present
Book Five, The E.A.R. Edition
2024-
