The weeks are flying by and I’m still hard at work finishing my book Finding Home. A looming deadline is approaching and panic is at play. As I fold over the last page, I’m reminded of my artists’ book Entre deux. A project that includes Turkish map folds in an accordion book and a flip book. Entre deux is an interactive documentary inviting the viewer to partake in a simple meal with a couple while being privy to the couple’s conversation on love.

I created Entre deux for the exhibition FEAST at 23 Sandy Gallery. I chose the accordion book and flip book format to give the viewer a sensory experience. By flipping the pages the viewer is part of the meal. While unfolding the Turkish map folds—breaking bread, the viewer takes part in the conversation.

In my studio, I am the initiator of each project, I hold the post of artist, photographer, author, designer, binder, printer, publisher, webmaster and lets not forget blogger.

In college, I explored the business side of my chosen career but never thought of wearing so many hats! No clue, that was me in college!

Beginning to live in reality, entrepreneurship revealed itself. Entrepreneur in English is pronounced—ahn-truh-pruh-noor, in French—an-tre-pre-neûr, and in any language—doing business alone.

• Founder and administrator of my domain, I handle each and every activity.

• Contractor and labourer, I organise and manage my time.

• Even as executive in charge, a raise is unattainable.

• I love being im.pre.sa.ri.o; but often can’t finance my work.

• Being an accountant gives me prestige, but the money isn’t multiplying.

My policy is to market, advertise and promote my work six months out of the year. Good luck with that!

Why do it, it’s part of who I am? Without my art I am lost. So, I continue the roller coaster ride of being an artist—life filled with wonder at the next idea or creation.

My first grade teacher—an avid drawer, inspired our class by drawing a new image every week on the chalk board. Rachel Lemire noticed my talent for art. Who discovered yours, your first grade teacher or Ellen Degeneres?

How do you do it? I would be interested in knowing your recipe for a successful artist career.

Oh! the day is passing and I need to print more pages...

I found one thing I miss from living in Utah, the Sundance Film Festival in Park City. I took this photo in 2014 on our annual–go see what it’s all about—visit. We had the opportunity to say hello to Sam Shepard and to Gilles Marini.

© 2014 Louise Levergneux, Sundance Film Festival

Getting back to the work at hand. It’s difficult to keep the processes and steps straight with three projects on the go, no four!

I’m waiting for an order of paper to finish the last two copies of my book entitled Conversation. After two months, finishing these copies with my notes might be a challenge!!

Meanwhile, I’m tinkering with Tinkercad for my second book entitled Finding Home. An emotional project that tackles my experience of living in Idaho while still rooted in Canada... I will discuss the many changes and end product later.

I am learning the ins and outs of 3D printing and enjoying the sculptural facet of the process. A third print is happening today and will take nine and a half hours to print over 497 layers. Fascinating!

I thought it might be fun to sit and take photos as my object was printing till I saw this timelapse video of a Ultimaker 2 printing a deer. Have you ever heard the expression “it’s like watching paint dry”!

The binding and slipcase for my artists’ book Xtraction is also in the queue to be 3D printed, hurray!

While we wait for paper and prints, lets look at the steps it took to create the flip book for Xtraction. The idea grew from this X-ray. In this instance I used a mix of stills and video taken with my Sony D-SLR.

1. First, the stills are manipulated in Photoshop and the video manipulated in iMovie

2. Next, I import the frames from the video into layers in Photoshop

3. Once, the layers are all chosen and sequenced, they are resized into another Photoshop template, I number all the pages—yes, number, it makes it easier to sort. Have you ever had 120 unnumbered pages fall to the floor and not knowing the sequence? I have! FUN! FUN! FUN!

4. All the adjustments in the next step is great fun for people with OCD, as all the layers have different opacity between bottom and top layers for each group of images. The flip book has 120 pages counting the colophon

5. Shown are 13" x 19" sheets of pages in Bridge ready for print

6. My printer co-operated, thank God! This does not always happen, everyone knows that! I start the cutting phase after the sheets rest for 24 hours. This time relaxes the paper and removes any curling from wet ink. Dried ink allows the paper to be handled without concerns

7. Each page goes through a five steps cutting process, this ensures perfect placement of image on each page. The time taken in properly cutting each page properly gives a smooth action when flipping pages. I know these steps by heart after cutting pages for 156 flip books in the last 3 years. First cut is done by dividing the sheet in half.

The second cut is done by following the cutting lines for the top of each page.

Making sure that all the pages are trimmed at the exact same place on the right edge is the third cut.

The fourth step is to properly cut the bottom of each page by using a straight edge that will not move.

The last and fifth cut is the left side with a pre-determined length for the flip book.

I sort and stack, then punch holes through the pages to receive screw posts

A small binding with cloth over boards is usually cut and assembled to finish the book. Xtraction has a 3D printed binding so this step is omitted

Voilà, one finished flip book. I will have photos of the completed project next week.

The fourth project I mentioned above is the image manipulation, printing and cutting of the last volumes of City Shields. Forever!