I sent it off on December 1 and it arrived in Brooklyn at the Art Library at 11:55 on December 4, 2010. My sketchbook is now officially part of the project and out of my hands.
I have been busy for the past few months working on ideas for my theme, "It must be". This is the first time that I've worked on anything that I've known anyone other than myself was going to see and I found that it made a big difference.
Rather than being able to just dive in, I found that I was stuck at the beginning. I couldn't begin at all. Even though I chose my own theme I couldn't seem to find the right way to approach it and I was convinced there was a RIGHT way. I racked my brain thinking of ways to end the phrase "it must be..." and while they seemed promising my ideas always fizzled out.
Eventually, I decided that there wasn't ONE right way to go about it and I could use the phrase for anything and everything. Once I looked at things from that perspective the content of my book was easy. The next step was the medium.
Tackling a sketchbook was a bit optimistic if not arrogant on my part. I can't draw or sketch. I've read the part where everyone can draw, it's just practice. That may be true -- but I haven't practised and I didn't think I had the time to take lessons. What I wanted to do, and what I felt the purpose of the sketchbook was, was to express myself. That I could do in my own way, on paper. I chose to do it through pen and ink, paint, paper, scissors and glue.
So, in the final analysis, it's not so much a sketchbook (although, I did put in a sketch or two) as a mixed media book.
My theme: It must be ...
It must be what? Whatever I want it to be.
Light, dark Happy, sad Contemplative, interactive
Original, quotations Colourful, sombre
Hopefully there will be at least one page that strikes a chord with someone. This is the biggest risk I have ever taken and I'm glad it's out of my hands now.
Here are a few of the spreads.
If you browse the project, check out CAW230
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