Sketchbook Digitized

I'm so excited!  My sketchbook for the 2011 Arthouse Sketchbook Challenge has been digitized and added to the library.  They did a much better job than I did taking photos.  You can go directly to my sketchbook by clicking here.  There is a page spread missing from the "It's Been a Bad Day" section but I've mentioned it to the support staff so we'll see what happens.  They ask you to look over your digitized book and let them know if anything needs to be fixed.

Sketchbook Project

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

Sketchbook Project

One reason that I haven't been posting a lot is that I've been busy working on my sketchbook for the 2011 Sketchbook Project.  I want to get my book finished and posted as soon as I can so I've been working diligently on it (as life permits).  This is a first for me.  I've never participated in something like this before where my work was going to go public so naturally I'm quite nervous. 

I, like many others, found that the paper in the supplied moleskine was very thin so I took my book apart and I've substituted a heavier weight paper (140 lb cold press) that wouldn't bleed through if I used markers and wouldn't buckle under wet media.  This meant rebinding the book and while I'm at it I'll put a different cover on it to replace the simple kraft paper cover that I received.

According to the rules, I need to keep the same length and width dimensions for the sketchbook and keep the bar code on the back cover so that it can be tracked.  Beyond that, I have some flexibility.  Since I do more of a visual journal that an actual "sketch" book (my sketching ability being weak) I'm glad of the flexibility. 

My theme is:  It must be:   that allows for a lot of creativity as far as I can see.  I can start out with some background  i.e.  it must be me  and then work into things that I like, such as     it must be books   etc. 

I hope to get it finished and sent off by the end of the month.  That's my target.

I'll take a few pictures of the finished product and post them when I'm done.