Sketchbook project: done!

Well, it's done - my sketchbook for the 2011 Sketchbook Project is in the mail. Fortunately, the deadline was extended by a few days which gave me a chance to finish it. What I learned: I am not artistic. At all. Creative, yes, but not artistic. This is evident in my "sketches". A lot of my pages look more than a scrapbook than a sketchbook. However, I really like working with charcoal, which is very satisfying but also very messy. Plus I spend considerable more time on a charcoal drawing than one done with pencil or another medium. Had I planned my time better I would have done more charcoal drawings. And I would have chosen a different theme. It was really difficult coming up with "happy thoughts"; I noticed that a lot of the pages are of physical objects which make me happy, and not of events or people which make me happy. There's a difference. Not sure if I would participate in this particular project again but it was fun.



My worktable is once again messy. I'm currently finishing up three new silk saris for my Blythe Etsy store. You can see Margot in the background modelling one I've already finished. They should be up in the store on the week-end.

It has begun...

As you can see from my worktable, things are a bit chaotic right now: my Etsy store has been busy with sales and custom orders, I have an upcoming craft show to prepare for, handmade Christmas gifts to make, and some film photography projects on the go. And, my sketchbook for the 2011 Sketchbook Project arrived the other day. In between working on other projects, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I was going to decorate the cover. Why I thought this was important I'm not sure, I guess I'm thinking it will provide inspiration for the rest of the book.

Although it may prove to be not very durable (may have to find a way to clear coat it), I decided to use handmade Japanese paper (washi) for the cover; I buy scrap packs from The Paper Place in Toronto and use them a lot in crafts, although sometimes I think the paper is too pretty to use. I decided to orient the book horizontally rather than vertically; this may affect the digital scanning process and how it's presented on the project's website, but I prefer the layout. Next I need to create a title page, and then the sketching begins.



Participants were asked to choose a theme, or have one randomly assigned. I chose Happy Thoughts... I go through periods of depression which gets worse during the winter, as it does for a lot of people, so I'm hoping this theme will help me in staying positive.

Sketchbook project

A friend of mine posted a link to a project I couldn't resist to take part in: The 2011 Sketchbook Project. Participants are sent a Moleskine sketchbook (for a fee) in which they, well, sketch and doodle, based on a theme (not telling you what theme I chose yet). The sketchbooks are then sent back and become part of a touring exhibition, eventually ending up in a permanent collection at The Brooklyn Art Library. This is a great way to stay motivated on a creative level, and I'm really excited about filling up my sketchbook, and seeing how others interpret their theme. Stay tuned for updates!