Monday, April 30, 2018

The Sketchbook Project 2018

So last year I saw the Brooklyn Art Library post about their annual sketchbook project and thought "why not". I love a creative challenge ...or so I thought.

I started out in my head thinking about the theme that appealed to me the most - Texture. It' something I use in every art journal or mixed media item that I do. I love texture in my everyday life: fabrics, stone, nature in general...basically the feel of things. Touch & smell are mt two favourite senses, but I especially love that texture is something that can been seen as well as felt.

So to start with, I signed up for a sketchbook and eagerly awaited its arrival. It did not disappoint in it's snazzy little envelope and all those lovey clean white pages. And then I started and my original thoughts went flying out the window as I played and created some lovely pages. Now the pages, to be fair are made for sketching on and not really up to the heavy duty task of mixed media, so there were a few issues, but nothing that couldn't be overcome. 

Until, that is, I thought I was finished and started to flick through my book....only to find that one of the pages had been created upside down. Crushed, frustrated and just downright kicking myself, I removed the pages. Nothing could save it, so I decided to start afresh and substitute watercolour paper, so I had a stronger background to work on. I also decided to work on the pages before putting them back in the cover in case my head turned upside down again.

The deadline had been extended (thank goodness)and I thought - yes, I can do this. But then self doubt crept in and I got stuck with my narrative - stuck on blank white pages, even so far as to tell my friend on Saturday (28th April) that I wouldn't be sending it in as I couldn't finish it. On Saturday night I thought :don't be stupid - you know what you want to do, just do it"....so I did it. 

And off to the post office it went today - winging it's way across the ocean to Brooklyn, where I hope, my little book of texture finds a happy home among other works of art.










  










4 comments:

  1. This is really wonderful Peta. A great addition to the library of sketchbooks!

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    1. Thank you Seth. I really enjoyed the process and am super happy with most of it.... ever my own worst critic

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  2. That's awesome! Good on you for fighting through the doubt and sending it off

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  3. Such a great sketchbook..just stunning

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