Saturday, January 31, 2009

Sketch books

I am a sucker for odd shaped sketch books. The regular shaped ones have no appeal to me, so I end up buying books that pile up and don't get used. My favorites are small ones---non-threatening sizes that I can have fun with.
I had ordered one from Dick Blick with a plain chipboard cover (very heavy stock). It is about 6" square and I immediately gessoed the covers. I like to work with my fluid acrylics on a gesso base. This was what happened:
(front cover) (back cover)
This was just playing around with the fluid acrylics; laying them on in washes, wiping some off, continuing the process until I had a base that I was happy with. Then I added some Prismacolor pencil, Sharpie marker, got out the stamps and ink and embossing powders. I was just having FUN, which for me, that is what a sketch book should be.
I remember in high school I hated keeping a sketch book. I got great grades in art, but the sketch book part was my weak area. My attitude was, "Why should I do something TWICE???"
Usually my sketches consist of a thumbnail that would be undecipherable by normal human eyes. A scribble at most. So when I started this book (and there is not a lot in it yet) it was to allow me to play with colors, textures, and mostly the theme of New Orleans and the flooding, which I have held in my heart since Katrina hit.
My art comes from a deep well filled by our trips to NOLA. And I had put a lid on it after the disaster, because I hurt so deeply from it I could not process it. Anger, tears, disbelief, deep anguish.
So this little flippant project began a healing process that is letting the art out again.
I'll share more of the contents in the coming days and explain what I've used and how it works.
Now, back to the banners! Worked on them till 9 last night and ready to hand stitch miles today!
I need my FiberPirates here to help........get in your dinghys and row fast! I ORDER YOU!!!

2 comments:

Leslie said...

Oh, I likes it, I do. That's a great size book, thanks for mentioning where you got it. I have a 4 x 6 that I used for travel and I find it to be a wonderful size as well.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

I really get more done in the little ones than I ever do in the big ones. Usually in the larger books it's three-five sketches and that's it.
I'm thinking they offer an odd rectangular shape too; can't remember.
I love-love-LOVE Dick Blick. I always get their huge catalogs geared for schools, etc and there are all sorts of project ideas, plus their customer service is A+++

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