Sketchbooks
Ok, so I remember mentioning this to you before.....sketchbooks, artist sketchbooks. Now I mentioned these lovely, and ever so endearing.....pain staking, a nascence, terrible, frustrating and annoying, things back in 2014. Wow, 2 years ago already! It is hard to believe it has been this long since I started this blog thing. I don't regret it but it does take a little more thought into the writing process, not gonna lie.
Anyway, yes sketchbooks. Every artist should have one....or in my case a few. And I meant what I say when they are lovely and endearing but also all those other words. They can be the vain of an artist's existence and at the same time their life source. Sketchbooks mean a lot to artists, crafters, children and even people suffering from anxiety, depression, pain, etc.
These wonderful sketchbooks can be therapeutic, a book to remind you of your projects, inspiring thoughts, used for quick sketches on a journey on the road or even used for creative writing skills, etc. For myself, being an artist and all, I use them pretty much for all of the above and maybe more...but these are all I can remember off the top of my head at the moment haha. My sketchbooks usually comes with me on all vacations, along with my box of images, materials, pencils, pencil crayons, paints and various other materials. Yes, I said box of materials!
Some people wonder why a box, well I have a lot of ideas going that I write down ideas whenever they come into my head. I also grab images and whatever else I see that may be used for reference materials, which coincidently also include business cards from other artists and connections. This, by the way, I highly recommend as these connections can easily allow you to develop friendships and relationships along the way. These connections will also get you information for questions you are unsure of, such as materials and techniques, other artists and connections to talk to, and if you are lucky enough....deals!!!!
Back to sketchbooks. My first sketchbook was a beautiful disaster. Full of random ideas of animals and landscapes and nothing much else. It was plain, simple, not a lot of creativity, well for me there wasn't, and there was not a lot of sketching happening. Let me say this, it was a lesson learned and my sketchbooks have been a learning skill since then. I have used my sketchbooks for various projects from paintings, drawing, pottery and printmaking. And let me tell you, they have been over loaded with images, sketches, paint samples and other material samples of various other things. They include interviews and conversations with other artists and business personal, personal quotes and motos, personal goals, future projects, these projects are also in my box of materials, magazine articles and various other articles and webpages. My sketchbook keeps me in line when I start to stray from my project or current exhibition idea.
Sketchbooks have loads and loads of materials. It my case it is the soul into my inner imagination and my artistic self. This is where this can cause the annoying and frustrating aspect of the artist life. Frustrating because they can do keep you in check but at the same time causes you to second guess what your main idea or theme was or is. I have been in some instances where I have done the research, done the sketches for the paintings and projects all to over think it and decide against it. Am I happy I second guessed myself....no, not at all. However, keeping these sketchbooks allowed me to go back a year or two later and decide to go ahead to do these projects. It is a beautiful mistake yet again!
Sketchbooks are also frustrating as they can get really messy and confusing! I remember my first year of university as an art student and by the end of the first semester my sketchbook was covered in paint, pages ripped out and taped of glues back in, pencil marks all over it, pages crossed out and different ideas all over the place. It was a mess and I cannot tell you how many times I would look at it, roll my eyes and say "not today sketchbook, not today." I still have that amazing sketchbook though. I still look at it and I still get goose bumps looking at it and frustrated over it, haha!
Anyway, sketchbooks are a way of living for artists and so many other people who rely on them for so much more than a creative sense. I hope you all enjoy the use of our sketchbooks, in a pain staking love hate relationships as I do with mine. Tell me, what do you use your sketchbook for? I would like to hear your sketchbook stories.
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