These last few weeks I’ve been working on a new project… when time allows of course. What is this new project you ask? It is my book for “The Sketchbook Project.” Click here to read more about the project and it’s organizers: http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject
Each artist who participates receives a bound 5″x7″ journal. My journal has been sitting on my desk waiting for me to give it some attention for a couple of months now. Recognizing that there is a deadline I need to work within I decided it was time to get started. I’m not done yet, but here is a look at what I’ve been working on.
I began by pulling the binding out of the book and separating all of the pages. Wanting thicker pages to hold up to wet materials or collage elements, I glued pages together 3 sheets thick. A few pages even got special treatment and were turned into fold out segments. Then I took a sharpie and wrote a long journal entry across the front and back of each thick page.
The pages were then covered in a layer of gesso to give them extra strength. It also added a cool opaqueness to the text.
Working with liquid acrylics and cut out shapes as stencils I have added texture and color to the pages. I think this will make a nice background to apply whatever else I decide to do next.
That’s all for now. I’ll keep you posted as I make more progress on it.
November 3, 2010
What an exciting project! It would be wonderful for something like this to happen in the UK. I love sketchbooks and the idea of being able to borrow someone else’s with a library card really catches my imagination. I work at my local library – imagine if we could open a sketchbook library!! Good luck with your book – its looking good so far. Will you be able to go and see the final exhibition?
November 3, 2010
Thanks Christine. When I read about the project, I just had to participate! I probably won’t get to see the final exhibition as it is not coming too close to where I live. But you never know, I might make a trip out of it one day.
November 3, 2010
*sigh* My sketchbook sits in a drawer completely blank. 🙁
I can’t seem to find inspiration to do anything really “interesting”. Yours is looking gorgeous so far! Looking forward to seeing more.
November 3, 2010
I understand that feeling of wanting it to be “interesting” and so not doing anything at all. I’m sure that thought has held many artists back many a time! The best advice I can give you (it’s the advice I am constantly giving myself) is just to start. You don’t need a plan of what it will look like in the end. Sometimes it helps to just fill journal pages with a base coat of paint. Then you don’t have that intimidating white page staring up at you. Let it unfold page by page, step by step.
Personally, I felt that the amount of pages in the journal was a bit overwhelming too. That is partly why I glued pages together, so there weren’t as many to fill. You could do the same, or simply tare out several pages. After all, I figure people are likely to only spend a short while on each journal. Less just might actually be more in this situation.
Best of luck with it. I’d love to hear how your process unfolds for you!