Sketching

 

I have always had a sketchbook since Art School. We actually were issued hard covered sketchbooks as part of our supplies on the first day. Along with pencils, erasers, rulers, triangles and various other treasures. It was a place to sketch, take notes, paste in snippets of art from outside sources. You can jot down thoughts and dreams to turn back to for inspiration. I have a shelf full in my library. I wish I had put dates on the covers. 

Lately I have been drawing each day and finding it very soothing. No pressure just add a few lines which prompts more lines. These are 12 x 12 inch pieces in a drawing tablet done with a micron pen. No erasing, just draw. They are not meant to be precious. Being precious reminds me of a class where we were doing small collages as an exercise and someone asked if they should be done with archival paper. The teacher stood there with a look of incredulity, they're class exercising, don't worry about a 100 years from now. I figure my sketchbooks will travel to the dump on my passing. It's fine, they were for my sanity and they worked.

I was inspired by an artist from the book Vitamin T, Hugette Caland whose art practice was drawing with a paint pen on painted canvas. Her drawings were based on embroidery stitching, mostly cross stitch, but she hated stitching! I love to embroider but the drawing is much quicker and I can go totally freeform. Fill in one box and move on to another. I am a graphic inspired person. anything for fun and joy.

A Contentment of Cows is still in process. I don't think I sketched anything on them. I just got to work with the photo and let things happen to them.