Its been a little while since I published an article about my own artwork so I'm incredibly happy to say I've got one in the most recent Quilting Arts, the August/September issue. I gave my take on keeping a sketchbook for their new regular feature, Off the Page.
I've got a little bit more of a utilitarian viewpoint when it comes to sketchbooks. I use them as a catch all for anything and everything - and I've banned color from it. Not a scrap, all black and white - keeps the focus on thought instead of worrying about creating art on the pages.
And since I'm an abstract artist, sketching isn't always something I can do for my pieces. But I showed how I put down some thoughts for this piece that was an homage to shadows, Shadow Imprint:
I sort of got on a roll and wrote a little tutorial on free form discharge printing (which is used on the piece above). It involves a Gelli Arts plate, Jacquard discharge paste and flinging with a palette knife.
I've enjoyed every single article I've ever written but this one is special to me. Its a real close look at how I view fiber art, felt a little funny at first to put it down on paper but in the end, I loved opening that door.
The last four sentences of it sum up how I feel about sketchbooks: "By all means, sketch ideas and process. But also add yourself to the pages. Learn to let go. Your artwork will follow suit."
I hope you'll love it as much as I loved writing it. And as always, the issue is full of all kinds of wonderful fiber goodness. Its their embellishment issue and I've gotten lost in the beauty of every single item on the pages - be sure to pick one up! :)
4 comments:
one thing I've found about my sketch books is that they are a written history of where my head was at during that moment in history. Every once in a while I'll want to get back to that moment and find that my sketchbook is the perfect vehicle to take me there.
So few creatives talk about the creative process. I am gong to pick up this issue.
I got my issue yesterday and devoured every word of your article. I'd always felt like the pretty sketchbooks we've been seeing in all the magazines lately were smugly mocking mine. Thanks for clearing up the difference between a "working" sketchbook and the other kind (at least it did for me in my head ;o) I can now return to my method without feeling like I'd missed something.
Thanks for another way to play with discharge paste--love that! And a 'no color' sketchbook sounds perfect. That's the way I prefer to look at designs. The color seems to fill itself in as you work, and sketchbooks that are 'life happening' books work!
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