I’m feeling settled enough in our new home to think about starting some new work, and I’ve made a start in a spiral bound square sketchbook that I’ve had for a little while. Sometimes these things only speak to you when they’re ready.
Of course I had to make a cover for it, as I do for most of my sketchbooks. I find it helps to illuminate some of the themes, as well as providing a little extra protection for the contents.
The cover wraps around the spiral binding and meets itself on the front. It’s not my usual colour palette:
I’m using a Two Rivers plein air pocket sketchbook, which has alternating pages of watercolour paper and cartridge paper. The pages are about 7.5″ square, so a nice manageable size.
I like pockets in sketchbooks. Actually I like pockets full stop. In my youth I went through a phase of wearing men’s vintage jackets purely because of the number and quantity of pockets, which utterly delighted me. I would keep finding extra hidden pockets all over the garment, inside and out. We no longer say the word pockets in our house. We always say pocketses, a la Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.
I’ve been using the watercolour-paper pages for direct painting, and the cartridge-paper pages for collaging.
So far it’s all very loose and sketchy, blending colours, shapes and words. I’m cutting the words from an old poetry anthology to create found poems, which is helping to navigate the direction.
I don’t know exactly what it’s going to be yet, or where it might be going, but between us (me and the work) we will find a path. Or maybe this is enough. I think it’s leading somewhere, as most things do.
Some of it is already looking like textile work.
This page is just ink on wet paper with salt sprinkled over it. I enjoy the unpredictability of this kind of work. Play, really.
It’s a voyage of discovery as always, exactly like life. Travelling through time, we never know what will happen next. And yet, on we go.
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Both cloth and paper turn magical in your hands! 💙💙
that’s so kind Pam, thank you. As usual, there is no plan so it could all go pear shaped at any time 🙂
Love to see how you develop and think through ideas!
thanks so much Tracy, feeling in the dark as well as thinking at this stage, but it’s definitely interesting.
Magical and inspirational!
thanks so much 🙂 This kind of work always feels magical to me.
Fascinating to see your process and how things evolve 🙂
thanks so much Naomi, looking forward to seeing what happens
Wonderful, I hope you show it to Two Rivers. I am sure they would love it! I have some of their paper and pads and never quite dare to use it, because I bought it when I was doing botanic drawing course and gave up as it was all too perfect and a bit over ambitious for me. But maybe I will get it out now and do something all together different. It’s a joy getting these glimpses of your work and seeing where you go on your travels with fabrics and threads and paints ! Joanna
thanks so much Joanna. I did dither a bit over using this because it’s one of my ‘posh’ sketchbooks and it can be a bit daunting to start one of these because what if you ruin it etc etc… I think what helped with this one is that the pages are alternate so I could start with collaging the cartridge paper and then work up to painting on the good stuff 🙂 No matter how many times you do this, it’s always terrifying and never seems to get any easier. Best to just dive in I think. Good luck and happy adventuring!
I would say that you and the notebook are moving in a unique and pleasing way. i love how you cut out the words and attached them. Isn’t the salt on the watercolour so much fun! Bernie
thanks so much Bernie – yes it really is amazing, like magic
I love that “fathomless sky”!
me too 🙂
Thank you for sharing your process! I love the direction you’re going, even if it doesn’t take a straight path. As is the same in life, I find. Love the idea of poetry bits used in different ways.
the twisty path is probably a lot more interesting 🙂 Making found poetry is one of my favourite things and usually generates lots of new ideas.
Goodness, this is so wonderful. It just makes me happy to look at it.
thanks so much Stephanie, it’s making me happy too. It’s been a while since I’ve had the energy for something like this.