My 100 Day Sketchbook Project
A little back story...
I’ve never been the type of artist to have a sketchbook practice.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had many sketchbooks in my practice over the years. The promise of creative possibilities was always there between the blank pages of every sketchbook I ever bought...crisp and clean and white. So lovely in its newness.
The sketchbook ready for the #100dayproject to begin.
But then there was the doing, having to mess up the pages with marks and notes that felt very separate from art making. How to translate what appeared in my sketchbook into “real” art was a mystery to me.
In the past I would doodle, rather aimlessly with pencils or write to figure out how to move the work forward, thinking that one day this “sketchbook work” would lead somewhere. When it didn’t I'd give up until the next time.
For me doodling and writing is not drawing and painting nor is it collage. I didn’t know how to make my sketchbook support my art practice in any meaningful way.
My light bulb moment
My light bulb moment came after seeing sketchbook pages shared by other artists on social media. After seeing how others used sketchbooks it dawned on me how I could make a sketchbook work for me: Work in the sketchbook using the kinds of material I like to work with in my practice.
Seems pretty obvious now.
The #100dayproject
I had decided that this year would be the year to truly establish a sketchbook practice when I learned about #the100dayproject. This is my opportunity to join in the fun and also establish a sketchbook practice to reflect and nurture my art practice.
By committing to 100 days of working in my sketchbook a habit, dare I say, a practice will be born!
So what is the project that I can commit to for 100 days? It should reflect the practice that I’ve established of exploration with mixed media materials and then editing the results. And a time limit...that will make the project less daunting.
The other thing that a time limit gives me is a freedom to do without thinking. It's got to be short but meaningful. Fifteen minutes sounds about right. Fifteen minutes is not much time for doing let alone thinking.
This is my project:
Work on one page in my sketchbook with whatever materials are on hand with little to no pre planning.
Work with a timer set for 15 minutes.
Do this for 50 days.
Beginning on day 51 go back to each sketch, beginning with day 1, and with fresh eyes rework what is there, keeping what resonates with me and edit the rest.
For me this is a place to explore, without trying to make anything...just to have some fun in the studio and to see what will happen.
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