sketches and brainstorming for a handmade book

Here are the sketches I created the other night when I began brainstorming regarding a handmade books content. The book hasn't been started yet as the brainstorming continues whenever the inspiration comes to me. Hopefully, I'll be able to read my handwriting later........

Some recent random sketches......

created the other night, some are from my home while others are from a variety of objects and imagination......

My Favorite Tea Company

Although I am a coffee drinker in the a.m., I certainly love my tea! The Repuplic of Tea is one of my favorites as they come in these cool air-tight cans {perfect for storing refills in or altering later!} While browsing to refill my zen dream tea in Passion Fruit Papaya, I was disappointed not to find it on the shelves. Anyways, I picked up this canister of Blackberry Sage --- Tea for Wisdom and while desiding to brew myself a pot for drinking while sketching tonight while watching {ur.. listening to} the TV, I feel in love with picture on the container! I love how it resembles torn layers of paper and vellum! Well, I definately found a subject close to my heart to sketch and save for my sketch journal {which I have yet to create!} I'm thinking a simple sewn pamphlet style, with not too many pages, just enough to add maybe a week or two's worth of sketches to and some journaling to go with the sketches. I admit half the fun will be in the bookbinding and watching these little pamphlet like booklets grow into their own collection within my studio. {smiles}

My sketch..

Blogger finally decided to co-operate!

I'm off to do some household chores, grab some lunch, and to head out to the studio for a bit, I've got an obligation to work on.... anyways, enjoy!

"Daily" sketching...

I created another sketch, a 15 minute one, of my favorite summer sandals. Blogger isn't co-operating so I'll have to upload them later.

One thing that I did discover is that I can use my slick writers on the watercolor paper I'm using and when I color the image I sketched first in pencil, then outlined using the slick writer, colored using watercolor pencils and then adding the actually water, it isn't smearing.

That's more than I can say about my favorite Pilot V5 pen, LOL! It smears badly! but I do love it for journaling. I'll have to dig around in the studio for more pens --- waterproof ones! I'm certain I should have a variety of ones to use handy, but then, who really needs an excuse to go shopping, LOL! Especially with the stores loaded with new school supplies...... {a grand idea!}

The inspiration.....

Here on the cover of Somerset Home is where I found my inspiration. I tried to sketch the man with the hat in the top soup plate and the lady in the middle one. There are a bit of differences between the two that I've learn to accept while I am sketching. Sometimes a stray pen mark leads the way, I've simply learned to try to follow along vs. ditching the entire piece, LOL!

One thing that is for certain, is that I learning to embrace the littlest of imperfections within my artwork. I am opening up more, becoming more relaxed, and allowing a lot more room for mistakes within my work. I love that about the process, I'm realizing it is okay to be a bit different and that often it adds a character to my artwork that I wasn't aware even existed.

Anyways, I'm sketching more in the hopes of improving. I may decided later to color these with my color pencils. Some day they will find their way into my journals.

Some sketches...

I've heard it said many times over that if you really desire to get better at something, try do it everyday. Sketches are something that I'd love to get better at creating. I love to sit and sketch, even when most of my sketches aren't what I originally have envision when I try to sit and just create some freestyle ones. However, I feel I can sketch better when I have something to see and use as a visiul aid. My sketches may not be perfect however I'm beginning to see a lot more resemblence inbetween the two.

Human eyes and faces...

This is another page that I created yesterday. My journaling discusses my fascination with eyes and face in my own artwork and the artwork of other artists and why I believe many of us are so drawn to them.

A page for my "watercolored" journal... a continual WIP...

While Don is spending his Sunday afternoon, revisiting his Matchbox collectibles, I create this quick watercolor sketch page to be later bound into a journal. Of course, I had to add in the, "I don't eat pasta!" blurb, LOL! and a few facts about my Italian lovin' taste buds.

I was a bit uncertain about posting this on my blog; thinking my drawing and sketching skills leave me with some skills to be desired but then, I thought to myself, that if every sketch artist felt this way about their own work we'd have no artwork to view and become inspired by! So, here is my "rendition" of the events I experienced while having a fine dinner out last night.