Sunday, April 30, 2017

Handmade Books & Perfectionism

An old hand printed 
(not by me) 
paper scrap
A button 
I've been saving for years
Embroidery floss that's been 
in a storage box 
in the closet
forever.
Another Accordion Book 
is born.
If you worry 
(I say to myself) 
about 
every little 
variance in size
every little wrinkle 
if you keep re-doing things
because they are not
perfect
(I say to myself)
you will never get to...
...have a wonderful new little book!

In my 
Sketchbook Journals 
I don't need
perfect lines 
perfect proportions 
perfect colors
(most of the time) 

In fact ,often, 
the looser the drawing, 
the more alive it is.
But 
I have studied
practiced 
drawing 
over the years
which has given me
(some) 
freedom

So I
practice
practice 
practice
these little books,
And 
I practice
letting go of 
Perfectionism 
along the way.

What is your experience with 
Perfectionism? 
(I could use some tips...) 

Friday, April 28, 2017

Mini Accordion Books

I'm going to a workshop called Urban Sketchers tonight!
Ironically, I'm not sketching lately. 
Maybe this will re-motivate me.

But I AM making non adhesive mini accordion books.

I'm using stored bits & pieces on the covers that, 
like unused toys on a shelf,
have been waiting to be brought to light, 
& to be loved again.

All the new mini's will be going to the workshop 
that I'll be teaching in Portland...en français...

What do these books contain? 
The aqua button one has the conjugated verb, 
"Rire" : To Laugh ,
because I love it, but I can never remember it.

The Moon and Star book has a lovely translation into French
of a quote by John Lennon:
"Nous resplendissons tous comme la lune
et les étoiles et le soleil..."

Saturday, April 15, 2017

A Happy Easter Mini

 Holidays, a lovely excuse 
to make cards & decorations!
I'm grateful that this holiday tradition 
started for me in childhood.


I LOVE mini cards, 
with cutouts glued on (Yes paste) 
onto a small folded strip.

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Home and Color Play


 Close up of one section

Playing with layers:
1. yellow tones of watercolor washes  
2. glazing, wet over dry  
3. pastel pencil marks
Simple color play turned into 
a theme (Title: "Home Schema Home") 
for a local group show at Waterfall Arts.


 I loved the schema for home 
when I drew as a young child.
 
And I still do as an adult sketcher. 

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Sketching Through Meetings

Sketching gets me through meetings, 
that agitate or bore me...
I re-did some images from a meeting 
I attended in February, 
to make them a bit more presentable... 
Subject of the meeting? Politics.

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Simple Travel Sketching


Simply, one sketchbook & one or several pens
while traveling.
Grab & Go, a little scribbly image 
to remember the moment for always...
In Boston, everywhere, EVERYwhere, 
lots of people (the majority?) with "Devices", 
tuned into electronic worlds,
maybe oblivious to their physical surroundings?