Thursday, March 15, 2018

Sketchbook Exchange


Teacher artist, Becky Green, organizes a Sketchbook Exchange at school.  Essentially, you choose a theme for your own sketchbook, sketch out your first page to show the them and pass your book on.  We exchange books with group members about once a month and by year's end will have a collection of drawings from colleagues. I loved the idea, so I signed up straight away. Such an exchange is a first for me.



I love to sketch and to paint and to doodle. I've been playing with the ProCreate app to transform some of my word art pieces this year. The Sketchbook Exchange challenges my creative thinking in new ways -- one because there is suddenly, deep breath, an audience! And two because each person's theme is unique.

My theme is & yes. And seems an ongoing theme for me. Life says you get this & that AND that. Oh AND... like that old Coke commercial. This year  I've had some pretty spectacular "ands" in my life but I've also had some strange juxtapositions: celebrations and challenges side by side.  I started my own sketchbook with a Brian Andreas poem on the first page (a little overworked) and then an Irish prayer tucked in a pocket in the back.



From my sketchbook.
I wish I'd taken photos of each journal I've received (or each piece I created)  this year, but I wasn't consistent in documenting them.

The sketchbook that just got passed to me has an "I am..." theme. I don't want to give away the artwork, so I will just share a couple of stunning clips. These doodles and sketches, I must say, sure feed my creative soul.







6 comments:

  1. This is all magnificent! I love art, but am not very good at it. However, I can appreciate it. Love it!

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  2. I really admire the sketchbooks! They are such beautiful works of art. When I have time, I really enjoy sketchnoting. I really like your Say Yes poem.

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  3. Good for soul and practice as well as the challenge!

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  4. I love the idea of sketchnoting. I just haven't been brave enough to try it. I am no artist. I love your work.

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  5. This is such a wonderful idea! I need to figure out how to orchestrate something similar in my classes. I love the idea of shared notebooks that we all contribute to, sit with, find inspiration in. Thank you so much for sharing.

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  6. This is such an interesting idea. I have been fascinated by sketchnoting and sketchbooks, but I struggle to draw. Recently I purchased a book about dot journaling which has my attention on font and space. I've learned a few simple visuals in this process. I'd like to learn more about sketchbooks. Maybe I need to go in search of some examples.

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