Sketchbook 2013

Yes, I’m participating in the ArtHouse Co-op sketchbook project again. But the change from themes to categories took me by surprise and so my category is ‘undecided’. I’ve had the book for a little while but had no inspiration until Wednesday when, sitting in the dentist waiting room, an idea struck. One of my decisions was to make this book very tactile, using different textures, and also colourful – a huge contrast to my monochromatic one of last year.

To start the process, yesterday I set to work and completely rebound the book, using washi paper to replace the existing rather thin and plain pages.

A glimpse of the new pages in my sketchbook – not just colours but textures to play with.

I also completely re-covered the book and added a title using aida and embroidery thread:

The front cover…

…and back and front covers.

As you see, my theme is “Threads”. I’ve also made a start on the inside covers:

Inside front cover…

…and inside the back cover, with pocket and butterfly

Not sure what the little pocket will be used for but it seemed a good idea to add one. As to what category my sketchbook will prove to be, that remains ‘undecided’. Although I’ve narrowed my choice down to one of three. For now, I’m delighted to have made a start. And am looking forward to working in my book and developing my theme…

More conversations…

Jill’s additions in my book.

My response…

…and on the following spread.

And Jill’s reply.

And in Jill‘s book:

Jill’s work.

My reply…

…continued onto a new spread.

And Jill responded with a dreamy goddess in the sky…

…with a hand pointing to what I see as castle towers!

And so our conversations continue… even if my blogging seems to be at a standstill!!!

 

Yes, I am still here!!!

Just that for various reasons my creative activities have slowed recently. Plus I just haven’t felt up to blogging. Anyway, here is the latest exchange on the visual dialogue in my altered book.

Jill's response...

...and her next spread.

My response...

...and the next spread.

Due to the binding becoming strained by the growing thickness of the book, I had to remove a couple of pages and make some repairs before returning the book to Jill. So there are fewer pages to play in. Which is a shame as I’ve really been enjoying our dialogue. The good news is that there is still plenty of room in Jill’s book for us to play for quite a while yet. In fact I have just about finished my next spread in her book. But more on that another day!

Continuing the dialogue…

 

…in Jill’s book.

Jill painted the background and a face...

...and I added a body, plus hair and a hat...

...and continued it over the page.

Intrigued as to where Jill will go next!!! I’m really enjoying our ‘chats’, always fun to open the books when they arrive and see how the ‘conversation’ has developed

Two ATCs

Spring Flowers ATC

Not much to show although I’ve been doing something creative most days. Some of that has been making notes about my world of Rohinval plus increasing the vocabulary of my conlang, Rohiniem.

However, I’ve made two ATCs for SwapBot swaps. ‘Spring Flowers’ is the first in what will be a series of monthly group swaps. The second ATC is a Zentangled U, a continuation of the alphabet series that I’ve been enjoying.

Hopefully I’ll have more to show early next month – for now, happy leap year day to all!!!

Zentangled 'U' ATC

Map and zentangles

Zentangled hand

I’ve recently completed two very different swaps in Swap-Bot.

The first entailed drawing around my hand before filling it with zentangles. I used a textured paper from an acrylic pad as the paper needed to be thick enough not to get bent in the post and this was the thickest white paper that I had available. It made some of the drawing more difficult but I love the effect on the shadowing around the hand itself. Fun to do – I’m doing a lot of zentangles and doodles lately, this was a nice challenge.

For the second swap, I had to draw a fantasy map with certain elements included: at least 3 geographical features, a compass, names of cities and/or town, and a name for the land itself. I chose to draw Neriadeem, an island nation in my land of Rohinval. It’s one of the few areas of ‘my world’ that I know a fair bit about and so it seemed obvious to me to use that. I was pleased with the result – I used pen, inktense pencils and some acrylic inks. Again, fun to do, and useful – I’ll be using this map (or the scan I have) in the new map that I’m currently making (see my Rohinval blog for more info).

Neriadeem, an island nation in Rohinval.

Jill’s book…

Jill's additions to my 'play' in her book...

... that I added to...

...and continued onto the next pages.

I deliberately left the thread unattached so that Jill can decide where it goes, if anywhere.

Yay!!!

S and T zentangled ATCs

My Sketchbook 2012 for the Art House Co-op has now been digitized!!! See here.

Also, a couple of Alphabet Zentangled ATCs for the SwapBot series. I’ve so been enjoying doing these.

I’ve also worked in and sent back my Visual Dialogue book, see below for pics. I have Jill‘s book here, too, but need to take a photo so will publish that later in the week. Am so enjoying our renewed ‘play’ in the Visual Dialogue books, it’s such fun when the books arrive in the post to open up the parcel and see what Jill has done

 

My additions to Jill's changes...

... and additions to her spread...

... plus the start of a new spread.

Visual dialogue continues…

And here are the latest pages in my visual dialogue with my friend Jill (see the visual dialogue 1 page to view all the work in my book so far).

Jill's last spread...

...with my additions.

and the latest partial spread that I've posted to Jill for her to continue

sketchbooks…

As promised, some scans from my two new sketchbooks… first, from my textiles notebook:

Brainstorming my windows theme plus some embroidery and a design...

Photos and notes, again exploring windows.

Yet more photos plus an exploratory piece of fabric - threads and scraps and paper between tissue and organza.

And now for my other new sketchbook – no title as yet, just sketchbook, lol!!!

Benches in Weston Park, Sheffield plus zentangle

Blue zentangle plus photo of bandstand

Close up photo of bandstand window and a green zentangle.

Quick 5 minute sketch of mirror in pub whilst waiting for my friend.

Ryan - the latest teddy in my collection, lol.

And finally, yet another zentangle - I do love playing around with these