Assignment 1 – Recording and Sharing your work

I wanted this assignment to be apart of my “everyday” sketchbook which is the seawhite chucky square one, but I also wanted to make something as stand alone. So I drove right into book binding. (something can hide in my sketchbook)

My first plan for it to be a mini sketchbook that fits within my sketchbook! Something for a week I will draw everyday based on how I feel at that moment. This will carry on into my course sketchbook. Using what I’ve learnt over this unit I think a pocket for the sketchbook to fit into, theme around blends into that, I do not want this mini sketchbook to be to big as it need to fit inside my “main” course sketchbook with that in mind it will be 8 pages which are light weight papers so nice and thin.
4x Winsor and newton bleedproof paper
4x Canson sketching paper
The cover Canon mixed media paper.

I pretty much choose the most simple binding and followed a video on youtube (below)

Although I put my knot on the outside as felt would look better on the outside for a such a small sketchbook. I’ve started to enjoy handmade font and covered this a bit in “key steps” so I was keen to bring this to this assignment by having a cover almost like a book design, this will the the only part of this that looks “polished” the rest my aim is to let myself be free
With making the cover like a book design is the reflection is this course is another chapter in my own story! I also start this with going into isolation with my children due to the coronavirus!
My thinking with the sketchbook within my sketchbook, it a good way to explore creating a sketchbook and maybe a warm up for everything to come. In theme of “everyday” I drew in this everyday for over two weeks. Sometimes it was a quick sketch and others I would have a more completed image.
As I said sketchbook is a part of me, so this is also a visual diary of this period.
I also tried not to create a finish / polished look, I didn’t use a pencil with the intention to erase so in this mini sketchbook I allowed the mistakes and I had no where to hide!

The result of this mini (A5) sketchbook. (Each page is done quickly)

Thinking more on the theme of this assignment of everyday and sharing / recording work.

I found myself being inspired by both Candy Jernigan and Frida Kahlo I found myself “studying” and “inspired” by them both.
I think this shows in my sketchbook pages as I wanted to fuse their outlook into my own.

The result of inspiration from both these artist (Main sketchbook page)

First I started by seeing “art” in everyday things around me, and ended up wanting a personal meaning like Frida Kahlo’s dairy. She uses her personal battles to illustrate her diary/journal/sketchbook, her everyday struggles. So I asked myself what was my “every day” pain! I could put into an item like Candy Jernigan which is hearing aids, but! how does this make me feel everyday?
I tried to express this with me feeling like I’m lost, lost in the sea of sounds and I have no voice!
After all I want my art / sketchbook to help me find my voice or even be my voice, saying the things I cannot physically say, my wordless own struggles!

I also did unintentional mark making on this page, I dropped paint on the page and it interested me flicking out with a brush from the middle of the splatters, so I made more!

I was brave and I did a sketchbook tour!
Sadly I’m not “ready” to talk, this is due to the fact I have a deaf voice and do not say words correctly. I know this is all the more reason to do so. I need to find that “voice”…
But it is something I feel I need to build myself up to, had so many “new” things with this. From filming to editing it, even if I did “fail” actually attaching the music.
I see this as the “start” of something and the future of sketchbook tours seems so exciting.

I did a lot of “baby steps” here. Started thinking deeper about ways to share and what I wanted to share!
I now want to explore so much!
Book binding, video sketchbook tours (and editing), my “personal” sketchbook message! who I want to share my work with and how!
I did come to this exercise a little confused about what I needed to do, after “key steps” this was a very very different to any assignment I’ve done to date and wasn’t sure “why”!… But upon exploring and going deeper into this assignment I started to understand the purpose behind this and the true value of this assignment!