Sketchbook progress

Things are still odd and weird – but doing something creative definitely helps the mind be calm. And I’ve been focusing on working in sketchbooks for the last couple of days. I have always enjoyed working in sketchbooks and also find it very rewarding. It helps me visualise my creative thinking process and make decisions how to move forward with the work.

I begin by printing out photos I have taken that I found particularly interesting. This could be textures, shapes, details or the overall compositions of the photo. Or else it can also be the certain mood or feel that the photograph evokes. I then take out any mark-making tools or materials that I feel would be suitable. That could be inks, paints, pens and pencils or collage materials such as glues and paper scraps.

On these pages I focused mainly on using watercolours, metallic inks and fine ink pens. My approach to this exercise is quite abstract and loose. I don’t try to recreate the photograph as such, as the photograph already exists on its own. It is more a search of trying to represent the image in a different medium. And attempt to make marks and shapes inspired by the photo.

In this session I found that the metallic ink was particularly successful and created a desired effect. How could I incorporate this finding when sampling weaving at a later stage? Could I possibly use metallic yarns and threads? I always strive to use only natural and organic yarns as it is important to me to make climate conscious decisions throughout my whole artistic practise. So I will have to conduct some research to see what is available. Or could I perhaps insert some other type of metallic object or materials within the cloth? Maybe something easily reused or recycled? Definitely something I need to keep in mind as the work progresses.

Talk to you soon again

Marlene