A Year of Sketching

Sharing my sketchbook journey

I’m wrapping up my project The Artist as Naturalist and it has been a thrilling journey, a wild exploration of the landscapes near and around my neighborhood. I'm excited to share the fruits of my labor – a collection of sketchbooks that weave together the vistas of the land, its inhabitants, and the evolution of my own personal style.

Behold, the first completed journal! (Stay tuned – there are three more where that came from.) Each page tells the story of my deep dive into observing the intricacies of nature, a visual narrative that dances with the rhythm of my study's progression. Some pages are clumsier than others (that’s part of the process, right?) but they all take me to the conversations of the places they are from. Over time, I've found myself enchanted by the magic of acrylic gouache, Caran D'Ache Neocolors II, and surprisingly smitten with the versatility of colored pencils. Who would've thought I'd emerge as a "colored pencil artist"? Yet, here I am, my travel kit attesting to their indispensable role in my sketchbook outings.

Speaking of which, a video tour of my go-to art supplies is in the works – a behind-the-scenes peek at the tools that fueled my creative fire throughout this project. No rules confined my work within these pages; I allowed myself the liberty to revisit and rework them, transforming my sketches from the wild at the comfort of my art table, surrounded by a wider selection of paints and supplies that don’t travel quite as easily.

Here’s another video I would like to share of my chat with my good friend Traci Bautista about the project: Start at timemark 5:08 (we worked out the tech hiccups from the live session).

So, If you haven't dipped your toes into the world of sketchbook exploration yet, I encourage you to start! Look around you and see what calls for your attention. And for the soundtrack to accompany your adventures, check out the mix I've curated on Spotify.

& tell me – what has captivated your attention lately? Let's swap stories!

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and is administered by The Huntington Arts Council, Inc.

Thanks so much and long live the arts!!!! 🖤