Sketchbook Weekend Video Tour : 12th June 23

A peek inside this handmade sketchbook

Hello there! I have a short video to share with you this morning. It's a tour of a sketchbook I made last weekend. Cathy Cullis had the brilliant idea to host a sketchbook weekend which you can read more about in her Studio Notes. The plan was to devote as much time as possible to work playfully in our sketchbooks over the 3rd and 4th of June, knowing that dozens of other artist participants were doing the same worldwide.

Historically, I've been terrible at filling sketchbooks. I have so many with just a few scratchy pencil scribbles at the front then maybe a random phone number or bus times, then nothing but empty pages! Although, I’ve gradually learned over the years that sketchbooks are nothing to be scared of, infact they can be good friends, I didn't want to embarrass myself with a bare book so decided to work on some loose pages, before binding them together at the end. That way I would be guaranteed a complete book whether it had two pages or twenty two.

Starting with stark white pages gives me the fear so I used pages from an old British road atlas, and sploshed some paint from a limited colour palette I’d chosen earlier on each one. Luckily, I managed to apply myself and really enjoyed my special sketchbook time. I didn't really have a plan for it but the weather was lovely and sunny and warm so I dotted in and out during the day sketching Red Hot Pokers, Foxgloves, Clematis, Acer and Aquilegia then inside to paint some paper and cut and glue bits of collage in place, and so on, and so on, until I had what seemed like enough. Lots of shuffling of pages ensued. I chose some orange embroidery thread to stitch the pages together and glued some pink and orange paper on the spine. Done!

Yes, it was a very good way to spend time.

I'm enjoying the warm weather. I've been busy. There's lots more I want to tell you but I need to leave it there since it's almost midnight as I write. I need to get a good sleep since Monday is earmarked for digging out a large clump of bamboo and levelling the ground at the bottom of the garden. Remember I was getting all misty eyed about sheds? Well… it's not a shed - it's something possibly even more exciting that I'm scared of jinxing until it's paid for and in situ. More details next time!

Take care dear people! Enjoy your week. Do something you love today and every day!

Julia x