November 2023

Over the two reading weeks we had a sketchbook project to complete. It is based on the Brooklyn Art Library idea where people completed sketchbooks every year based on a theme and sent them in to be kept at the Brooklyn Library, a lot of them have been digitised. The project lasted 17 years. https://brooklynartlibrary.org/

This year the idea is to start our own “UCW Art Library” – we had to come up with 5 themes to choose from and we had 2 weeks to complete it. The sketchbooks are A5. After the two weeks we will write our own rules to launch the project to the Level 3 students to complete over Christmas. There are lots of possiblities to grow this idea, engage with the wider University and College community, track and promote it.

My Ideas:

• Daily Rituals
• Habits of pets
• Sunrises and Sunsets – Tails of the day
• Nature
• Connections
• 6 degrees of seperation

The Group Ideas:

• Portraits
• Journey
• Random Thoughts
• Places
• Home
• Big Hats
• Wind Down
• Tales of the Day
• In Nature
• Bits & Bobs
• Ermmmm
• Feet
• Dinner
• Straight Lines
• Dreams
• Rituals
• Collections
• Sunset

We put them all in the computer and did spin the wheel to create a random choice.

The lucky 5:

• Wind Down
• Big Hats
• Bits & bobs
• Tales of the Day
• Sunset

My choice out of the 5 is Tales of the Day. Honestly I started out with good intentions, but I am actually really really rubbish at journalling/sketching on a daily basis. I have on several occasions tried and failed at making a habit out of these things. Like my blogs I seem to have a mental block. It’s like I’ve already written these or live it, and I’ve got memo notes in my main diary or in my main sketchbook, or photos on my phone. Why would I want to repeat stuff I’ve already done! And another part, the insecure part of me actually doesn’t want anyone to have a glimpse into my inner thoughts, feelings and imagination. Due to things that have happened in the past it’s my way of protecting myself.

I bought my husband a record deck for his birthday which was at the beginning of the two weeks. It gave me an idea to base my daily theme around songs.

It’s done. Have I got into the habit of sketching every day? No.