Sketchbook Comeback Round 2

A whiiile ago I posted about getting more involved with my sketchbooks again.  In high school and college, I always kept a sketchbook, and drew in it most days.  I'm pretty proud of those sketchbooks.  They allowed me to explore, practice, experiment, think, log, and express.  My senior thesis even ended with a series of hand-made sketchbooks.  Nothing brings back memories to me more vividly than going through my old sketchbooks.  After graduating, my sketchbook time slowly decreased until I wouldn't draw in one but once every month or more.  It's not a problem of time, so what is it?  Well, I'm still figuring that out.  It's a combination of factors.

I think one reason my sketch-booking decreased was because of the amount of pressure I put on myself to create amazing sketches.  I realized how much I loved my sketchbook drawings, so started to try hard to create more of the same feeling.  That's a big problem, because my sketchbooks were so great because of the lack of pressure and intent.

My biggest fear relating to this is that I'll never quite regain the same sketchbook 'magic' because I'm not of that developmental age anymore, or that I've already discovered all that my limited creative mind is able to.  But to Hell with those fears.

I think the key is drawing a lot, often.  So here are a few pages from my new sketchbook.

Family Building Blocks - by Heather Clements, 2013

Electric Skull - by Heather Clements, 2013

by Heather Clements, 2013

Never truly stranded as long as you have a sketchbook and a pen - by Heather Clements, 2013

Carrie on the beach - by Heather Clements, 2013

All of these were either created from life or from my head.


Green Tip #17:  It's definitely time to get a reusable water bottle.  Check out this page with 5 reasons not to drink bottled water.  Or if you want the short version, bottled water is expensive, no healthier than tap, ridiculously wasteful, takes away attention from public systems, and contributes to the corporatization of water.  SO, buy a stainless steel thermos, and use it.  Inexpensive carbon filters will turn most tap water sparkling fresh at a fraction of bottled water's cost.

I thank you for your visit!

-Heather