{"id":13875,"date":"2013-07-30T07:00:35","date_gmt":"2013-07-30T07:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zatista.com\/blog\/?p=13875"},"modified":"2013-07-30T07:00:35","modified_gmt":"2013-07-30T07:00:35","slug":"belle-simplicity-artist-journals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zatista.com.au\/blog\/2013\/07\/30\/belle-simplicity-artist-journals\/","title":{"rendered":"The Belle Simplicity of an Artist’s Journal"},"content":{"rendered":"

What I love most about any visual art is the process – watching as an artwork develops, lives, breathes, dies, forms, and changes.<\/p>\n

My high school art teacher, Mrs. P, used to ask us to draw out our art before starting to paint, specifically when using watercolor. I didn’t understand why mess with what could have been a perfect, soft reflection of a landscape or a vase of flowers.\u00a0“Why do you want to see our pencil sketches on the final piece?”, I would question (like any 16 year-old who thought they knew all).\u00a0“Because seeing pale colors on a piece of stark white paper would be boring. I want to see some mess, some missed attempts, your initial idea and your end result all in one.” Mrs. P was very wise.<\/p>\n

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image via: https:\/\/www.savetheartist.net\/<\/p><\/div>\n

I have since understood what she meant. Looking at some of the great paintings through time, I am always baffled. But I am more mesmerized and intoxicated by the sketches and prep work that come before the masterpiece.<\/p>\n

Take Edward Hopper’s Morning Sun, <\/em>painted in 1952 – a vital piece in the memoir of American painting:<\/p>\n

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Edward Hopper, Morning Sun, 1952, www.wikipaintings.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Now let’s look at his sketch in preparing for this final work:<\/p>\n

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Edward Hopper, Morning Sun Sketch<\/p><\/div>\n

I absolutely love this sketch! I love the text and especially the thoughts along with the figure.<\/p>\n

That rough, unkept feel to art is probably why I love artist journals so much. A place for pure creativity, the birth of ideas – some that come to life, and some that do not come to fruition. Artist journals can be a truly independent and sacred practice, or a collaborative action. A book like this (or pile of paper, scraps, receipts – anything really) can combine mediums, or exist solely as one medium. Best of all, anyone can do it. You or me – whatever creative, artistic, or non-artistic thoughts we have can create a piece of art in itself.<\/p>\n

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Artisit Journal Pages, www.pinterest.com<\/p><\/div>\n

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Page from "1,000 Artist Journal Pages," www.pinterest.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Journaling, and even just appreciating other’s journals can provide great inspiration. It is also a way to share your thoughts, dreams, and fears.<\/p>\n

The Sketchbook Project<\/a> is facilitating the creating, sharing, trading, and exhibitioning of personal art journals. YOUR <\/em>personal art journals! The Sketchbook Project is a global art project that brings participants journals on a travelling exhibition around the world. Their purpose is to allow anyone to take part in art and create a collection of work that represents the current state of artists worldwide – amateur or expereienced.<\/p>\n

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The Sketchbook Project, www.sketchbookproject.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Anyone can join! All you do is sign-up online, receive a sketchbook, journal ’til you can’t journal anymore, and send it back to the facilitators.<\/p>\n

So remember to appreciate the art behind the paint. Most of all, remember to appreciate your own art, no matter how rough, unfinished, or unpolished.<\/p>\n

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