The Finished Sketchbook

Wow, it really has been a long time since I have posted on here. Many moons ago I told you all about The Sketchbook Project. I may have said that I would keep you all updated on the project as it went along. Well, I am finished with it and I never did one post on the darn thing. So I guess this will have to be one super huge long post on my sketchbook.

First let me just say that I enjoyed most of my sketchbook project. The creativity part I LOVED. The trying to deal with the thin pages of the sketchbook they provided created a lot of problems. The first issue was that I wanted to use spray adhesive to glue the pages together to make them thicker. This did work, until I painted on them. I guess though, that it is my own stupid fault for thinking that watercolors wouldnt do anything to the adhesive. I also used spray adhesive on the extra pages that I did paintings on and added in. This did not work at all. The pages popped right out each time I turned the page. BOO spray adhesive! So running behind on the project (which needs to be post marked by Saturday- EEK!)I made a trip to Michael's in this blizzard and bought some differnt tapes and paper glue. Only deciding on what I was going to buy after hours of online, late night, (and hysterical) research.

One problem that nearly sent me over the edge was the fixative. Not paying attention, I sprayed fixative on my sketches and paintings and sat them aside. Not waiting for them to dry. They stuck together. Some of them ripped. A migraine began forming. And then yet another late night spent in hysterics was spent fixing my artwork.

Now, on to the work.

I am influenced by MANY different things. Don't forget my theme was, Help!, so I did my best to stay within that theme. Some of these works are obvious, some only have the meaning of help to me. Some, you may take differently than others. I feel like that is what art is anyway. You take from it what you take from it and other people may take something completely different. It is subjective. Right here is where I wish to add my favorite quote from Ani Difranco "Art is why I get up in the morning, but my definition ends there, you know it doesn't seem fair that I'm living for something I can't even define..."

One last note, the art work that I did on seperate sheets of paper were done on old old paper from and old old copy of Robin Hood.

Why Robin Hood you ask? He stole from the rich to HELP the poor. Boy, I'm clever.

And now the cover. I did't want anything that was too much on the cover. I think maybe I should make it stand out more, but I just wanted a simple, cute pencil drawing.

Next I made a title page.

This is my lovely, more beautiful, cartoon self.

This next one was inspired by too things. Migraines and a recurring nightmare I had when I was a child. The nightmare was, my mom had a candle in her stomach and when it burned out she would die. After she died I had to go live with the gals from Facts of Life. I'm not joking. It woke me up all the time, and I would cry and cry. I still remember every detail of that nightmare and it still freaks me out, as funny as it might seem to you. (haha, Facts of Life)

This next one ofcourse is migraines again.





Again, migraines and auras. Oh, and floaters too. I have lots of those. Hate them.





I just like drawing octopuses. Or is it Octopi? Octipodes? Google it. I don't know, neither does google.

Ps. That bird needs help.







This was already in one of my other sketchbooks. Probably inspired by heartache and migraines.

I just like painting trees.

I think the title of the poem should be Migraines.

This following sketch was done one night when I had another Migraine. This one was in the back of my head (basilar migraine). I was going to draw a hole or knife stuck in the head, but it was too nice to ruin.

I think the next few are out of order. Just deal okay! ;)

This is one of my faves! Naturally, it was one that was majorly ruined with the fixative incident. But its fixed now and I bet you cant even tell!

Darn floaters!

Aww, now heres my baby. I love him so much. He helps me to be happy. His kind helps pull sleds. Huskies are abandoned every day. They need help. See, fits right in with the theme.

I heart me some belugas.

BTW: Their environment is being ruined. They need assistance. (sick of saying help)

Hello. Migraines again.

I wrote this poem many ions ago. I was sad. I had some heartache going on.

Autism. Early Intervention is very important!!!

Again, I like trees. Idk. She looks helpless to me.

Take one guess as to why her head is on fire........ If you said migraine, you are wrong.

Just kidding. You're right :)

I am an avid reader. Mainly things on the holocaust. (or teen vampire fiction, but.....) I had the awesome pleasure of meeting a few holocaust survivers over the years. One that I absolutely loved was Bob Mendler. He was an amazing person. I had the pleasure of seeing him at a play at the Mountain Playhouse a few months before he died. He actually remembered me from college. He passed away on December 10, 2009. I cried that day because I knew what the world would be missing. He was a great man. When I read the sentence that is highlight on the page below it reminded me of Bob and I wanted to do something for him in this sketchbook.

If you cant read the sentence is says,

"Sick and sore are we of our hard lot, and we can bear no more."

Never Forget.

This is the last page of my sketchbook.

If there is anyone out there reading this blog, or even just this post. Let me know.