Sketchbook Project 2013

As mentioned in my last post, I have been working on something for the Sketchbook Project 2013. The basic premis being that they send you a sketchbook, which you can then do whatever you want to, including rebinding it, provided you send it back to them with the same 7x5 inch dimensions, and it is no wider than 1 inch, and it has their barcode sticker on the back, in roughly the same place as it was on the one you were sent. You have to chose between a  number of categories, this years were: Travelogue, Memoir, Narrative, Atlas, Almanac, Chronicle, Sketchbook, Chapbook, Documentation, Photolog, Undecided, Dwellings, Strangers, Participate, Diagrams, Warnings, Lists, Creatures, Dinosaurs, and Upstairs. Then, you fill it full of your ideas/drawings/paintings/collages/whatever, and send it back to them in Brooklyn, before the cut off date (this time it must be postmarked before 15th January 2013). They then digitise it (if you've paid the extra for that), and add it to their digital archive. Then...  (and this is the exciting part!) your sketchbook, and all of the others registered for this project, go on tour around America (annoyingly, I missed the 2012 tour, which came to London *sobs*), before finally being added to their permanent collection in the Brooklyn Art Library. Anyone who wants to can go in and view my book :D

I chose Creatures. And because I am mental, I decided not only to ditch their (rather poor quality, I have to say) sketchbook, and make my own from scratch, but also to paint the whole lot in oils. Yes. I am THAT crazy. A book full of oil paintings. 'They'll all stick together' I hear you cry. Well, yes, they would. If I weren't binding wax paper in between each page. (or at least, since I haven't bound it yet, that is the plan lol. If even that doesn't work, I shall cry. Lots.)

I finally finished painting my 'creatures' yesterday. I did a little dance, as I wasn't 100% sure I would get to the end before the 'post by' date, let alone be able to varnish each side of each page, and then bind it all too! But I did. Hurrah for me. I started the varnishing today, and shall post the various pages over the next few days. I wouldn't want to give you them all at once now would I? Where is the fun in THAT?

Front Cover. Yes I know the title is off centre... what of it? (this was a feck-up by my poorly pre-Christmas self that I only noticed yesterday. It will be remedied somehow... just as long as it doesn't require a complete repaint :-/)
7x5-ish inches, Oil on Canvas Paper, glued to board

Once I'd chosen the theme of my book, I asked my friends and family to share with me the (non-living) 'creatures' who share their lives and homes. The contents of my sketchbook are testament to their variety - I only wish I'd been able to paint them all!

I shall post some more pages for your viewing pleasure tomorrow :-)