The Sketchbook Project

I recently completed The 2012 Sketchbook Project, which is a traveling show of thousands sketchbooks. You purchase a book through the Art House Co-op fill it based on a theme you chose from a preset list (My theme was "Sandwich). Then you mail the book back and it travels with other sketchbooks from city to city and is shown in local galleries. You can see more info on the project and where the shows will be on the Art House Co-op website http://www.arthousecoop.com/

Below are images from my sketchbook and below that I'll write a little on the experience and the thought process behind what I've sketched. Enjoy.

This project was a lot of fun and really exercised my creativity. I began by free form sketching whatever came to my mind when thinking of the theme sandwich. When doodling I've always been a fan of repetition so for the next spread I repeated pickles as a sandwich topping and decided from there that I'd do a topping every other spread. This was great because it allowed me to have a break in between repeating an element over and over. In between the toppings are fun little scenes having to do in one way or another with sandwiches. Each element has a little bit of humor in it, which was a lot of fun because I am very much the type who will laugh at their own jokes.

I would definetly recommend this project to anyone. Whether you're the next Leonardo or you just draw stick figures on post-it notes, sketching can be a very powerful thing that helps you explore your own mind. My only regret was that I didn't learn about the project sooner. All the sketches you see were done in a month. I learned about the project only a few days before the deadline to sign up. Next time I'll be sure to sign up extra early to give myself time to enjoy it even more.

The Mark

A mark is one of the most powerful modes of expression. An individual conjures up a thought, which travels through their limbs to a tool ending in a stroke on the surface with a direct connection to the source of the thought. These marks of expression are then taken in by others and the thought has a direct connection from one individuals mind to another.

Many artist have used and explored the limits of human expression through the process of making stokes and marks. A prime example of one such artist is Cy Twombly. Twombly has displayed works of art that some would see as pure scribbles. But there is no denying these illegible scribbles give a sense of emotional expression extending from Twombly himself.

Readability is not an issue when it comes to the works of fine artists. Designers need to worry about the messages being clear, words readable, and delivering information to the most people. Printing presses, cameras and computers have added clarity to the messages to they’re easily interpreted. The problem with these tools and their method of clarity is often times the human connection, which engages the user to view the work in the first place, is lost. The individual expression is gone and the messages blend in with one another because they have no unique personality.

So what’s the solution? Is there a balance between retaining the hand made mark and still effectively delivering the message? The works below are some of my attempts. I tried to produce these works quickly and a spontaneously without being overly concerned of legibility. The computer was used to recreate the works and send them to the masses. The result, people noticed the works and so engaged that they took the time to read every word in the piece.