The Sketchbook Project

olive hue

A Creative Life, artistic inspirations, Dogs in Art, fine art, handmade books, sketchbook, small things, still life

Olives are one of the many ways adults know they are loved. Grapes too. But I’ve been thinking about olives. Olives to eat. Olives in Dirty Martini’s. And how if you say “olive hue” it sounds a lot like “I love you”.

Olives have to be picked from the olive trees carefully – then preserved and processed – lots of work is done just so we can enjoy them. In all of their salty, brine-y, yummy glory. There. I feel loved. Don’t you?

Anyway here’s artwork I did recently while these thoughts ran around my brain (brine?) jar:

InSearchOfTheHolyGrail72

In Search Of The Holy Grail – by Clancy – 7 x 5 inches – acrylic and gouache on board

Allegedly you can grow olives here in the Pacific Northwest. There is at least one local bar that serves drinks with “Local Oregon Olives”. (Note to self: Explore this more.)

Speaking of drinks – one of my favorites is the “Dirty Martini”. With extra olives of course.  Here’s a drawing I did of my currently favored recipe:

P15

Sketchbook page from “Time Tavern” – you can see the full book here: https://www.sketchbookproject.com/library/20467

Happy weekend!

Time Tavern traveling

A Creative Life, animals in art, artist book, artistic inspirations, Dogs in Art, ebook, graphic narrative, public art, The Sketchbook Project, visual story, words and pictures

I’ve finished my sketchbook for the Brooklyn Art Library’s Sketchbook Project, packed it up and put it into the postal slot. But before I did that I created an ebook version of the book – and a video.  I was going to post more photos of work-in-progress and such – but I’ve gotten very busy so… you can download-to-own an ebook version here. And below is the video…

 

time to gouache

A Creative Life, art techniques, artist book, Dogs in Art, sketchbook, The Sketchbook Project, visual story

As you know I’ve been playing with my new gouache paints in my various sketchbooks and art papers, practicing for my work on “Time Tavern”, a book I’m doing for the Brooklyn Art Library Sketchbook Project. https://www.brooklynartlibrary.com/  Now that I feel I have gouache skills under my belt – it’s time to work on my wordless story “Time Tavern”.

Here are some pages in progress:

page from “Time Tavern” by Clancy
page from “Time Tavern” by Clancy

The gouache is working well on the paper – and I’m getting the bold colors I’d wanted! Now, to keep at it….

 

more from time tavern

A Creative Life, artist book, sketchbook, The Sketchbook Project, visual story

I’ve been very busy lately on several major projects that I can’t talk about publicly yet. Which is why you’ve not seen much of me online. I have managed to squeeze in a bit of work, 5 minutes here or there, on my sketchbook for the Brooklyn Art Library’s Sketchbook Project. I’m still thinking the title of my sketchbook is “Time Tavern”.

Anyway, below are pics of what I’ve gotten done.

And yes, when I can I’ll post about the projects that I can’t talk about yet.

time tavern sketchbook progress

A Creative Life, artist book, sketchbook, The Sketchbook Project, visual story

The sketchbook I’m working on for the Brooklyn Art Library’s Sketchbook Project now has a name, a working title: “Time Tavern”.  As you can see from previous posts I’m thinking about time – and uses of time in cooking, food service, music and in telling wordless visual stories.

When I began this project I’d thought “Time Tavern” would be the title but I held off declaring it until I’d drawn a few pages.  Things sometimes change as a drawing progresses – particularly when I’m working on a wordless visual story.

In my earlier posts (see below for links) I’d shown close-ups of musicians and a chef at work. I’d also shown a birthday party in progress.  These 3 story strands are main ones – but they also need context in order to become a story.  The association or juxtaposition of images – and the sequence of them – is how I’m crafting my tale visually rather than by written words in a row.

The issue is how to do the same things writers who use written words do – plot movement, foreshadowing and character development – but in my case how to do those using only visual imagery.

As part of my original planning for this story I created a “layout” of the “Time Tavern” the pub setting where my story takes place.  This layout is part of my story strand weaving strategy.  Here you see my architectural layout:

TimeTavernLayout72

This architectural drawing won’t be included in my sketchbook – that’s just to help me organize my story.  The book to the side in the above photo is included as it shows me referring to my architectural drawing during work on that sketchbook page.

Below is one of the first setting drawings within my “Time Tavern” sketchbook – it shows the chef looking at his recipe cards. In the background you see the bartender looking at her recipe cards. You also see a bit of the stage area the musicians will use.  Perhaps you can see how I’ll be using my setting drawings as story context – and foreshadowing?

TimeTavernSettingView172

I’m sure you’ll also note the large clocks in my settings – I’m using those as a story device to show the progression of time…

TimeTavernSetting72

Lots more to work to do…

My past posts regarding this project (so you can follow my progress) are here:  https://sueclancy.com/2017/08/10/sketchbook-project-progress/    https://sueclancy.com/2017/08/14/story-strands-in-my-sketchbook-project/  https://sueclancy.com/2017/08/16/sketchbook-progress-time/

General info about the Sketchbook Project is here: https://www.sketchbookproject.com/

sketchbook progress time

A Creative Life, artist book, sketchbook, The Sketchbook Project

More progress in my sketchbook for the Brooklyn Art Library’s Sketchbook Project. As per my recent reading I’ve been thinking about time… and how food and music utilizes time.  So does sequential visual art. Anyway here’s some photos of my progress – and yes, I’m indulging by drawing some of my favorite recipes (for drinks and soup) as well as drawing metaphoric portraits of some of my favorite local musicians.

Here’s a link to the last post about this project (so you can follow my progress): https://sueclancy.com/2017/08/14/story-strands-in-my-sketchbook-project/

And here’s a post listing the books I’m currently reading (that I alluded to above): https://sueclancy.com/2017/08/07/reading-books-making-art-eating-popcorn/

story strands in my sketchbook project

A Creative Life, artist book, sketchbook, The Sketchbook Project

I’m beginning the ink work on my sketchbook for the Brooklyn Art Library’s sketchbook project. I’m starting in the middle and working my way out. In my last post you saw me sewing the binding and adding a page that will fold out. The work you see in these photos is on that fold out page. It’s in the middle of the book.

The waiters are one of my story strands. The birthday party is another. The recipes are still another story strand. I’m doing my best to link them visually – non-verbally.  We’ll see how it goes. But it’s a fun experiment!  Photos of my most recent progress below.

Time Tavern

the beginning of a fold out sheet in a sketchbook by Clancy for the Brooklyn Art Library

Insert272

the inner spread prior to opening the folds

InsertSpread72

the fold-out pages folded out

Insert472

the inner fold-out sheet folded back into the sketchbook

If you want to follow this thread here’s a direct link to my last post https://sueclancy.com/2017/08/10/sketchbook-project-progress/

sketchbook project progress

A Creative Life, artist book, sketchbook, The Sketchbook Project

My first step in my work towards my Brooklyn Art Library Sketchbook Project was to brainstorm my story design.  I’m trying something new: weaving at least 3 different story strands together using a wordless picture book format. “Brainstorming” means that over several days I doodled on a few pieces of paper, doing thumbnail drawings, and writing my thoughts in long-hand. Many of my brain-storming thoughts were sparked by the books I’m reading now (see my last blog post for a book list). Eventually my idea for this project “gelled”.

The next thing is to rebind the sketchbook I’d gotten from The Sketchbook Project in accord with my design. I’ll be using a 5 hole pamphlet stitch because this allows me to securely add a new page that will open out larger than the original sketchbook.

In the photo below I’m cutting and folding the thin handmade paper to be inserted in my sketchbook.

CuttingInsertPages72

With my new paper now cut and folded I proceed to remove the staples from the bound sketchbook as it came to me from the Brooklyn Art Library.  I have my sewing needle and my black linen thread ready for sewing my new binding with the new cut and folded paper.  The wooden handled awl will be used to poke the holes for the thread. I’ll be reusing the holes made by the staples and adding one more hole.

CutPaperRemoveStaples

Below you can see my almost finished binding and a bit of the way the new paper will unfold from the book.  Now I’ll finish off the stitch and trim the excess thread.

CutPaperSewnIn

In case you’re following my project’s progress my last post about it is here: https://sueclancy.com/2017/08/01/me-and-the-sketchbook-project/

General info about The Brooklyn Art Library and The Sketchbook Project is here: https://www.sketchbookproject.com/

me and the sketchbook project

A Creative Life, artist book, sketchbook, The Sketchbook Project

I’m participating in The Sketchbook Project – https://www.sketchbookproject.com/ and I’m excited about it! I love the democracy of the project. That us professional artists are on a shelf along with school teachers or students, with college kids and with art-as-a-hobby enthusiasts. I love it that we’re all in this sketchbook project together!

I’ll be trying something experimental with my sketchbook. I’ll be working at creating a somewhat wordless story that combines my interests in food, music and…. dogs!

Here’s what I got in the mail from The Sketchbook Project:

FromTSP72

And yes, I’ll post updates periodically about my progress.