The Sketchbook Project

This pandemic has presented some interesting opportunities that I may have missed during our "regularly" scheduled program...aka life before March 13, 2020. I had the pleasure of participating in an international game of Telephone with other creatives around the globe, a couple of mail art exhibitions within the US, and most recently a traveling sketchbook. During this time I have also become familiar with Ray Johnson, the original dada mail artist, and am still quite curious about his life and prolific art. These are just a few of the threads have led to this latest experiment. 

The Sketchbook Project. Yesterday I mailed off the sketchbook to the first of 11 artists to contribute their voice to the pages.

Just a little more about the why... The thing that I miss most during this very peculiar time is collaboration and community. Spending time exploring everything... drinking in the exhibitions in museums, artwork, libraries, lectures, artist talks...so the conundrum that has been pulsating these last 11 months, is how to create a sense of community that lives outside the walls of my house. I have certainly found a similar joy in mailing letters, riding my bike to the post office has become a bit of a habit and getting a response from the mail I have sent is very fulfilling and feels so satisfyingly social. 

DC prepares for the Inauguration

Yesterday we took a bike ride through DC. The streets were stunningly silent with the exception of the tour buses rolling into town with National Guard troops. There is massive military presence and so much fencing. Buildings and restaurants are boarded up, even the ATM's. 

Traveling Sketchbook

This past week I was sent a traveling sketchbook, a wonderful diversion from all the insanity that is our world right now...such a productive way to process the events of the day away from a screen. The directions were simple: work in the book for eight days, and on the eighth day mail it to another artist. 

Artist Unknown

I really enjoyed perusing the past pages and the imagery and ideas presented by the artists before me. A delicious variety of media and themes... social issues such as voting, the pandemic and more recently vaccines and politics. 

Artist: Jason Lord

During the eight days, I used cuttings from the newspapers detailing the very important and historic democratic win in Georgia on January 6th overshadowed by the Insurrection, followed by mounting pandemic news and then the 2nd Impeachment. I love to use priority mail stickers, a gelli plate, color pencils, gel and paint pens.  There was no shortage of fodder or media for me. 

Ebb & Flow of Covid              (one of my contributions)

It was such a nice way to spend my evenings, I was a little sad to send it on today. The sketchbook is on its way to a dear friend that is also an artist and I am sure it will be nice company for her during the Inauguration and an escape from what could be a nutty week. She will also enjoy the opportunity and send it on to another artist to continue its journey.

The beginning of this year is off to such a tumultuous start,  this was a cathartic diversion. I wish there was a way to see it when it is complete.