01 January 2012

a new year

The start of a new year feels like a brand new sketchbook to fill with good things.

Hello, friends and happy new year! 
I wish you daily inspiration, joy, friendship and creativity. 
May you have a year of smooth sailing and discovery, 
and may you reach your goals and have fun along the way! 
Let's have a great new year!

I took a little time at the end of 2011 to prepare for 2012's arrival, cleaning up my house and artistic workspace so I could start the year off with a fresh space for getting lots of things done. Since I could see the top of my desk again and my materials were so accessible, I started a new painting for our show on January 21st, and finally got started on my Sketchbook Project (due to be mailed before the month's end). Hooray! Neither painting nor book pages are done, but I'd like to share the direction I'm headed ...

I added some of my favorite rice paper to the book.

I unbound my sketchbook and cut new pages for it, and I'm opening with two sheets of rice paper that have tiny gold threads running through them because coupled with the cardboard cover they somehow put me in the mood for drawing.


The next page uses paper from the original book. I've cut the top to be a mountainous skyline and am using it for a title page. For now, I've penciled in "uncharted waters" but I'll probably use a fine black pen for longevity.


The mountain page turns to reveal a larger landscape. I laid down a watercolor wash and will draw in a sailing boat in the lower right where I've left white space. Perhaps the mountain will be an iceberg?

I used watercolor paper on the new page to hold the paint better.

Next will come some cut-out pages that layer over each other to create the whole scene. I did a lot of drawing in my Sketchbook Project last year; this year I'm trying out some new approaches. I'm liking its simplicity.


Can you see it will become a breaching whale?

The background of these photos is from a corner of the painting I'm working on. I've just laid down two washes and will build these up with a number of layers. I'll share the progress as it comes... hoping for an artistically prolific new year!

Happy New Year everyone! Time for me to go browse your blogs and see what you're creating in 2012.

xo ~kimi

11 comments:

SaylorMade said...

Wow, these look great so far! I'm very excited to see more as your work progresses! I'm nearly done mine and will be spending some time cleaning, adjusted a bit then documenting. As soon as this one is tucked into the mail, I'll start on the Limited Edition Sketchbook Project. Did you sign up for that one?

Dana Carey said...

Hi Kimi
I really enjoyed seein your approach to this sketchbook. So any great ideas. Simple yet so clever. I wouldn't have thought of doing these things in a sketch book. Thanks for sharing! :)

kimi said...

Your progress has definitely motivated me, Jeannine ~ every time I saw a clever new spread you'd completed it would remind me to consider what I wanted to do in my book. I haven't signed up for the Limited Edition yet, though I haven't ruled it out. Thought I should finish this one first and then jump in!

Hi Dana! So great to hear from you! Hope you had wonderful holidays and are enjoying a good start to the new year. You must be busy developing your picture book ideas! Good luck & I hope to read a story of yours soon! :)

WindFlower7 said...

Oh~~ you had so much progress! Very creative!!

I had a few more pages left but kind of stack now...

Thanks for sharing ^^

Rosie Faragher said...

I love seeing the progression- can't wait to see what it turns into :)

Anonymous said...

COOL!!! love it. I need to get going on my sketchbook or I fear it will not get finished in time. I am attempting to do a homage to my book that got lost in the post last year, which is why i chose the theme "i remember you." Excited to see more pages of your book darling!!!

kimi said...

Nice to see you today, Chiori ~ your painting matches your Sketchbook Project & it's such a charming theme!

Hi Rosie! Thanks! Are you doing the Sketchbook Project too?

Jess!! Your 2012 must *not* be lost! The 2011 was absolutely epic. I have the same feeling of needing to hurry, but am trying to pace myself through the multiple art obligations I signed myself up for this month. Somehow, we'll get them all done! Good luck!

Daria Hlazatova said...

wow! such a beautiful creation! love the mountain page a lot! can't wait to see more! also, thanks for your sweet comments on my blog, Kimi! didn't realise i wasn't following you already ;)

kimi said...

Ciao Daria! Ho appena lasciarti un messagio in italiano sul tuo blog. Come ho detto li', devo studiare ancora di piu' per diventare brava... but we can practice together! :) It was also a surprise to me that I hadn't read your blog before ~ seemed I was only a twitter fan. Glad to remedy that! :D

Kye Sangha said...

Oh that is going to be SO wonderful! I love the use of overlays and how you've put paper you love into play. Can't wait to see it finished!

kimi said...

Thanks, Kye! I'm working on it now and trying to work in some collage and other kinds of paper as well. Will share again soon!