sketchbook project 2012

This was my second year participating in the Arthouse Sketchbook Project and I had such a good time! I was really pleased with my book this year and I'm sure part of that is because I learned a great deal last year of what works for me and what not to do. Since I like to use a lot of watercolor, rebinding my book with a lot of my own paper was an essential change. I used the original paper for the cut-out pages where it worked very well, and I was able to wet the pages to my heart's content by using heavier stock on the full-color pages.

My theme was Uncharted Waters ~ chosen because it made me think of exploration, seeking, learning and finding new worlds. Exciting! I thought about Columbus at first, but didn't really feel like drawing his old-fashioned boat. With just a little research, I discovered the Arctic and Antarctic explorers of the late 1800's and grew very attached to them. I decided to focus on the Arctic for my book since it seemed like more people got lost at the South Pole (admittedly, a bit depressing).

My book was not historically factual ~ I don't think they did much diving in the freezing waters up north and I don't know if super-enormous octopi or squid reside in the deep seas ~ but I did model my boat after the Norwegian exploration ship the Fram and I did paint many adorable arctic sea creatures.

beluga whales <3

Now I have dual themes in my two books of underwater scenes, white animals and a reality-fantasy mix (although my 2011 book was heavier on the fantastical). Using my own paper made this year's book much more cohesive as I wasn't alternating storyline with diary-type drawings in pencil to cope with ink bleed. However, I do love both books and I can't wait to check out many, many sketchbooks from friends around the world when the Sketchbook Tour comes to San Francisco.

I'll soon post scans of my full book on Flickr, but in the meantime I leave you with a video page-through of Uncharted Waters so you can see how the cut-out pages worked and following that, a list of some wonderful artists who made sketchbooks this year.

Looking forward to seeing these books in person and holding them in my very own hands. Leave me a comment if I've left you off the list, please! (It's quite late at night so I may have forgotten important people!) Click on their names below to go to their sketchbook or their twitter.

• Chantal     @Chantal_Vincent
• Chiori Tasaki      @hooka111
• Jeannine Saylor      @saylor_made
• Jessica Gowling      @jessicagowling
• Jillian Hermansen      @jillianailsa
• Juri Kosaka      @juriko
• LeeAnn Donaldson      @MsSoprano
• Naomi Adams      @Naomi_Adams
• Silvia Sponza      @silviasponza
• Vicky      @accidentalvix

And I don't think she made a sketchbook but Ti-Igra painted a gorgeous image of Antarctica and Roald Amundsen's trip to the South Pole. I mention it here because the ship Roald used for the Antarctic was also the Fram! He used it some years after Fridtjof Nansen sailed it in the Arctic waters, trying to reach the North Pole.

Onward!