Sketchbook Studies

In preparation for the first prompt (coming on 1-1-2011) for The Sketchbook Challenge, I have been puttering with my sketchbooks during my holiday vacation and I thought I'd share some of it with you.

I'm developing texture studies to use in my Masteries class with Jane Dunnewold and have been playing with my own hand writing in both large and small formats.

The design wall is currently covered with these studies.


The idea to stack text came as I was doodling in this little beauty, a hand-made, fused-silk covered journal gifted to me a while back by Sue B.

Inside, while working on improving my handwriting before moving it to fabric, I began to be fascinated by the shapes, whorls, and sharp lines of text and the way one word looks when sketched directly on top of another. 

I started with the basics, stacking the same nonsense word on top of itself, turning the page this way and that as I wrote. Interesting textures developed. 

These led me to wonder about creating shapes using this simple technique.

I was happy with my results and began to think that some of them looked like graffiti. 

I've long wished to "tag" my own name, and I know there are classes being offered online to help you learn to do that, but I've never taken the time to look into any of them. So I started playing independently with my own name and voila, a tag is born.

Finally, to play with even more text, I began stacking journaling on top of paper that's already been printed on, like telephone book pages.

Now I just need Jane to help me interpret all of this onto fabric!

Happy creating and hope to see you on 1-1-2011 for our first prompt! - Judi