I am always inspired by artists working in sketchbooks, so it was a treat to attend a talk by a master of the form. At the Ridgefield, CT Library, the artist James Lancel McElhinney spoke on “Painted Books: From the Age of Exploration to the Digital Era.” McElhinney traced the history of art created on … Continue reading James Lancel McElhinney on Painted Books
I love it when readers share their own notebooks, whether it is a whole collection or just one. Fred, a reader from the Philippines, sent these photos of his notebooks, which contain a great mix of drawings and collaged items.
I saw Alan Reed’s sketchbooks on Twitter and had to stop and gaze for a while… a lovely collection. You can see more of Alan’s work at his website, AlanReed.com. He posts some great painting videos too!
This one’s for Star Wars fans: sketchbooks from the 1970s belonging to the costumer designer for the original movie. A treasure trove of items owned by Star Wars costume designer John Mollo are being sold at London auctioneers Bonhams including notes and his sketchbook. If you don’t have the estimated £300,000 it will take to … Continue reading Star Wars Costume Designer’s Sketchbooks
Unfortunately this exhibition of artists’ sketchbooks is long over, but it ran earlier this year at the Western Wyoming Community College Art Gallery in Rock Springs. It looks like it was a lovely display! The pages below are by Leah Hardy: Below are sketches by Florence Alfano McEwin, who was also the curator of the … Continue reading Wyoming Artists’ Sketchbooks
A beautiful and colorful page from a notebook by artist Phillip March Jones. I love the idea of taking old pages of scribbly notes and turning them into vibrant works of abstract art. The artist, writer and curator Phillip March Jones almost always carries a notebook — a small Moleskine affair, just the right size to … Continue reading Phillip March Jones’s “Workbooks”
I’m always salivating over these big marker and colored pencil sets when the holidays roll around. Santa, are you listening? And if markers and colored pencils aren’t your thing, here’s a few other items to keep your notebook pages colorful! Oh, and did you need a new notebook to fill with all these lovely things? … Continue reading More Holiday Gift Ideas for Notebook Lovers
Sometimes the simplest little sketches just grab me. This one featured on the Urban Sketchers site is gorgeous. by Javier de Blas in La Rioja, Spain] Logroño, 11.05.2018. I watch the evening with no thought in my mind. Green is still alive, but autumn is already in the sky. Source: In a few strokes: autum … Continue reading An Autumn Sketch
You’ve probably seen Wendy MacNaughton’s artwork, even if you aren’t familiar with her name. She has illustrated some really cool books, including these: , and I just discovered this amusing blank notebook she created, the Punk Rock Writers Journal: Now she’s doing a regular feature in the business section of the New York Times, and … Continue reading Wendy MacNaughton in The New York Times
I have quite a collection of books about sketchbooks and notebooks and stationery. Here are a few of my favorites that you might want to consider as a gift for the notebook lover who has everything… for yourself, that is!