Françoise Gilot died recently, at the age of 101. Françoise Gilot, Artist in the Shadow of Picasso, Is Dead at 101 In remembrance of her many talents, here’s an image from one of her travel sketchbooks, reproduced in facsimile in a limited edition set of books published by Tachen, which I posted about back when … Continue reading R.I.P. Françoise Gilot
I usually think of artists who draw and paint as having the most beautiful notebooks and sketchbooks, but photographers keep some intriguing notebooks too: my latest “other people’s notebooks” fascination is with Diane Arbus. I’ve always found her quite interesting, since discovering her photographs when I was in high school, to more recently reading Patricia … Continue reading Diane Arbus Notebooks
This book sounds fascinating! It was just reviewed in the New York Times: Rome, 1950: The diary begins innocently enough, with the name of its owner, Valeria Cossati, written in a neat script. Valeria is buying cigarettes for her husband when she is entranced by the stacks of gleaming black notebooks at the tobacco shop. … Continue reading The Forbidden Notebook
If you’re not familiar with the term “mudlark,” it means someone who digs around in a riverbed at low tide to see what sorts of treasures they might find. I felt like I’d found some treasure when I discovered Johnny Mudlark’s diary! I first saw some of these images on Pinterest, and was led to … Continue reading A Thames Mudlarker’s Notebook
The Moroccan-French author Leila Slimani was featured in the Wall Street Journal magazine in December, talking about some of her favorite objects. Included are a notebook and pen! In the front is a notebook. I’ve been writing everything in notebooks since I was 18. We write because we don’t want to forget, and it’s something … Continue reading Leila Slimani’s Notebook
It looks like Joan Didion would qualify as a Notebook Addict of the Week— she left behind at least 38 blank notebooks when she died. Joan Didion’s notebooks are being sold as part of an auction of many of her belongings, including books, artwork, furniture, sunglasses and more. I’ve written about Joan Didion before– her … Continue reading Joan Didion’s Notebooks
Nicolas V. Sanchez does amazing drawings in sketchbooks, using ballpoint pens with stunning skill and delicacy. I love the section of his website where he presents a series of notebooks he’s filled with his incredibly vibrant drawings: See more at Nicolas V. Sanchez– Books and on Instagram at @nicolasvsanchez .
I found this week’s notebook addict via a blog post by our previous addict, Warren Ellis. He linked to this Twitter thread , where screenwriter John Rogers talks about methods for notebook-keeping, and shared the photo below: It accompanies his first principle of notebook-keeping: First, a dedicated notebook for every project. This notenbook is creative … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week: John Rogers
An interesting piece in the New York Times: Unearthing Rick Barton, a Boho Bard of North Beach, about a Beat-era artist whose work is now on view at the Morgan Library in NYC. Rick Barton was a somewhat obscure artist who lived in San Francisco in the late 1950s and early 1960s, often sketching in … Continue reading Rick Barton’s Sketchbooks
This week’s addict is a writer of graphic novels and creator of the Netflix series Castlevania, among other creative ventures. On his website, he talks about his shift away from digital tools to capturing all this thoughts in notebooks like these: I almost exclusively think on paper these days. The first page of each notebook … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week: Warren Ellis