Sending My Art on a Road Trip

Those of you who have an amazing memory may recall that some time back (waaaay back) my son gifted me with the challenge of "The Sketchbook Project."  He entered me into the process of participating in a design project whereby sketchbooks done by persons from all over the world become part of a huge collection in the Brooklyn Art Library, Brooklyn, NY.  

The other cool thing about the project is that the books (all standard issue, regulation sized) become part of a "book mobile" and go on tour throughout different parts of the country.  AND (but wait, there is more...) if you bought the premium package (which, of course, my son did) the book would be "digitized" on line so it could be viewed by virtually anyone who either had the link, or searched based on a topic of interest, or authors name.

Each year the project chooses themes to prompt artists and writers to work from.

Brooklyn Art Library

Anyhoo, I loved the idea.  I sweated over what I would do.  One of the offered themes, "Wander", struck a chord with me and I just kept chewing on it.  I am a wanderer....hmmm.... 

Want to see where it took me?  I am happy to share the link where my book is now immortalized in the digital word for others to enjoy.  You will have to use your imagination where the words become lost in the seams of the folds but otherwise here it is.

AND, the actual book is "on tour."  Part of the fun is that I get email notices when it is literally checked out and read...so far it has been seen by viewers at the Olympic Sculpture Park in the 2015 Seattle Tour as well as The Distillery Historic District in Toronto, ON.  No one has taken me up on my offer (final page) to contact me via email (we previous pen-pals die hard) but it is just kinda fun to think my literary efforts are being looked at in places so far from home and by people I have never met.

You, too, can sign up for the project....no special credentials required other than a willingness to try.

Just go to www.sketchbookproject.com.  Have some fun....and just imagine that it will be a little piece of you left behind for many others to enjoy.

Creatively yours,

Cindy 

p.s.  if you wish to share the link to my book with someone else it is:

https://www.sketchbookproject.com/library/16643

I Wonder as I Wander

You know that feeling you get when a project is complete? That whoo-o-osh of relief and pride? I am about to roll around in it, as soon as the glue dries and stamps are on the envelope. I am really done!

Last Christmas I received this wonderful package from my eldest son. He had paid my way into "The Sketchbook Project," a traveling library of artists' books created by thousands of people from over 135 different countries.  And what's more, he 'super-sized' it by assuring that the finished product would not only travel around the U.S. but would be "digitized" for others to see on line!  How exciting...what pressure!

While my beautiful little manila covered book sat in my studio for many months, it always occupied a space in my brain.  I kept mentally going through my roladex of 'great ideas' searching for the right topic, style, medium etc.  The word 'wander' kept circulating; I think I may be a professional wanderer....but how to depict?

I Wonder As I Wander  is a favorite hymn of mine.  My research revealed that it was based on an Appalachian song fragment collected by John Jacob Niles in 1933 in the town of Murphy, NC.  A young woman sang this haunting tune at an evangelical fundraiser for 25 cents a performance.  Niles completed the song by composing more melody and adding lyrics.  It was first performed that same year at theJohn C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.

I got the chills learning this as the Appalachian Mountains, Murphy and the Folk School all hold dear places in my life.  As a wanderer at heart and a lifelong wonderer, the theme of the little book came together quite easily.  I set to work writing the "poetry" and planning the pages.  Here's a sneak peek:

There is a path (hmm, is that the yellow brick road...?) that connects each

page to the next.

  

Simple? yes, but that is what I like about it.  No angst, no ax to grind, no rant or diatribe.  Just simple, happy thoughts that could appeal to any age, simple easy drawings that share the wistfulness of the original song.

See the barcode on the back?  This is an important part of the entire project.  As soon as I pop this baby in the mail they will match it to my registration and set about photographing it for the on-line viewing.  You can use my name as author to find it (after the Jan 15 deadline).  But wait there's more:

the book will also go "on the road" in a little bookmobile of sorts that travels to different venues across the country.  They camp out in public places for a day and visitors can freely punch in tags or subjects they might enjoy and voila! they get matched with several sketchbooks to "check out."

Someone asked me why in the world would an artist want to pay to send their work to a collection project.  I wanted to ask why wouldn't they?  I suppose that for me the Mission of the project so closely fits my own:

     "We think art should be collaborative.  Using the Sketchbook Project as our vehicle, we have connected tens of thousands of artists from all over the globe.  We are the largest collection of living artists sketchbooks in the world."

Art should be available to everyone, art should contain pieces that appeal to a variety of people, if one is not exposed to real art (as in touching, smelling, connecting with the media) one will never, ever become a collector.  If I can find a way to get "it" out there, I will.  

And besides, it's kind of fun to think that my grandchildren could wander into the Brooklyn Art Library and wonder if grammy has anything in it.

Guess what? She does.

Wondering and Wandering,

Cindy