Sketchbook Practice: Karen Abend's Doodle Diary

Hello everybody!

Do you keep a sketchbook? I think sketchbooks are a very personal way to record events, jot down ideas, and practice a form of art.  Some of the sketchbooks that I will never tire of looking at are from Liz Steel who draws everyday objects like teacups, Abbey Sy who records her travels in different sketchbooks, and Emma Block who has whimsical storybook sketches.   

One thing in common for those who own a sketchbook is the fear of the blank page. "What will I draw?" or "How can I fill this page with something beautiful?" are just some of the thoughts when faced with an empty sketchbook page. 

Today, I'm going to introduce you to a lady who has helped me overcome this fear. 

Her name is Karen Abend, an artist and organizer of Sketchbook Revival (a series of free on-line classes with different teachers demonstrating ways on how to be truly inventive and intentional in one's sketchbook). She organizes Sketchbook Revival because "creativity can fall through the cracks" so it's important to work on it daily and offer support to others whatever stage they are on their creative practices. 

Karen likes to make visual diaries or doodle diaries. She makes a page a day with a little journaling and the date written down. 

One of the themes of her sketchbooks is "30 Days of Animals." It was very focused and she used the same materials repeatedly. She says that doing daily explorations can be powerful, fun, and you can see your growth and development.

She also says that, "To succeed, the practice should be easy. Use a small format or pages. Keep it low pressure (should just be for me and can be done in 15 minutes). It should be fun, lets you play with different art materials, and is open ended. It should also be meaningful. The diary format keeps a record for my own life that helps me remember and look back on."

Here are some of Karen's sketchbooks.

Sometimes, she just uses loose copy paper. 

She suggests making a booklet out of copy paper (8 pages) or draw frames in your sketchbook.

Assign a prompt per page. 

Use materials that you already have (experiment with different media).

Remember: drawings don't have to be too precious.

It's okay for sketches to be messy, loose, and imprecise. 

Karen emphasizes that perfection isn't the goal. Regular practice results in abundance, as well as ease and flow of your art. 

Above is a list of prompts Karen provided to start us off.

Here is my version:

I recycled a sheet of brown paper (packaging material) and used colored pencils and watercolors for my drawings.    

Here's a closer look: The bookstore is my happy place; I almost didn't notice a leaky kitchen faucet; Something surprising is an egret spotted on the Hudson River (I usually only see seagulls, ducks and geese); and I am feeling relief after some distressing news.

Today I am wearing a checked shirt and khaki shorts; An activity I did was arranging some flowers; I want to learn how to juggle (maybe it will impress the toddlers in my family); and in my dream, I saw friends who I haven't seen in quite some time (they say that if you dream of people, it means that you miss them...and I really do).

I love this exercise from Karen. It definitely turned a blank sheet of paper from blah to TADA!

*****

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