Brooklyn Art Library Opening This Weekend

 

This weekend sees the start of The Sketchbook Project’s tour of galleries and museums around the US. The tour begins at Art House Co-op’s very own Brooklyn Art Library located in the heart of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY.

My sketchbook will be one of the many books submitted by 28838 artists from 94 countries around the world. Each book on the tour can be checked out like a library book as well as being able to be viewed on-line. Although due to the scale of the project, it will take a while yet before all of the sketchbooks have been digitized. But if you would like to see in advance what I submitted for the project then feel free to check out my Oodles of Doodles blog.

To find out where else the project will be touring just click on the tour date map.

The Brooklyn Art Library - 103A N 3rd St. Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Hours: Tues-Sun: 12:00pm-8:00pm (closed Mondays)

Sketchbook Project USA

I know that I usually work well to tight deadlines but I think that I should have paid a bit more attention to when the handing in date for the Art House Co-op Sketchbook Project was, when I signed up for it all those months ago. I knew that it was some time in 2011 but after having a quick check on-line I realised that the completed sketchbooks have to arrive back at the Brooklyn Art Library in the US (ready for their six state, museum and gallery tour - Brooklyn, Austin, San Francisco, Portland, Atlanta and Chicago) by the 15th of January. Taking into account the amount of time it will take to post them from the UK to the US and the fact that I just started my first sketch last night, I’m foreseeing a few very late nights ahead of me this festive season. Lovely!
So here’s what I’ve done so far. A few down – bloody loads to go!

This is a sketch of a component sculpture I made from an old, smashed doll’s head and selection of crabs legs – glued together.

Not sure what was going on in my head when I did this one - just felt the urge to draw tubes and pipes. I like tubes and pipes - what's wrong with that?

Again - not sure what I was thinking when I did this one. It seems to be a slightly depressed, clock-work thing.

 

I did this one this morning, in the cold light of day - a very bloody cold day (us Brits love to moan about the weather by the way). I thought that I had better start steering myself back towards the theme that I had chosen, and decided to create something that looked like it could be a scavenger. I call him Snozgoul.

And finally... this one. I haven't a clue... you tell me!

Participating artists were invited the chose from a wide selection of themes before starting their sketchbooks. I chose ‘I’m a Scavenger’. Considering my love of rubbish and approach to selecting materials (when sculpting), I think it’s quite apt.
So far six states, have signed up to play host to the show but it is likely that more states will take part before the exhibition starts in March 2011. After the tour, all sketchbooks will enter into the permanent collection of The Brooklyn Art Library, where they will be bar-coded and available for the public to view. All participating artists on the tour have a webpage in which to show off their work – and here’s mine.

Fun, Games and Free Art!

As part of this month’s ‘Friday Late View’ the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, London have asked various artists and illustrators to each produce two identical over-sized playing cards for a game of Two’s a Pair. I think the idea is that members of the public are given the opportunity to play the game and then get to keep a card if they can match it to its pair. As one of the artists selected to take part in the event I’ve decided to produce blown-up versions of one of my latest doodles, ‘Gimp’. I’ll do one in black and one in red – in keeping with the normal colours you find in suits of cards.

Another Doodle Update

With lots going on at the moment I’ve not been doing as many of my late night doodles as usual. However, I have just got round to uploading a dozen quick-fire drawings from last week.
The thing that I like about automatic drawing is that at the moment you put pen to paper you don’t know what will appear in front of you. Your brain is just a split second in front of what you are doing – instantly reacting to the mark that you are currently making. Sometimes you slow down and feel that the drawing is going in a certain direction, and at this point it becomes more considered. At other times the marks just fly out onto the paper as if drawn by some external force. And when these ones work out you kinda feel guilty about taking credit for them.
But, as I said before, with this approach they can be a bit hit and miss - so please don’t judge them too harshly.