Spiral-bound

A new sketchbook is daunting and blank and white. It is like clean sheets or shiny new sneakers. It feels like a stranger to me. It must be broken in, lived with, carried. It is only about a third of the way through that I find my groove. I am also superstitious about drawing on the first page- I leave it blank.

I don't just draw or paint in my sketchbook, it is not merely a visual exercise of skill or technique. My sketchbooks are visual narratives of my current state of mind, obsessions, and interests. They are also an integral part of my artistic process

I draw, print, paint, write, cut, rip, tear, layer, paste, sew, observe, record, collect, gather, change, alter, examine, but most importantly I begin.


























My current sketchbook (as well as the previous three) are from Michael Rogers Press. They are custom 7x10" spiral-bound with heavyweight paper and kraft paper covers. They can take a beating in my satchel, and the paper holds up to my layering process and many types of wet and dry media. This particular book is available locally at Bob Slate in Cambridge, MA.

This is the 2nd page of the new book.
Keef (ballpoint pen and gouache)
copyright Kate Castelli 2008.