Small Artist Sketchbook 2022 – Pages 56 and 57

We are on a journey through another one of my small artist sketchbooks. As with all my books of this type, I take a sketchbook and fill it with whatever I feel like doing at the time. No planning, just enjoyment.

This book was done between August 2020 and February 2022, more or less (I date each page as I do it).

I don’t go through the book page by page in order, though in general the earlier images are at the front and the later ones following – but sometimes I skip pages and come back later, or do some other thing. No reason, that is just how I do it.

Let’s take a look.

Here’s today’s page spread.

Here are individual views of the pages.

If you have any questions as to the materials or techniques I used, let me know. I love to answer questions!

12 thoughts on “Small Artist Sketchbook 2022 – Pages 56 and 57”

  1. Laura (PA Pict)

    The right hand page simultaneously made me think of stratifications in the layers of the earth and the mattresses in the story of the Princess in the Pea. I love the left hand page for its vibrant colour choices and the fun mark-making. The whole pieces is very summery and uplifting.

    1. Claudia McGill Post author

      Thank you. Funny, I also thought of the Princess story for the right hand side. I guess because it was a childhood favorite. Anyway, the idea made me stop where I was with this image rather than trying to keep adding, since…it was complete, and ready for the Princess!

  2. Michele

    My day starts with color and ideas when I wake up and there’s a post from you! It’s grey times here in Minneapolis and I’m painting a zillion neutral samples for an online class I’m taking (neutrals make me sleepy). Your exuberant sketchbook pages are like caffeine to offset the zillions of neutrals.

    1. Claudia McGill Post author

      Thank you. I had to laugh, I have certainly thought the same things about neutrals, although, I must be fair, there is a time and place for sleepy. or maybe I can be more complimentary and say, calm or soothing…But I know what you mean!

    1. Claudia McGill Post author

      Thank you. I put the colors there and was going to keep adding, but…I liked the layers and the way the colors worked with each other. I am glad I let it be.

  4. Nancy Bell Scott

    Two questions: (1) In that lovely and lively first one, did you use corrugated cardboard for the line-like (but not rigid-looking) markings behind the figure?
    And (2) I’ve been meaning to ask you this for years: What weight is the paper in the sketchbooks you use? Just curious, as you do a lot to some of your pages and I assume you use both sides of each sheet.

    1. Claudia McGill Post author

      Yes, I did use cardboard as you describe, I peeled off the one side of the cardboard so that the ridges were exposed. The books I use are 138 pounds. Meant for mixed media. I do use both sides of the sheet and this weight holds up fine for me. I do sort of try not to have the back and front of the page both have a lot of heavy collage but instead I might have collage on one side and paint or ink or the like on the other, to kind of balance things out.

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