Sketchbooks, Part 6

This past semester, I (finally) took a handmade book class.  I learned all sorts of bookbinding techniques, but my favorite by far was the coptic stitch. For a long time, I hated coptic, seeing examples online. I thought it was tacky. But I think that's because they were all hardcover. I much prefer them as paperbacks. With colorful thread. And they open so nicely.

Filling these handmade sketchbooks became more gratifying. I was more aware of how quickly I filled each signature, and it was a nice way to section my ideas. And I felt free to write and draw anything I wanted, especially since it was much cheaper to make sketchbooks. A lot of pages, I realized, dealt with narrative sequence. Flow charts. Storyboards. Maps. Book layouts.

Goals for the next 5 years. I'll repost this later - in text form - for your convenience. 

 Narrative sequence. Ideas for my website. I always have trouble categorizing my work, and I end up with a lot of messy venn diagrams and various lists. Like this one.

 Good things. Good ideas. Good day.

 This is how you write a cover letter. In case you were wondering. I took very good notes during the lecture. Can't you tell?

 Annoyed. Probably with the weather and idiots.

 My traveling scholarship plan ended up being something other than this. But it's kind of cool to look back on these brainstorming sketches, and know that it paid off, that I earned money to travel and make art. In other news, here on the right is a list of Good Rabbit Names. Because I will have at least one rabbit (good luck trying to stop me, Nicholas). I'm especially fond of Millie, Julie Andrews, Presley, and Gertrude.

I've worked in 2 different flower shops. And each time, they gave me endless inspiration. Mostly because I came to strongly dislike cut flowers sold in shops (except for peonies). And so while making bouquets, I'd daydream about wildflowers and wonderful landscapes. I like to keep flowers around me and in my sketchbooks, to keep feeding these narratives.