Professional talker on sketchbook ownership
Ex-student of LCA, Joe Blaker spoke about her trials and tribulations that resulted in her career path and what she does practically, to keep herself immersed in the creative process. After receiving back feedback in her first year on a degree course, she sought to establish a new approach to her work, which incorporated an appreciation for life and her surroundings rather than what she thought the establishment wanted to see. This led to her incredible array of sketchbooks which explore a huge variations of approaches, techniques and styles.
From collaging, to simple line drawing, Jo spoke about her appreciation for line and its varying qualities. She also touched on organic form and texture, and the way shell photograph anything that she finds interesting. Whether that be the colour palette of a scene or the way a shadow hits an object, she'll find potential within it.
Moreover, Jo talked about developing inclinations, and growing ones awareness, which ties in to her approach to the environment. She explains how having confidence in what interests you is vital to achieving art which is real and informed, rather than blindly produced. Sketchbook practise allows ones to create that which can't be photographed. Producing new interpretations to our surroundings allows us to appreciate word, form and colour even more. What goes with what - where something is places - what text or wording would accentuate or even confuse a message? These are all rhetorical questions that circulate within when you produce sketchbook works.
When considering how to produce works, it is important to understand how a sketchbook can inform your process. Practicality versus thought is a relevant way of explaining how ideas must become tangible for them to exist. Jo explains how often, putting her ideas into physical forms can lead your process into different directions. Writing down, can lead one into tangents that allow your work to be plausible and visible. Jo also talked about steering away from the computer. Do not lose touch with hands on approaches, and how they can make a piece more authentic and appreciated. A more practically led process adds more stimulation and value to the work, there is a greater understanding of shape, colour and form, if you are layering works with varying materials and approaches - e.g. painting, pastels, newspaper, ripping, watercolour, sticking, fraying, reflecting etc.
As such, Jo talked of the importance of staying involved with drawing. Do not force work, but make sure you enjoy and are informed by it. She spoke of trying out new materials if you begin to get bored, and how this often allows her to progress with something instead of just stopping the process. I found her ideas and approaches really helpful and look forward to applying them to y design process.
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