Handmade Books & Perfectionism

An old hand printed 

(not by me) 

paper scrap

A button 

I've been saving for years

Embroidery floss that's been 

in a storage box 

in the closet

forever.

Another Accordion Book 

is born.

If you worry 

(I say to myself) 

about 

every little 

variance in size

every little wrinkle 

if you keep re-doing things

because they are not

perfect

(I say to myself)

you will never get to...

...have a wonderful new little book!

In my 

Sketchbook Journals 

I don't need

perfect lines 

perfect proportions 

perfect colors

(most of the time) 

In fact ,often, 

the looser the drawing, 

the more alive it is.

But 

I have studied

practiced 

drawing 

over the years

which has given me

(some) 

freedom

So I

practice

practice 

practice

these little books,

And 

I practice

letting go of 

Perfectionism 

along the way.

What is your experience with 
Perfectionism? 
(I could use some tips...) 

Mini Accordion Books

I'm going to a workshop called Urban Sketchers tonight!

Ironically, I'm not sketching lately. 

Maybe this will re-motivate me.

But I AM making non adhesive mini accordion books.

I'm using stored bits & pieces on the covers that, 

like unused toys on a shelf,

have been waiting to be brought to light, 

& to be loved again.

All the new mini's will be going to the workshop 

that I'll be teaching in Portland...en français...

What do these books contain? 

The aqua button one has the conjugated verb, 

"Rire" : To Laugh ,

because I love it, but I can never remember it.

The Moon and Star book has a lovely translation into French

of a quote by John Lennon:

"Nous resplendissons tous comme la lune

et les étoiles et le soleil..."

A Happy Easter Mini

 Holidays, a lovely excuse 

to make cards & decorations!

I'm grateful that this holiday tradition 

started for me in childhood.

I LOVE mini cards, 
with cutouts glued on (Yes paste) 

onto a small folded strip.

Home and Color Play

 Close up of one section

Playing with layers:

1. yellow tones of watercolor washes  

2. glazing, wet over dry  

3. pastel pencil marks

Simple color play turned into 

a theme (Title: "Home Schema Home") 

for a local group show at Waterfall Arts.

 I loved the schema for home 
when I drew as a young child.
 

And I still do as an adult sketcher. 

Sketching Through Meetings

Sketching gets me through meetings, 

that agitate or bore me...

I re-did some images from a meeting 

I attended in February, 

to make them a bit more presentable... 

Subject of the meeting? Politics.

Simple Travel Sketching

Simply, one sketchbook & one or several pens
while traveling.

Grab & Go, a little scribbly image 

to remember the moment for always...

In Boston, everywhere, EVERYwhere, 

lots of people (the majority?) with "Devices", 

tuned into electronic worlds,

maybe oblivious to their physical surroundings?