I bought this small notebook in York, PA when visiting my dad’s gallery shows a few months ago. I wish I remembered the name of the bookmaker. The creator is JoAnne Schiavone. The pages are made of maps and heavyweight paper, perfect for mixed media play; and at about 5”x7”, there’s no apprehension about filling the whole space.
I’ve been trying to get back to that place of childlike expression. Kids are so uninhibited by norms and expectations, or even a sense of what is or isn’t impossible – making them the most creative of us all.
Blind contour drawing has always fascinated me. The practice of seeing something, not interpreting it; of focusing on the product, not the outcome. It’s hard to get out of your own way. Art, to me, is the freedom of doing just that.. and the scribbles and mark-making I’ve been practicing in this book are meant to encourage my own play and child-like exploration.
Collage, acrylic, and oil pastel.
