A Look Inside an Artist's Sketchbook

My high school art teacher, Rick Flanery, (see his school website here,) was one of the first people who encouraged me to keep a sketchbook. Not only is it a place to record images, sketches, and visual representations, but an artist's sketchbook becomes a place for her to record history, thoughts, discoveries and inspirations.











First of all, you see pencil drawings that were completed shortly after my high school years in Mr. Flanery's art classes and during my first year of college.






















Next, you have a sneak peak into the beginnings of my current pen and ink drawing styles.























Finally, take a look at one of my first 'formal,' (although a sketchbook is usually informal,) attempts at adding color to my pen and ink designs.























As I mentioned, a sketchbook can be like a journal as the artist records history through visual representations. Not all these drawings are dated, but I remember basically and sometimes specifically where I was and what I was doing when I drew the sketches... such as relaxing at home on a weekend or summer break from college, visiting relatives for holidays, sitting with my great aunt during a chemotherapy treatment, or sitting around at the pool with friends...