Hazel Dunn on sketchbooks and textiles

I told you about the PictureHooks workshop with Patrick Benson and Hazel Dunn... Well, even though Hazel was the mentee, the beginner in the field, she had some great ideas I'd like to share on the importance of sketchbooks, but maybe in a different way than you're thinking. Three of her ideas especially resonated with me.
      Brilliant idea #1: she shared little sketchbooks. She said she used to get a kick out of filling up all the pages. As a result, she ended up with lovely artefacts like these, full of botanical drawings and patterns.
What you might not notice at first in this image is that she actually cut out the pattern on this page, revealing the image behind it. It was absolutely lovely! Here, she did it again. Why haven't I ever thought to do this?
     Other than these little treasures, she said she didn't really work in sketchbooks, she tended to work with individual pieces of paper (like I always used to do). What to do with them?
     Brilliant idea #2: she would take her loose drawings and bind them into little booklets. They also became delightful little treasures.
Brilliant idea #3: she would also create little thematic books employing her sketches in artistic ways. Books don't always have to be about publication, they can just be pretty little collections like this one. Each page featured a different animal, because, why not?
And don't be thinking these images were a waste - almost all of them ended up being used in her textiles - just lovely!




Just goes to show, even beginners can have wonderful tips to share!

No comments: