Book’s End & Cover

The last page of a sketchbook journal is always a bit wistful feeling to me.  I’m sad to see the journal’s end, but excited to begin the next.  In this case, I had already begun the new one, the Book of Sanity, which I’ve been sharing with you of late.  But the last page of my favorite square format Aquabee sketchbook had been waiting there on the drawing table…waiting patiently to be completed.  I pulled out papers, brads, and sketched a bit for this one.  I was trying to get the feel of winter: those hazy winter days where the lines of the trees are blissfully muted, and then the bright white days where the snow sparkles in the sunlight and red cardinals pop in the colorless landscape.

Typically, I decorate the front cover of each sketchbook at the onset of beginning to draw and paint inside of it.  This one was begun in haste back in June of 2010, and therefore didn’t get decorated until a few days ago.  We’ve been having a good bit of snow here in Kernersville, NC…thus the theme of the cover.  I’ve also been teaching my students about Wilson Bentley (the Snowflake Man) and having them design their own snowflakes with pen and watercolor.  The upper right snowflake is one of thousands of snowflakes he photographed.  It is mind-boggling to think of each and every one of them being different from each other.  As the first flakes fell during our last snow storm,  my daughters and I went outside, bent down, and could actually see individual, perfectly formed snowflakes.  We wished we had a magnifying glass!!  So lovely!

I ‘spose it doesn’t matter that the contents of this sketchbook aren’t really from wintertime…it just ended there.  Now I’m wondering how to “decorate” the Book of Sanity??  Heh, heh…we’ll see…

0 thoughts on “Book’s End & Cover

  1. Elza says:

    Super cool, in two senses of the words. Did you cut the big snowflake from paper? I have been cutting flowers inspired by
    Yaguti Kanako…only I don’t really know what to do with them.
    Elza

    • jenpedwards says:

      Thanks so much, Elza! I cut the big snowflake out of a coffee filter. It works great since it is thin enough to fold it several times and be able to cut small shapes. I can’t wait to check out the flowers you’re referring to…sounds lovely!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *