I’m part of a nation-wide sketch book tour traveling across the US from April – November 2012. It is being organized by Art House Co-op and will wind up living at the Brooklyn Art Library. Those visiting Brooklyn, New York can visit the thousands of little sketch books being archived there now, books by artists from all over the world. It is interesting to be a part of such a huge collection and collective of artists with different skills and interests.
The stop in Los Angeles took place on May 25 & May 26. 2012 at an art gallery in Echo Park called iam8bit . I didn’t know what to expect, all my communications with the Sketchbook Project people had been on line. I was delighted to enter a foyer at iam8bit of interestingly framed sketchbook drawings that led into a larger room where an impromptu library was erected. Exciting.
After getting an on-the-spot library card at the first computer station, you were asked to go to the next group of computers to request books. Your order was received on yet another computer (behind the crowd control ropes) by the library staff. In a few minutes the staff librarians called out your name and handed you the maximum amount of books you could check-out–2. Books were organized in sections, my section was “In 10 Minutes”. I did not see my sketch book, but got a text each time guests in all the tour cities checked-out my book.
People stood around or sat and enjoyed looking a the sketchbooks that are 4X6 inches comprised of 50 pages each. I am not an avid sketcher and found the months from August to December of 2011, laborious and frustrating wrapped in self discovery.  The Sketchbook Tour exhibit was very different from any art event I have participated in. I liked it!
The Brooklyn Book Library got a cool write-up during the 2012 Sketchbook Tour in The New York Times! click here
Here are some of the sketches from my sketchbook:
Mixed medium
Blue ink pen
Ink embellished print
Pen & ink
Pen & ink