My Sketchbook for the Art House Co-op in Brooklyn, NY

I received my moleskin for this Art House Co-op project months ago. As it is with things one have gads of time to do, I left it till the last minute to start it. So, what should have been something meant to be filled in day by day, week by week, like a sketchbook usually works, I had to create something in a couple of weeks. Thus, my `Lost & Found treasure box sketchbook was born. You can see roughly how the process took place in the slideshow.

I struggled to pick a theme for it. There were about 50 to choose from. But, in the end "I am a scavenger" jumped out and bit me. I knew this was a true part of my nature, and that I could have some fun with it. I decided to use my candy jar full of found objects as my source of material. They were objects I collected over a 5 year period from when my little boy started school, age 4. They definitely reflected my scavenger tendencies. But, now with time short, I had to get creative. Anyway, a series of drawings of bits and bobs found on the street might have become rather tedious (sour grapes?) but, I did have this fantastic resource and a story to go with it, so I decided to turn my sketchbook into a piece of book art which also expressed a part of my life. I made a selection of my found objects, sat down at my computer and put together some background and quotes. A concept, and story with pictures, was conceived around my love of picking up shiny or colourful bits of detritus I found in my neighbourhood.