Last week we looked at the role sketchbook journals can play as the COVID-19 restrictions force us to look at the world around us from a different perspective. The simplest things in our daily routines and our homes can become new sources of thought and reflection about larger ideas. Maybe it’s drawing the contents of your laundry basket as a step toward exploring the journey of a garment from raw materials to finished product, and the many unnamed hands involved that are connected to you through both the clothing and the pandemic’s global reach.
For sketchbook artist and author Danny Gregory (How to Draw Without Talent), keeping a visual journal is about ‘making everyday matter” (1). The Art of Breakfast: a Film About Danny Gregory shows how our first meal of the day can become a contemplative still life full of colours, textures and forms, and ultimately a ritual with more meaning.
What are some objects around your home that you take for granted. Doors?
Maybe a paper grocery bag?
How does the meaning of everyday things change in a time of crisis? Stop and glance around your home for that overlooked object. Try capturing the image several times, in pencil, pen, paint, coloured pencil, or whatever you have at hand. Does your understanding of its importance evolve over time? Are there thoughts to add to the page? Share your favourite version on our Facebook page, and inspire others!
1. Danny Gregory. [May 3, 2020]. Making Everyday Matter. https://www.dannygregory.com/artist
