Character Sketches

Today was perfect.  Well, the weather was anyway.  The sun was out, the sky had barely a cloud and the breeze was cool.  I couldn't think of a better day to take the kids to the park.

I chose a park next to the lake.  As the kids played I got a few paragraphs further along in my book, Jane Eyre, and snapped away with the camera.  As I read about Jane's somber winter at the Lowood school, I gazed out at the nearby blue lake, littered with gulls and red-necked grebes.  And it was difficult to identify with Jane's troubles as the giggles of playing children filled the air.

However, the book often talks about one's character, so I started to think of my own kids and who they are becoming;  obstacles they have had to overcome;  and the things that have shaped their character.

My son.  It was just last year that he was a little unsure in his footing, but is now climbing like a champ and going down slides with no fear.  I, however, admit to being a bit of a nervous wreck watching him climb up so high.  I must remind myself that I can't save him from every bump and scrape, and that I have to let him explore.  He is slowly and carefully coming out of his shell and is becoming more willing to try new things.

Then there is my daughter.  She's all girl, but she loves Transformers and playing with cars.  And she has so much more courage than I do.  She's incredibly creative too, for example she doesn't have her ears pierced so she "borrowed" earrings from Mrs. Potato Head and has been wearing them proudly.  She will unabashedly lobby anyone to play with her and always has a "great idea" to tell you about.

These kids have changed so much in the last two years (to the day) since I started this blog.  Certain aspects of their personalities have grown and I am proud of who they are.  These last two years have taught me a lot about capturing moments, both through words and images; and to record the big and little things in my life.  Who would have thought a free blogspot site would have been such a creative outlet, and would have brought me so much joy?

Thank you, dear readers, for sharing in this journey with me!

Now ... off to read a little bit more about Jane Eyre and that dreaded Mr. Brocklehurst - so far I'm not a fan of his character!

A Year's Worth Of Sketches

It totally escaped me that yesterday was my one year anniversary of writing this blog. And oddly I remembered as I was vacuuming my carpet today (evidently I do a lot of serious pondering while sucking up a week's worth of dog hair and dust). It got me thinking about what this blog has meant to me over the last year.

I'm older, and I hope a little wiser. In the last year I've had a bought with depression; struggled with Fibromyalgia; traveled through the state of Oregon; seen my children grow; learned to knit; and have taken hundreds of photographs and improved my skill - and this blog has allowed me to show off a little - and I posted through it all. It has pushed me to read more, experience more, and write A LOT more. I have spent time carefully crafting descriptive sentences, developing witty captions and finding subjects I hope others would find interesting to read about.

Blogging fuels my creativity and gives me a place to relieve stress. It sends me out in search for inspiration. It's not a knitting blog or a food blog. It isn't about one subject like graphic design. It is not used as a diary, describing every mundane thing during the coarse of my day. It is whatever I want it to be. After sifting through a year's worth of posts, I have found that I have stayed true to what I originally set out to do with my writings: sketch life. Sketch MY life, a little glimpse into the happenings of a normal person living a normal, but valuable, life. And in my eyes, it is becoming a beautiful work of art.

The Art of the Sketch

"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers." - Pablo Picasso

I find this quote to be interesting, and kind of true. It may be strange coming from a designer of websites to agree with Mr. Picasso, but I believe that great design is a product of process, doodling, and exploration. While computers are valuable tools, they do not replace the importance of the handwritten word or sketch.

When I was taking graphic design classes at Oregon State University, we were required to keep a design journal. At the time I was not that interested in researching and journaling about Paul Rand or writing down my design inspirations, but now I really see the benefit. Today I keep binders for all of my clients; complete with contact information, project information, and hand sketches of logos, website layouts, etc. It is valuable to look back at my original ideas because they will often spur new ideas.

A great notebook for such sketches is a Moleskine - my mom got me hooked on these. My notebook of choice is the Moleskine Pocket Sketch Notebook (3.5 x 5.5). It fits in my purse and has a pocket to keep receipts, photos, or whatever. I have paint swatches and old concert tickets in mine. I like it because it makes my random doodlings look important. Here is a peek into my own journal as I was working on a redesign for my business:

I like to make lists of the desired visual qualities and components of a design.

Here I made sketches of logo ideas, and labeled the attributes for each design.

My sketches are a simple and orderly. However, if you want to truly be impressed, go to http://www.moleskineus.com/moleskine-stories.html. I am amazed and inspired by the artwork of others. I often wish I had more time to just sit in a coffee shop and sketch.