Process: Sketchbook

Sketching ideas is an important part of the process of making pots, both as pure experimentation and to make a plan for those currently in the works. I keep a couple sketchbooks going at any one time, and always have one handy in the studio. Along with good photographs of the finished pots, sketchbooks are also a way of tracking my progress. They prompt me to revisit old ideas, or remember the orgination of a particular form or decoration. Sometimes I like the quick sketch even more than the finished pot. (I'm interested in the ghostly, fleeting connection between the idea, drawing and object.) I also write a lot, reflecting and recording ideas as I work -- these words get merged into the drawings in unpredictable ways, and often help me remember

Below are about 40 images scanned from my sketchbook of 2004. I made a determined effort that year to sketch more often; to use color in a variety of inks, pens, pencils and crayons; to sketch details and possibilities before starting a new series of pots; and to sketch loosely/randomly without much concern for the finished product. Surprisingly, many of these turned out to be interesting or "good" in their own right.

Click any thumbnail for a larger image (up to 150kb each).