It was the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates who stated "the unexamined life is not worth living." And now, a local artist and teacher is giving new shape to the mantra by promoting the sketchbook as a vital aesthetic tool.
Multidisciplinary artist Christina Nick invites people of all skill levels to learn how to start and maintain a sketchbook and translate its musings into separate pieces. The workshop, which is entitled Collage and the Sketchbook: Recording Your Life's Journeys, is being offered Sunday (March 15) at the Brackendale Art Gallery (BAG).
The point of a sketchbook is to mix media and Nick has filled about 25 sketchbooks with drawings, writings, rubbings, cut-outs and prints over her lifetime. In fact, every piece of her art originates from her sketchbook, she said.
"It's crucial. I can't make art without my sketchbook," she said, adding that regularly keeping a book on her person allows her to transform it into a reflection of her daily life.
However, the sketchbook is not a diary, mind you.
"When people think of a diary they think of secrets where they don't want people to look at it, whereas the sketchbook is the opposite. It's a book that you want to share with people and it opens up lines of communication," said Nick.
Some of Nick's sketchbooks were on display at the BAG last summer along with her paintings and steel sculptures. The books were an account of numerous visits to the Galapagos Islands and included drawings of exotic creatures and landscapes and cut-outs from maps and text surveying the geography. The books provided a rare, intimate and impressive glimpse into an artistic mind.
Nick has taught art in Canada and Europe as she splits her time between 樱桃视频and Southern France. Some students find it difficult to fill that first page but Nick provides techniques to confront the blank slate and maintain a consistent sketching schedule.
The workshop runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In the morning, Nick will explore the background of sketchbooks and various media techniques. She will move onto hands-on instruction in the afternoon.
The cost of the workshop is $80 and lunch is included. Students are encouraged to bring their own sketchbooks.
