I recently turned up an old sketch book of mine, circa 1988.

As I flipped through the pages, I realized just how important the ability to create has been in my life. My son was just a year old at the time most of the images were created, I was working many late nights, exhausted all the time, and my salvation was my sketchbook. I drew many things that I never would have otherwise, highly detailed, and challenging to draw, as a way of taking my mind to "that other place", where stress and the world melts away.

Initially I was going to put the sketchbook away. Some of the sketches have become a bit discolored, and the edges of the pages aren't as crisp as they once were. But then I decided to start posting some of the images on my artist page. It's a good reminder of the way that art can soothe the soul on those days when you feel like you're losing your mind. Even 20 years later, it felt great to find those sketches. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed rediscovering them!

Peace

Yesterday I laid down for a quick nap in the early afternoon, one hour, then back to work. I forgot to set my alarm, and 3 hours later I woke up discombubalated (I love that word), and at 6:30, way too late to do the things I had planned to do. So, today, I had to try to catch up. I was out doing the shopping, running around, trying to touch base with my gallery in Port Moody, thinking about the twenty other things I needed to be doing, the usual, and kicking myself for sleeping so long yesterday.

I was shlepping through a store, basket in hand, trying to find the right cat food, the right toilet paper, fish flakes, and then as I came around a corner....there it was - SCHOOL SUPPLIES!! All of a sudden, I went from feeling harrassed and annoyed to feeling all goosebumpy. Brand new pencils! 6-packs of pens! Stacks and stacks of paper, just waiting for a doodle.

I had so much yet to do, but I couldn't resist just a quick walk through the aisles. All the artists out there know the feeling, I'm sure. I'll just look, I really don't need anything at the moment, I have lots of paper, lots of pens and pencils, etc, etc. Oh the lies we tell ourselves! And then I saw it. A purple box with tinkerbell on the cover. 24 colored pencils, a small pad of paper (also featuring the familiar fairy on the cover) and a matching pencil sharpener. All for the one-time, low-low price of $2.97. Well, what would you have done? Of course I put the box in my basket. I think I smiled all the way up to the check out. Suddenly, my ridiculous nap yesterday that put me so far behind today really didn't seem so bad. The world looks a lot friendlier when you have a brand new box of cheap pencil crayons in your basket. Thanks, Tinkerbell. As soon as I catch up, I'm going to use all 24 colors. Ciao ;)