But, as we’ve been thinking about what we love about a certain artist’s technique or aesthetic, it’s also a lot of fun to see the behind-the-scenes progress—how did such a beautiful piece come to be? Did the artist create as they go? Did they already have the color palette and composition in mind? I thought it’d be fun to highlight a few artists’ process by sharing a peek of their studio sketchbooks! Seeing a collection of their quick sketches shows how their style is truly unique and natural to them. Kicking it off with Rebecca Stern
from Stamford, Connecticut—thanks for sharing, Rebecca!
I use my phone a lot as a means of keeping a record of things on the go—photos of interesting color combinations or abstracted shadows, interesting juxtaposing shapes, etc. I also take notes of thoughts, ideas or emotional responses while I'm away from the studio. I use these two modes of capturing inspiration as a kind of "idea bank" I can pull from while I'm working.
All of my work is completed without any premeditation. Because of that, my sketchbooks serve as a place of experimentation without the pressure of turning it into "something good." Playing around with different tools, layering of materials, color combinations and mark making are what fill the pages.
They have become much more layered and complex. I used to try to complete a sketchbook page before moving on to a new page. But I now realize that my sketchbook is a space where I can be nonlinear. I can make a big swath of color on one page and jump back to an old page to glue on a piece of fabric. I will often look through my sketchbooks if I'm stuck while working on a painting, and inevitably I come upon a page that inspires my next move in the painting, but also a page that I see that needs something else.
