SchoolArts - October 2007

Jour nal

Artists Sketchbooks I encourage you to share with yourstudents a variety ofsketch- books by practicing artists. Here is a list of some of my favorites:

• SabrinaWardHarrison

• James Jean

• Dan Eldon

• Danny Gregory

• Allow your style to come through.

• Don’t allow the pages to turn into a scrapbook; these should be fine-art drawings.

The Traveling Sketchbook

The first order of practical business was to write my name on the inside cover of a hardbound sketchbook, along with the school address. I also placed the book in a large, resealable plastic bag with the same informa- tion written in permanent marker. This protected the book from the elements.

As the book traveled, I often tucked in small images from art history or quotes that have inspired me as an artist. This gave students inspiration for their pages as well as

showingthata sketchbookshould be a collection of ideas for artistic development.

To start the sketchbook traveling, I chose the students who had worked the hardest in their personal sketchbook and rewarded them with the journal. I let students decide how the sketchbook would travel after that. I allowed each student only a couple of days to complete the pages. This requirement led to work that was fresh and inspired; any longer and they would linger too long with their ideas. The completed sketch- book stays with me, sharing artis- tic stories from every student, and inspiring new students each year.

Nicole Brisco is an art teacher at Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, Texas, TAEA Secondary Division Chair, and a contributing editor for SchoolArts. Nicole-brisco@yahoo.com.