One More Notebook

I am a person that needs to record my thoughts and sketches in notebooks. I keep notebooks on everything. Years ago I'd simply have 'a' notebook but it's gotten to the point I have a notebook for Landscaping ideas and 'a whack' for everything else. I was reminded of this today as I climbed into the cab of my Dodge Ram and sat on some loose paper notes (sketches at a red light no doubt) that were waiting to be 'pasted' into one of my notebooks. If I had to think about it I bet I could find notebooks that reside permanently in almost every room of the house.

This sort of happened gradually over the years. You know when you have a thought or flash of an idea and you want to sketch it that very second...it helps to have a notebook close by. I have one beside my keyboard (obvious) one in the kitchen, one in my studio and on and on. Last night as I settled into bed I grappled for my night table notebook only to discover it wasn't the one I was looking for. Oh horrors. After stepping gingerly over my snoring Bull Terrier I then discovered the correct notebook in the top drawer of my dresser...along with two other forgotten notebooks. They are all somewhat categorized now depending on whether they are for water, rock, sculpture... etc. Years ago I began buying only matching notebooks so they are distinguishable only by the amount of wear to the cover flap. I will sketch until that particular book is full and then start another.

My first notebook of sorts is simply Planter Designs and the like. That was about seven years ago. Since then I've started notebooks to hold ideas on Ferro Cement Sculpture, Sculpted Furniture, Water Features, Faux Bois and so on. Watch for my post on loose paper notes, you know the scribbles and scrawls you steal at red lights, waiting rooms or line-ups at Tims...just kidding. The shot above shows one of my first projects taken from my latest notebook on you guessed it...Lifecasting.