Create Your Own Artist's Journal

Arts & Activities, March, 2004 by Jerome J. Hausman

(2002; $24.99), by Erin O'Toole. North Light Books, 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236.

How simple it would be! All students can keep journals. It would encourage observation and the recording of visual impressions. It's a very personal means to keep track of ideas and experiences that might otherwise be forgotten. As the author, Erin O'Toole, put it: "Journals are books of discoveries. They are a curious look at life. A place to capture thoughts. Journals are an excuse to explore new places. They are also a place to try out new drawing materials."

This is a well-illustrated book that covers a range of topics outlining how students might create their own journals: starting a journal, materials, working in a garden, drawing in your neighborhood, and drawing wildlife. It includes a section on handmade books along with a review of art-journal techniques: pencil, pen, watercolor, gouache and colored pencils.

Most important, the author conveys a sense for why one should keep a journal: "Cherish your journal time and use it to gather your thoughts, sort out the complexities of life, and quietly observe your surroundings. Filling your books with the life around you, journals become a reflection of the present and in time, will hold unique glimpses of your own history."-J.J.H. For information about this publication, circle No. 391 on the Reader Service Card.