Conclusion: RESIDENCY SKETCHBOOK WARM-UP CHALLENGE

Well, my 23 days are up, and I’m on my way to the UK!

If you’ve been following along via Instagram (@amyleesdoherty), you will have seen the almost daily updates.

While the process was really enjoyable, it was a lot of work to do daily, especially while also trying to prepare for a three-month-long international work trip… But we managed!

 
 

Sketchbook

This is a collection of some of my favourite pages from this challenge:

 
 

Conclusion

I have completed the challenge and my sketchbook!

I allowed myself to experiment. I also managed to let go of perfectionism for this challenge, and while there were some pieces I would rather not see the light of day, I believe I have completed the book without sacrificing quality. I feel much looser and more confident going into this art trip.

Actively making art daily actually made the admin side of being a professional artist much easier. I found my ideas came faster and were more refined and fleshed out from the get-go.

Key takeaways:

  • Experiment with mediums as much as possible

  • Work light to dark when you can

  • Make a routine to help get into the mindset and form a habit

  • It’s okay. You don’t have to feel guilty about throwing away that fineliner that’s out of ink and the nib broke off. It had a good life, and now it’s time to move on. Bin it. And don’t panic when you find an identical dead fineliner still in your pencil case; it’s just the art gods having a laugh.

  • Take yourself back to basics. Do observation drawing and explore your elements and principles. It will help reground you and pull you out of some bad habits you may be forming.

  • Put a scrap sheet of paper behind the page you’re working on. It’s always the page you don’t expect that bleeds through.

Until next time!

Amy

Amy Lees-Doherty (She/Her)

Contemporary Gold & Silversmith, Artist and Craftsperson

www.amyleesdoherty.com

www.instagram.com/amyleesdoherty

I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which I live and work; and pay my respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging.

Residency Sketchbook Warm-Up Challenge

I leave for the UK in 20 DAYS. How is it so rapidly approaching?

In preparation for the trip, I've been doing so much admin that my actual art-making has paused for a minute. But no longer!

So, what is the best way to ensure I'm back into my daily art-making? A gentle and relaxed reboot? No!

I have a blank sketchbook and 20 more days to fill it! Well, I actually started it three days ago, so I had 23 days to fill it. My blog post is just a tad late. 

The Goal

The goal is to let myself experiment while retaining quality, without the pressure of perfection, but push myself outside my comfort zone. 

The Game Plan: 23 Days = 62 Pages

I have 23 days until I leave and a sketchbook of 62 blank pages. 

If I do a daily average of 2.5 pages of artwork and experiments leading up to take off, I will have a completed sketchbook and my sketchbook habit back in place, fingers-crossed! 

I will post to my Instagram account to share my progress and keep myself accountable. If you'd like, you can follow along @amyleesdoherty

As well as completing this self-imposed challenge, I also need to pack soon too...

Until next time, and all the best, 

From Amy

Hand Medal Project

My Makers Number or Registration Number is 1194.

“The project was conceived by friends and artists Iris Eichenberg and Jimena Ríos. Its aim is straightforward: for artists, jewelers, students, and professionals to craft medals that will honor the service and sacrifice of health workers. Infused with the gratitude of the ex-voto and the tribute of a medal, these hands have been made and collected since April 2020.

The design is drawn from a historical argentinian ex-voto. Authorship is secondary the medals are not about the maker, but about the receiver. To underscore the unity of this collaborative effort, participants copy a template of the hand, meant to be simple enough for all skill levels, and easily replicated into whatever metal is available. This singular hand design creates a collective voice, reinforcing the shared gratitude that is the project’s mission.”

— (Hand Medal Project, 2020)

“JEWELLER Our current battle with coronavirus is fought with an enemy invisible to the naked eye, its specter made all the more ominous by its intangibility—a danger you cannot see. By contrast, metal, especially jewelry, is known by its weight and shape against the body. When formed into a medal, it provides a physical testimony for both the unseen virus and invisible bravery of those who have fought it. Hands themselves have been powerfully present in this battle. They are symbols not only of how our bodies have become weapons to be washed, sanitized, and gloved, but also of their innate power to heal and to connect. For around 3000 jewelers that join the project, of course, they are the language of skill and expression embodied.”

— (Hand Medal Project, 2020)


Bibliography:

Handmedalproject.com. 2020. Hand Medal Project. [online] Available at: <https://handmedalproject.com/> [Accessed 23 November 2020].

Source: https://handmedalproject.com/