30 day Sketchbook challenge 2021

For 4 years or so Susan Yates, an artist in Woking, Surrey UK has been running this each January. I found out about it from another member of a Zoom art group on the 6th of January and started on the 8th. I had some catching up to do. Susan posts YouTube videos each day explaining a prompt – a starting point or subject matter for the day’s sketch. There are no rules regarding materials, quality, interpretation etc. It’s more to do with creating a habit, breaking a barrier, mindfulness. This year it has been particularly pertinent for mental and emotional health due to isolation inflicted by the ravages of a pandemic (Covid 19). Life has become virtual. The rumbling around is in a sketch book for now largely.

I watch Susan’s Day 1 video and associated videos about the challenge. Day 1’s prompt is Buttons. OK, I have a tin of buttons. I turf them out onto a sheet of white paper with the intention of drawing a pile of buttons. No, I got to make a thing, or a sketch if you like, out of them. A cat emerges. I scribble a couple of impressions in my sketch book. Done.

Day 2: Teapot. I gather 3 plus a couple of cafetieres and a mesh ball for brewing tea, set them on a small table, and settle down for a nice relaxing sketch. I take a photo of the array. My flat mate comments that Barry has got his tail in the picture. I check the photo and yes, he’s there. I add him and say that it looks as if I have a theme now.

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  Buttons

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  Teapots

Day 3: Biscuits. Let’s make a picture with biscuits…a cat o 9 tails with Biscoffs, dry biscuits and kibbles on the tray again. I place it on the floor and, of course, the quality control inspector comes along to check the kibbles.

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  Biscuits

Day 4: Octopus. Lends itself to 8 cats

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  Octo…pus

Day 5: Under the sink…next to which is the cat food cupboard

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  Under the sink

Day 6: Hooks and handles. Oh there’s a fancy handle on the folding lounge door. What to do with it? Let’s add a Ronald Searle cat.

Day 7: The number. Lets rustle up 7 comic strip cats

Day 8: Favourite drink. Not really got one but tea is my main go to. I have many caddies. Think I’ll channel Searle again.

Day 10: Green. That caddie has green leaves on AND tigers that I’d only noticed on day 8. That’ll do

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  Handle

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  favourite drink

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  Green- with tigers

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  7 comic strip cats

Day 9 and 11 Wood and paint. I actually do this on day 11. I put down a paint wash before drawing a cat damaged wooden chair. I’ve caught up. My hand hurts!

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  Wood- cat damage

Day 12: Pocket. I usually just have a load of tissues and rubber bands in my pocket but WAIT – my biking jacket…

Day 13: Shopping. Oh Gawd. I’m no fan of shopping. Cat food aisles? Yawn. By now I’ve joined the Challenge FB group and see the many and wondrous interpretations of the prompts. A cartoon sorts it.

Day 14: Letter C. No brainer. Barry even posed for me.

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  Pocket

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  Shopping

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  C is for…cat

On day 14 I learnt that a friend had died and Covid was a factor. I decide that somehow Day 15 would be about this. Day 15: Something new. A New emotion. I’d not known this level of unnerving devastating shock. Oh and look, my friend has a cat bag. Didn’t notice that when I chose the image.

Day 16: Something old. I was just waiting for an excuse to draw this toy my mother made for my first Christmas.

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  New emotion

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  Old toy

Day 17: Hampers

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  Basket

Day 18: Reptiles

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  Tiger cobra

Day 19: Lamps. Hey my bike has Lamps and Barry likes to pose there. He obliged. Photos were taken but then there’s the lamp above the radiator and combining this with another session that cites the styles of other artists. In this case Karl Schmidt Rottluff

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  Lamps 1

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  Lamps 2

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  Lamps 3

Day 20: Jewelry. Day 21: School. Apparently this vehicle is just known as Cat Bus. My research let me down. Hmph

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  Jewellery

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  Cat bus

Day 22: Hands. Day 23: Sun and Moon

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  Hands

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  Sun and moon

Day 24: Something I sit on

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  Sitting

Day 25: Famous landmark

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  Statues

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  Uffington Cat

Day 26: In the laboratory. Had to bend the mind on this one but then thought of this. Some research was done and then deployed the machine

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  Cats eyes 2

Day 27: In the forest. Again a challenge as was Day 28: Disposable but the idea for Day 29: Dancing just leapt into my head!

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  Desposable

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  Forest

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  Dancing with cats

Day 30: Your sketch book. I just went daft here.

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  Sketch book