In Louise Stanley‘s “Rules for Keeping a Sketchbook,” her rule number two is “Start on the third page to get your courage up.” Number three is “Go back to the first page and do a self-portrait when you’ve got the nerve.” At her exhibit it was great seeing some of her (often comical) self-portraits from journals spanning decades.
For my own journals, I preferred the idea of making the last page a self-portrait instead. That way it still creates a record of the YOU that put all that stuff in the journal, but it’s not there staring back at you every time you open the book. So this is my self-portrait on the last page of the Fabriano Venezia sketchbook.
And this is the second to last page. Just a couple of subway riders with a bit of watercolor added later. I’m about a quarter of the way into the new journal I bound myself and am really loving it. My next posts will be from that journal.
And now it’s Friday night and what has felt like a very long, exhausting work week is finally over and I get to transition back to my art life. But that will be tomorrow. Tonight I’m just interested in a good night’s sleep.
Jana Bouc, Artist 
14 replies on “Last Pages of the Old Sketchbook”
I find your work and your blog so inspiring!!
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Thanks Cindi! And as I said on your blog, you inspire me too! Jana
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What fun rules. I need to “google” Louise Stanley and see what other rules she has – if published. I love that you do self-portraits and do see a resemblance – even though you are much cuter!!
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Hi Shirley, If you haven’t found the link yet, just look at my post again. Click on her name which is linked to that page of her website in my post. Thanks for saying I’m cuter than my drawing. I didn’t think it was a terribly complimentary self-portrait, but it didn’t look as grim as some have! Jana
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Hi, Jana—Once again you’ve provided just the spark I needed, both to make another sketchbook and to fully focus on ‘my art life’ this weekend! I love your self-portrait, too! Although I don’t know you, it’s very consistent with other self portraits you’ve done so I assume it must be accurate!
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Thanks Carol. I hope your weekend art life is going well! Jana
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Thank you, Jana, for another really interesting post. Your self portrait is a new view in my mental image of you. Around here I am famous to myself for not finishing sketchbooks. There are currently about eight on my shelf, all about 3/4 finished. I grab them randomly, usually based more on size and page quality than anything else. None has a self portrait, though I should do one with my new silver (pewter?) hair/ I loved reading Ms. Stanley’s rules for sketchbooks!
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That’s funny to say “famous to myself”! I like it. I was doing the same thing with my sketchbooks and it felt so good to finally either finish or declare finished each one and then stick to one sketchbook at a time. I guess the trick is to have one that is the right size and paper for everything, or to just accept what you have is good enough for whatever you’re doing. I’m letting my hair grow out as it pleases, too. It doesn’t have as much grey as I thought it would yet but I look forward to the silver. Jana
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I like this idea of starting with a self-portrait. Maybe you’re right though by putting it last! LOL…not sure if I would like to see it every time I open my sketchbook! Do you have a link to Louise’s site, if she has one? I’d be interested in seeing these rules! Great sketches!
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Hi Raena, If you click her name in the original post, it’s a link to the page of her site that has the rules and more. Jana
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I like your self-portrait. Also like the idea of ending a sketchbook with one. Doing so gives you a point in time – this is who I was when I was thinking these visual thoughts.
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Hi Alex. Yes, I think so too. It was really cool seeing Louise virtually age over the years, gain a little weight, loose it, etc. But in every self-portrait there was her quirky self too. Jana
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So awesome.
You seem to become more relaxed with your style every time I visit here, almost as if your ease of creation increases as the content also becomes more interesting.
🙂
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Thank you so much! It’s so good to hear that tonight because I’ve been feeling just about the opposite. I needed that bit of encouragement badly so thank you very much!!!! Jana
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