I have been drawing most days for Inktober. I am also taking the Preservation Enclosures class I mentioned in my last post. Next week I will start a Clamshell box class, also with Andrew Huot. Below is a little photo essay of some of my Inktober drawings. They are all on the architect's tracing paper that I use in collage. You can see I don't keep a perfect, beautiful sketchbook. I try out ideas and experiment with things that pop into my head. I decided I needed a hard cover, that's the first photo. Because I am going to take the sketchbook apart when it's full (and use the drawings for collage)  I quickly made a temporary cover that holds the sheaf of tracing paper in place with a piece of elastic. Then I can slip another sheaf of papers in there.

Hard cover for tracing paper sketchbook made with binder's board and book tape. Judith Hoffman

Sketchbook, tests, textures. Judith Hoffman

Inktober sketchbook, patterns and doodles. Judith Hoffman

Inktober sketchbook, doodles, tests, patterns. Judith Hoffman

Inktober sketchbook, various faces and patterns. Judith Hoffman

Center spread - testing various transparent acrylics. 

Inktober sketchbook, faces and patterns.

Inktober sketchbook. I like the layered shadows.

Inktober sketchbook and cat. Everyone's a critic. 

Box making class with Andrew Huot

I over committed this month. I am doing Inktober, and also taking an online class, Preservation Enclosures, with Andrew Huot through Book Paper Thread. The website says the class will be offered again in 2021. I'm half way through the class. To start we did two kinds of wrappers and a soft sided slip case. Below is one of the wrappers and the slipcase.

Self-closing wrapper and soft sided slipcase, from Andrew Huot's class, Preservation Enclosures

Then we did a corrugated clamshell box. This was much easier than I expected. These are mainly intended as preservation enclosures, as the class title says. But there are other applications. I can easily modify the clamshell box to be a tray for storage of collage parts. The materials are already ordered.

Corrugated clamshell box, from Andrew Huot's class, Preservation Enclosures

Andrew is a good teacher. He is clear and explains what he's doing plus there are handouts. I learn so much better when I can watch someone go through the process. I have not taken any formal book arts classes. I did do one intense workshop years ago with Shereen LaPlantz which was good. And of course I watch videos online. But everyone has different ways of working and I don't absorb everything the first time around. This time I have learned stuff about gluing and measuring, aside from the box techniques. Being able to go back and watch the video multiple times is helpful. The one good thing about Covid is that there is so much online now. Andrew has taught at FOBA, and I had planned to go out there next time he was teaching. But this is much better for me. I don't travel well and it's exhausting and stressful. 

These are hard times for everyone. I often feel stressed and anxious about the future. Having something to do that takes my mind off all that for awhile has been helpful. I hope you are finding this break from normal life productive, or at least not too stressful. I know some people are busier than ever, and others are at loose ends. Which ever it is, I send you my best wishes.