today’s project

My current sketch journal is almost filled — only 10 more pages after the sketch I’m working on today. I considered buying another one, but then remembered that a few months ago I found a long-forgotten stash of watercolor paper in my old steamer trunk.

Bill found this vintage trunk years ago and refurbished it for me, adding a new cedar tray inside. It’s where I store bookmaking supplies and other art stuff. Inside, I recently found some quarter sheets of Arches, Saunders Waterford, Hahnemuhle, plus a variety pack from Cheap Joe’s.

Today I folded and tore down the Arches rough WC paper to make a 5 1/2 x 7 1/2” landscape sketchbook. There were also 2 leftover 3” strips of Fabriano Artistico paper — these, I folded into a 3” square accordion book. Both are being pressed with antique irons. Now I need to dig deeper in the trunk to figure out what I can use for covers . . .