When it comes to what I’d grab in a fire, my art diaries are definitely at the top of the shortlist.
Art has a way of cementing moments in my memory - timelines and dates are always a little hazy but it brings other details into focus in ways I’ll never forget.
Like this sketch I did sitting in a cafe in Paris.
I had just walked in the rain from my little Airbnb in Neuilly-sur-Seine with my art diaries tucked up under my hoodie and came to the cafe I went to every morning for Nutella crepes and a cappuccino (the good life). Everyone had moved their chairs to be closer to get better rain protection under the patio covering. I love being alone in a crowd. I remember marveling at what beautiful white noise another language makes for drawing. Moments earlier I’d seen an illustration in a bookstore by Quentin Blake and sent it to Jessie saying one day I wanted to illustrate books like he did. I was 27, broke, and about to head back to Sydney and serendipitously move in with two incredible women whose initials I just got as a cute tattoo.
Or there was this piece I named the Soul Searcher which was done at a cafe very early one morning in Sydney city before work at my first official big-girl-job post graduating from my Bachelors Degree. More money in my bank account now, but less time for drawing so bringing my watercolors in my purse to paint during my 7am coffee was the way to go.
It’s crazy flipping through the pages of my art diaries because it's all a memory of what I was listening to, where I was, what my favourite things to eat and drink at the time were, who I had a crush on or what was breaking my heart or what was making me happy.
In this piece above I was really on this theme of discovery and exploration. I loved taking long Sunday afternoon walks through Centennial park in Sydney, I was obsessed with a pearly white paint I found and have maintained a love affair with, I spent hours every Saturday morning at a cafe in Bronte that was freezing but had good coffee and I liked looking at old maps.
It’s also been a way to keep lots of originals but also give pieces away. I love it when a friend flips through my art diary and picks something out I could give them. I love having my originals scattered around the world, glu-tacked to girlfriends' walls.
The only bummer is the original that I gave to a boy I was seeing (rookie mistake) but luckily I photocopied it first so at least I have that. Also M, if you're reading this and happen to still have the OG pls hit me up.
Now that I’m sometimes working in Procreate, I try to print pieces out to have a physical copy. I just started a new art diary and although Moleskines are so fresh when they’re new, I’m actually excited for the day it’s totally overflowing with worn edges and been lugged from one city to another like my other ones.
Even if you aren't an artist, I highly recommend keeping books like this - if it's concert tickers or birthday cards, whatever. Camera Rolls are cool but it's really easy to print things out like at a chemist or an Officeworks (AUS) or Staples (USA) or *UK VERSION*, sorry I don't know what this would be, and flipping through it all is really fun.
As always,
All my love,
Emmy xxx
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