Cabinet of Curiosities

This month's theme over at The Sketchbook Challenge is 'Cabinet of Curiosities'.  I would so love to have one of these, I love the idea of lots of interesting things all collected together in many different drawers and boxes.  How this translates into a sketchbook page is another matter but Jane Davies suggests a 'cabinet of curiosities' as a format which I rather like.

The idea is to focus on variety, and it really gets you thinking!  I kept feeling myself reaching for a colour or shape I'd just used, even when it was one I don't normally go for - I guess my brain had been recently alerted to it and thought it was a good idea!

I found it really quite hard to choose things that were different.  I know what I tend to go for (blues and greens, text, circles) and had to try and make sure I didn't keep reaching for these.  I also found myself justifying myself when I did reach again for a blue (it's a different shade) or when making another circle (it's using different supplies!).

This 'task' was part of lesson 4 of 'Extreme Composition' and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I cut snippets from magazines, old books, envelopes and bits of painted paper, and used rub ons and made marks with paint, pastels and ink and placed them in a grid format.  I then added 'one mark' to each of them, in the form of collage, printing, paint and drawing.

It certainly got me using supplies I don't normally reach for but will be doing in the future!  Have a go, it's fun!