Sketchbook Project 2011- Pages 1-7

When I signed up for the Sketchbook Project, I was also taking a comics fundamentals workshop at my local library with Jerzy Drozd, (take a listen to his Art & Story podcast!) I think Jerzy's passion for comics is pretty contagious. So I was really happy to attend the workshop and meet him. I've dabbled in comics throughout the years; having a piece in an anthology, even participated in the MoCCA Artfest selling my work, but always getting distracted and going back to illustrating children's books.

I've always wanted to write and love the comic style of story telling. But writing is difficult for me. So when I was at the workshop and was told "Write what you know!" it clicked with me. I was going to write about my experiences and feelings of moving from a big city (New York) to a small town (Ann Arbor, MI), in comic form.

I'm intrigued by people who write autobiographical stories. How daring-to have the good, the bad, and the ugly out there for the world to see. I'm sort of nervous about it, afraid of offending anyone's feelings, afraid of people seeing my weak side. But here it is, page 1 to 7...

"If You Lived Here..."

(please click on the images to enlarge and read)

I have not pre-planned any storylines or layouts. I'm using this as a genuine sketchbook so to speak, and working directly on the paper (which is unfortunately, very thin, with ink showing through a little bit on the other side.). So the artwork is not "perfect" by any means and that is another side I will be exposing myself of.

I'll be posting new pages when I can and right now I plan to house all the pages in a set over at my Flickr.

And if you actually read all this rambling AND read my comic story so far, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! :-)