Guys! Folks! Imaginary and real friends! I am super excited to present my first Limited Edition Artist Made “Urban Artist Sketchbooks!”

Urban Artist Sketchbook. Artist Made Sketchbook

Today, I want to talk about the process behind the Urban Artist Sketchbook.

I want to talk about the inspiration and the absolute pleasure that went into making them. My hands are dirty, my pants have paint on them and my hair is messy. My eyes are sparkling with the glinting gleam of joy I get, when creating something I hope other people will love as much as I do.

Contemplating my next interesting idea to share with you.

First of all, I took Steph to S.C.R.A.P for the first time. She had mentioned wanting a sketchbook, and I walked in the door and there were these cute little financial notepads, 5x7 inched, just begging to be adored. They weren’t what she was looking for, and I put them back, but an idea started to wiggle around in my mind.

I shopped S.C.R.A.P, thinking about the ideas for the Natural Artifact Boxes I’ve been dreaming of making for people, who need some magical artistic romance in their life.

So there I am, checking out, and I can’t stop thinking about the Urban Artist Sketchbook idea. I know that my buddy Benjamin Carley and I, are going on a graffiti date next week, and I have been building him pretty art presents to go along with this date, and the IDEA PUNCHES ME IN THE FACE and I know exactly what to do. Helllllloooooo inspiration. You are an expensive mistress.

Of course, I buy the financial sketchbooks. I bring them home. I lay them all out out in my backyard and I get started. (Here’s a shot of the raw material behind the idea.)

Raw Materials at the beginning of the process

I gathered up three colors of spray paint and proceeded to get down with my internal “Lisa Frank meets Graffiti Artist,” and I went to town on those gorgeous raw materials. It seemed appropriate that my first “upcycled, artist-made project of the year” was transforming financial notebooks into Urban Artist Sketchbooks, since yesterday was Chinese New Year, and it’s the Year of the Ox. I’m a Wood Ox, and my buddy Emmers informed me that my “predictions for the year, are very Asian. Health and Financial Security.” She’s adorable, and I am grateful to be important to her.

Something I struggle with as an artist, is remembering I need to make money, in oder to give people I love pretty things, and pay my basic bills. I have a tendency to give people gifts, of art, of money, of food- even when I don’t have enough of the above. I believe deeply that the universe will provide for me, and she always does, but I agree with the concepts in Sacred Success, “Mange your money, or your money will manage you.”

Coincidently, I finished listening to the audio book version, the day before Chinese New Year.

Now, if you’re stumbling across this, rather than being someone who loves me and is reading my blog, you might not know me. I am not Asian, I am not Chinese. I am a queer, white woman with a college degree, who was adopted as an adult into my best friend’s family, and they are Chinese/Italian/French Canadian and they have included me in their celebrations for the last 16+ years.

Something unexpected happened when I was playing with my spray paint- the packaging, after being painted, creates a whole involved experience which elevated the Urban Artist Sketchbooks even further.

Look at it- it’s interesting, creative and deeply original on each piece! Not only are the Urban Artist Sketchbooks these dreamy, perfect sized, compact sketchbooks, but, the packaging is also now, one of a kind. Eeek! As Bob Ross says, “We don’t make mistakes, we just have Happy Accidents.”

This! Is the packaging! This is the cardboard outer part!

The spiral bound Urban Artist Sketchbooks, getting their paint on.

Each of these cuties has been hand spray painted by me, and it turned them into adorable sketchbooks with their own personalities. You can adopt a random one here, in my shop!

The process of painting them, and helping their little personalities come to the forefront, delights me! I adore taking materials already in the world, turning them into art and sharing them with people.

One of the goals that’s come up during Weeks 1-2 of my February Artist Retreat, is to transform my studio practice over the next five years, into working with 80% recycled, up cycled and decomposable materials. I know I have to paint, and paint is toxic chemicals the earth doesn’t enjoy. So I need to be able to keep an eye on what I physically bring into the world to offer. I want the products I design, and sell to not only be useful to people, but to be kind to our environment. There is no back up to Earth.

Making these this last week, provided me 5+ hours of joy and artistic interaction. I love creation, color, spry paint and sketchbooks. I hope you do to.

I literally cannot wait to ship them out to people who want them, and get to see what people create inside of these sketchbooks.

Inspiring creativity in other people is my top goal for my soul, and when I am in alignment with my values- my heart sings in absolute glee.

Thanks for being interested in the behind-the-scenes part of making/upcycling Artist Made Sketchbooks. If you love these, be sure to pick yours up in the shop (shipping and handling included for $20).

Drop me a line and let me know what you’d be interested to see show up in my art shop.

Love and Art,

Finn Graves.