Log 02 - Introducing my Analog Pocket Notebook series

For approximately 3 months now, I have been taking characters from Impressionist paintings and drawing them with acrylic markers onto the covers of pocket notebooks.

As of this writing, 24 / 36 notebooks are done, at the rate of 2-3 at a time whenever I sit down to do a few on weekends, as time permits. It has taken a while, and it will continue a while still. I’m in no hurry and do not have a set agenda with these, except that for the moment, I am enjoying the process.

I typically have a couple pocket notebooks in use at a time for random notes or ideas. For the cover, I usually find a small sticker to apply as decoration. This time, however, I decided it would be more fun to draw people from Brittany, France. I knew the painter Paul Gauguin had paintings from Brittany and proceeded to look these up. Sure enough, I found what I was looking for.

The ladies on the left are from The Yellow Christ, 1889. The couple on the right are from The Kelp Gatherers, 1890, by Paul Gauguin.

The illustrations are done with Posca acrylic markers.

Doing this gave me the desire to continue. After a little bit of going back and forth, I decided it would create a more cohesive series to keep with a particular style of painting and settled on the Impressionists.

Next thing I know, I’m ordering a box of 36 pocket notebooks online. As mentioned earlier, 24 are done, 12 remain – so this particular series is almost complete.

What will become of these once all 36 are done? There are several possibilities on the table right now, ranging from using them myself to having a little sale for those interested in acquiring one or two. I’m also scanning each cover and playing with the images a bit. More on that later.

For today, please enjoy this first set of 12:

Analog - Go Off Grid is my own “brand” that I use for my pocket notebooks.

Do you have a favorite? Do you recognize any of the paintings? Would you be interested in acquiring one such pocket notebook?

Feel free to engage in conversation below. Thanks for humoring me and reading. Cheers.