Attended another workshop at an art supply store. Featured was JACK TURPIN, retired teacher of high school English, P.E. and art, whose workshop subject was art journals. I was open-mouthed from beginning to end of two lightening quick hours.
He brought in 10 or so journals, talked and showed us pages. Mesmerizingly detailed pen and ink drawings, some in blue or brown. Some he'd added just one, at most two watercolors to. Often he'd written threads of stories in exquisite calligraphy that wrapped around his drawings. Interspersed were glued in paper mementos at catchy angles: brochures, labels, programs etc. He said that for the past 12 years or so he'd had two "characters" floating through these journals, cut out as stencils and appearing in various creative forms. Some of his writings were about these characters' interactions with whatever artistic inspirations he was illustrating and the travels he was documenting. The one character's name I remember was Nat O'graphy, taken from an old National Geography cover he'd found and cut out.
I looked up Jack's webpage, JackTurpin.ca. Very professional and appealing. A lot of his paintings are featured and a number of the drawings from his journals. What I really liked was reading on his blog about how he paints 3 hours a week with a fellow painter and friend. For my current season of mostly artistic aloneness this sounds vastly appealing. Brings up my same old theme and pipe dream of wanting to live in a musicians/artists community where all sorts of creativity synergizes and interesting conversations flow freely and extensively.
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