Creative: Evelyn’s Notebook

I am SO jealous. When I met the Chilean dynamo Evelyn, the better half of the upcoming Patagonia Workshops, I didn’t know she kept notebooks. Nope, had no idea. I was doing what I do, which is talk shit about how magical keeping a notebook really is, and she just kept nodding. And then, when I visited her in Seattle and asked to do an interview, she said, “‘Do you want to film my notebooks?” “What notebooks?’ I asked. If you watch the film in the link above, you will see video footage of her notebooks.

I feel like I’m on the tip of something new.

I can feel it. Most often when I feel this way, something big comes along, something life-changing. It can be good or bad, but most often it does come. I feel like there is a move toward art and a move away from photography. Don’t get me wrong, if you label me as anything, it should be creative with a heavy lean toward photographer. I don’t call myself a photographer because I no longer make my living with photography, nor will I ever again, but it’s really a guilt by long-term association. I’m not an artist. Anyone who has seen my work knows this to be true.

A few days ago, I drew a door in the room I was working from. It didn’t look like a door, but ONE thing looked kinda right. I was over the moon. I drew it on a label from the Columbia outlet store, which I promptly threw away, but for a moment, I was Basquiat. In a way, I feel like it’s 1988, and I’ve stepped into the darkroom for the first time. It’s that kind of excitement. My plans for the future, which might have become much more real after the events of the past day, will involve both art and photography, mostly from others.

I’m a nube, a rube, a part-time, C-lister, but it feels good to be making new strokes. For those of you with art skills, I hate you. Okay, hate is a strong word. Admire is what I’m looking for. I admire your skills, and this is how I feel when I see Evelyn’s notebooks. She has a casualness about them, but they are very much a part of her life. A horse in a boat. First, that’s hilarious and so Chile. But two, the way she extends the boat adds a little color and a little commentary, which is so nice. So simple and yet so nice. The page has feel.

I was gone for the past two weeks, and when I checked my mail today, it was loaded with artwork from my friend Michael. They are letters, but they are artwork. When I open these and show them to my wife, she shakes her head and says, “The guy is so talented.” And then I ask, “But honey, what about me?” and she says, “Unload my car…now!” The point is, his work is beautiful, and it has feel.

I love the photograph in the second image posted here. (Evelyn’s) And the additional drawing on top. A bit of text, a bit of watercolor, and bingo, such a great feel. A few posts ago, I mentioned the dream of one bag travel with a tiny camera, notebook, and art supplies. Evelyn and Michael continue to show me the way. And for those of you saying, “Dude, just start already,” know I already have. I gave myself the “one drawing a day” challenge and stuck to it. (Same for one Spanish lesson a day. Carajo!) These notebooks are also the best gateway to making book/books.

Diving more into the art world has been eye-opening. Thanks to Evelyn for sharing her work.