the sketchbook challenge

i caught this exhibit in person while it was still here in the northwest, but look it up to see where it's going next:  www.thesketchbookproject.com.  a mobile van with the snappy "my sketchbook is smarter than your honor student" across the back houses hundreds of sketchbooks from all over the world.  to get started, you scan the barcode on one of their library/business cards and look up sketchbooks by interest, topic, theme or locale...they include a "mystery" book with your checkout and after you've looked through them, you return the books and check out more.  not only does this give me ideas for art k-8 at my school, but it reminds me of how i sketched my way through france at this time last year.  paris has been a theme, to say the least, lately...permeating life.  want another summer combo?  get ahold of the sketchbook "rooftops of paris" by fabrice moireau (artist) and carl norac (poetry).  this goes nicely with the gorgeous "paris in color" book by nichole robertson.  and, while you're at it, you could rent the dvd "paris 36".  novel-wise, "the suitors" by cecile david-weill and "crossing on the paris" by dana gynther round out the happy pile.  one of my favorite sketchbooks from the project was by an artist in eugene who captured her month-long stay in paris. ahh, to dream...