About

My online name for years has been Sharon B. My full name is Sharon Boggon.

Sharon’s Sketchy stuff is a creative space that I am using to reclaim some of my sketching skills after years of working with a computer daily. So here you will find sketching and art related topics such as Urban sketching, travel drawing and journalling, which spills over into journaling techniques.

Observational journaling has been a habit of mine all my adult life. In the last 20 years the way people keep journals has become a rich diverse landscape of different creative activities.

Sometimes journals are more about the images between the pages of the book than the written content. Contemporary journaling can combine visual elements such as sketching, collage, painting, printmaking, photography with text. Journaling is heavily influenced by the book arts and artist books. Some journals explore the format of the book with pages that fold out, or have concertina pages, while others hold memorabilia in constructed pockets. Then there is the whole world of digital journals which include photos, video and sound.

Observational journals are not so much about introspection and recording angst. Instead thoughts and interests look outward. They are externally focused. They witness events in their community, recording their reaction to life. Observational journalers pay attention to what happens on their patch of the globe, using the written word or recording by sketch or photograph the places they live in and what they see. These journal/ art diary/ sketchbook hybrids are still growing and developing which is fun to see.

At the moment there are sites that focus on sketching and art journaling but not much on writing and the practice of keeping a journal. There are other sites that focus on writing but not on the visual elements. My creative interests mix these two topic areas. For me to represent the world visually adds meaning and depth to my journals. I use both words and images to make sense of an idea, or a thought. Sketching helps me to understand what I see.

Sketching is not about a finished piece of Art with a capital A, but an activity that leaves a trace we call a sketch. I have been an avid journaler for over 35 years – some would say that almost a habit – as I have written and/or drawn almost every day since 1989. I have also taught courses on how to keep a studio journal. So I figure I may have a few tips to share on journaling that may be useful for others.

I trained in the visual arts attending art school in Perth, Australia. I originally trained as a painter. Then further studies in the Textile workshop at the Canberra School of Art which is part of the Australian National University. This lead me to teaching there for 12 years, starting in the textiles workshop, before my career shifted to teaching what was then termed ‘Computer Arts’. This meant I taught such programs as Photoshop and Illustrator. I figure my interest in all things visual arts will spill over here.

Sharon’s Sketchy stuff a creative space so it will no doubt shift change and develop.