Naomi Taitz Duffy -- a Sketchbook Conversation

Today's Sketchbook Conversation is with Naomi Taitz Duffy.

Here's her story:




My name is Naomi Taitz Duffy and I live and work in Washington DC. I always have a few sketchbooks around that I go to when I don't feel like working on a larger painting or when I need to work out ideas.
Naomi Taitz Duffy, Sketchbooks, Sketchbook Conversations, Artists, Inspiration, My Giant Strawberry
I also go to my sketchbooks when I want to play with specific materials that work best on paper. Sketchbooks and small paper pieces are much less intimidating and a great place to make lots of work that can either be kept or thrown away. I find that when there is absolutely no pressure is often the best time to come up with fresh ideas.

Naomi Taitz Duffy, Sketchbooks, Sketchbook Conversations, Artists, Inspiration, My Giant Strawberry

I've always loved drawing with pens and markers. These were really my first medium beginning as a child because they were what I had around. I would spend hours with a pile of white computer paper and a box of markers making images out of shapes and patterns.

Naomi Taitz Duffy, Sketchbooks, Sketchbook Conversations, Artists, Inspiration, My Giant Strawberry

Now that I've moved on to paints I appreciate that I can still use markers and pens on top of acrylics and go back and forth between the different medium to achieve interesting layers.

Naomi Taitz Duffy, Sketchbooks, Sketchbook Conversations, Artists, Inspiration, My Giant Strawberry

My advice to someone just starting out would be to follow your instincts even when you're not quite sure where your work is headed. I think many of us have a feeling when we're first starting out that we need to find our style right away, but I believe this is something that happens completely naturally over time and can't be forced.

Naomi Taitz Duffy, Sketchbooks, Sketchbook Conversations, Artists, Inspiration, My Giant Strawberry


Just draw or paint whatever feels interesting to you in the moment you sit down to work, and keep doing that. Eventually you'll look back at your work and see a style emerge. Sketchbooks are a really great place to begin because there is no pressure and no fancy canvas or board to feel intimidated by. My motto to myself when I'm feeling stuck (which is all the time!) is to make what interests me, what challenges me, and what I find beautiful.

Naomi Taitz Duffy, Sketchbooks, Sketchbook Conversations, Artists, Inspiration, My Giant Strawberry



Thank you, Naomi, for sharing your story with us today.

Dear readers, you can connect with Naomi and see more of her work:
on her website: www.naomitaitzduffy.com


Missed the other Sketchbook Conversations posts? It's even easier to catch up now that I've created a web page just for the series.

And for more inspiration, check out my Artist Interviews. I'll be back on Friday sharing my latest Artist Interview. Hope to see you then!



*Photos in this post © Naomi Taitz Duffy. Used with permission.

Comments

  1. What pretty sketchbook pages!

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  2. OH! Those sea urchin-ish things are fabulous!

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  3. Very imaginative work - full of movement! It is a great idea to use markers and pens on top of paints. Why not? :)

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    1. Exactly. Why not? There's nothing you can't try in your sketchbook!

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  4. I love the playfulness of these sketchbook pages! I often doodle designs on slips of paper - maybe I should do them in a sketchbook! Thank you, Naomi and Anne!

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    1. So glad you enjoyed, Judy! And yes, I think it would be awesome if you did your doodles in a sketchbook. Or at least attached your loose pages in a book. :)

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