How an idea by The Travelling Artist Deb Jones blossomed into a collaborative lockdown journal ‘The Golden Thread Sketch Book’

 

The Golden Thread Sketch Book is a beautiful collection of artwork responding to Lockdown 2020, and, as the name suggests is connected by a golden thread.

We all had our different ways of dealing with what 2020 threw at us. As an creative person, I found myself taking refuge more and more in my art.  And one of the nicer things about 2020, was how many people who would not normally describe themselves as artistic, also sought out, whether consiously or subconsiously, creative outlets for the stress and anxiety we were all feeling.

Creativity got so many of us through lockdown 2020

Home made bread anyone?  I’m not a cook.  I’m rubbish at cooking.  But boy can kneading dough release some tension from tight shoulders.  People were writing poetry, splashing paint around, gardening, sewing.  You name it, if it had an element of creativity to it, as a nation we embraced it.

Arty farty folks like myself have always known how good this is for the soul.

Personally, I don’t care a jot about creating a prize winning piece of art (although that would be very nice).  For me, lockdown art  was much more cathartic.  It was about getting my pent up feelilngs out there in a constructive and healthy way.

I would say that alongside our gorgeous labradoodle Logan, art in many forms played a huge part in getting me through last year.

The Golden Thread Sketch Book

So when I saw a lovely artist called Deb Jones, who is also known as The Travelling Artist, was looking for fellow artists to help create a ‘Golden Thread Sketchbook’ that documented our collective journey through 2020 I jumped at the chance of being involved.

I will let you read through what it meant to other artists as each one of us involved had a different story to tell, in our own unique ways.  I decided to call my own piece ‘These 4 Walls’  Because throughout most of the year as a family we were shielding, and hardly venturing out at all.

Our tiny, messy little house, became our safe sanctuary.  However I also at times felt very hemmed in by it.

Art (as pretentious as I know it sounds), became almost like my umbilical cord with the outside world.  It was my way of keeping in touch, by posting my rather strange lockdown daubings on social media.

Perfection is never something I strive for in art (rightly or wrongly).  But getting feedback that my paintings touched people in some way, definitely helped me to gain in confidence, and in 2021 I aim to concentrate just as much on the painting side of my art, as the sulpting side that has been my main focus for several years now.

I would urge people to check out the Golden Thread Sketchbook Website.  It’s something I’m very proud to have played a small part in creating, and there are some wonderful and uplifting stories and art on there by artists from all over the world.

Stay safe everyone, and keep on being creative.  It really can help.

Donna