Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Lost & Found

I was always taught not to be precious about drawing, that it's the knowledge that counts & the drawing is merely a by-product of learning. That said it's heart-breaking to lose a sketchbook! I recently lost mine while on a day trip drawing in Monaco. I wouldn't mind so much if it was a book full of gesture drawings but this one was dear to me because it's full of the special places I've discovered while living in France . . .


I re-traced my steps the following day to no avail-it could've been anywhere between Nice & Monaco by way of the self-employment office, tram, car-park, art museum, tropical gardens. I phoned up the places I'd visited that day too but no-one had found a 'carnet de croquis'.



I tried not to let it get me down, forget about it but it totally knocked my motivation to get out & draw. I figured what's the point of making drawings or paintings if I'm going to lose them! Worse thing was I couldn't for the life of me recall where I last had it. . .


Eventually Raja called the 'objets trouvés' office in Monaco for me & they had it! They didn't say where it was found but I figure I left it on a bench at the port while waiting for an exhibition to open. The book was intact but looked a bit rougher around the edges, weathered, a bit salty! It had been on an adventure of its own & now we were reunited!



The lesson learnt is always put my name & number in my sketchbooks. It must be the nightmare of all artists & I was lucky to get it back. Full marks to the decent citizens of Monaco!



These are all drawings from the book that I haven't posted before & I hope to fill it with more like these. (Previous sketches here ,here & here.)

25 comments:

Double0zero said...

Wow Matt I'm stoked that you found your sketche book. Maybe it just need some time alone? Its been so great to see your work progress and the proof of the pencil (and brush) miles is really in your work. Keep pumping out those sketches and maybe you need a ketche book chain? Take care HK

MikeS said...

Exquisite work, Matt. I'm happy that you've been reunited!

Especially keen and delighted by the top watercolour...

Blu said...

so glad that your lost sketch book was found, some little gems there!

C.B. Canga said...

very nice blog. keep it up.

Unknown said...

Superbe! Beautiful! super jolies aquarelles! Vraiment, j'adore. Du beau travail!
Je t'embrasse ma poule.

Anonymous said...

Your were REEEALLY lucky... I will learn from your story and write my informations on mine :)

quasivoid said...

I guess there are some good people left in the world....quite a few of those works would look great framed in a stranger's house. It's amazing that you got it back!

Oscar Grillo said...

I don't write my address in the sketchbook but my date of birth. Would that help?

Kristian said...

holy moly! what a gripping tale. I have also experienced the loss of a sketchbook. Alas, mine was lost in central london (needless to say the peeps of ol'london town aren't as hospitible as the folk of monaco)
now to the wonderful paintings shown here. Incredible, so evocative!

Matthew Cruickshank said...

It's a gripping yarn from start to finish-however it's a happy ending!

God bless the salty inhabitants of the towns you visit for having enough grey matter in their barnacles to hand that puppy in.

Was there a reward?

Splendid sketches.

the doodlers said...

We're happy you are able to get these back! A grand bunch of sketches.

the doodlers said...

We're happy you are able to get these back! A grand bunch of sketches.

Unknown said...

Beautiful pages of drawings and paintings!

"TORI CAT" said...

WOW!!!!
I love your sketch book work!!
Its so inspiring and and certainly tells a story of all the places you have visited.

Thank you for sharing,

Best wishes,

Tori.x

Anonymous said...

héhé, tout le monde se moque de moi parce que sur tout mes carnets j'écris mon nom et mon adresse^^
les croquis sont superbes en tout cas!

Christophe"ZEBE" Lourdelet said...

I agree Mr QUASIVOID, personally I wouln't have returned it back monsieur Matt! ;) kh kh kh kh

J'espere que tu vas bien.

la bise!

ZB')

andrew said...

very nice watercolour studies

John T Quinn III said...

"I was always taught not to be precious about drawing, that it's the knowledge that counts & the drawing is merely a by-product of learning."

Amen!

EL GRANDE said...

Really cool images man. I'm really into these.

Peace,
Joe y Elio

limbolo said...

Matt, mon precieux,

Your watercolours are lovely (except for the 5th one down). They remind me of a guy whose name I forget.

By the way, have you seen Gonzalo Carcamo's watercolours?

Bob Camp said...

Wow now you have a little story about the book which makes it and the drawings in it more special.
As always great stuff. You still working for Bibo?

Dave 'Diamond' Merritt said...

Nice one Matt. You got lucky. The sketch with the beach umbrellas is very beautiful. Worth all the energy itself to get your book back. Very good work.

Gerald de Dios said...

Sorry to hear about your lost sketchbook. But happy for you to reunite with it!

You've got awesome sketches and watercolor illustrations on your blog.

Matt Jones said...

Thnx for all the encouraging comments folks-I'm sure glad to have been reunited with my sketchbook & I'm working hard on filling it to share with you soon.

justdoodleit said...

beautiful sketches, especially those watercolor landscapes