Jo Blaker Talk - Design Principles

Notes from the talk by Jo Blaker

• "practice is based on collecting different materials, colours and textures to experiment with in your sketchbooks"
• "When working in a sketchbook, I like to surprise myself. Creating ideas on a page is like an alternative way of thinking."
• Practice can be based on the idea of 'play'.
• Nature writing and traveling to new locations are a form of inspiration for Jo. In this way I could find what locations or books might appeal to me, and furthermore inform my practice. This can ultimately benefit the output that will be in my sketchbooks.
• Choosing abstract subject matter has heavily influenced Jo's work, so it may be beneficial for me to try searching for abstract idea in my work also.
• Looking at the forms and shapes in the objects around us can bring about fresh ways to experiment. One example of this in Jo's work was how she took a photograph of a seaweed root on the beach, and then created several quick sketches in different mediums. This included ink, painting and drawing using biros, and as a result she created a vast collection of ideas that might influence future work.
• Photocopying and collaging using materials is one way that she likes to work, as it allows her to explore her creativity without the use of digital work.
• One thing she uses in particular is the use of man-made materials, such as plastic rope, which can be reused and stored away until its use might come about again in the future.
• Youtube - Bigheads illustration

From looking through several of Jo Blaker's sketchbooks I can see there is a recurring approach to her work. She likes to layout the pages in a scrambled and quick manner, with quick notes and observations that reflect on the ideas she had during the time spent sketching something. In this way, I could try to experiment with sketches in a similar manner, to see whether my ideas will improve and influence me in the future.