Visual Journal - Exploring Zines / Short Form

 Following on from the "Fill it up" task, I produced another two sided zine.

I used this zine as a way of observing my surroundings. At the time, I was ill, stuck in bed and very bored. I chose to fill the first side of the zine with observational drawings of my bedroom and cats. I purposefully stuck to using two coloured pencils, so that I forced myself to consider the composition of colours and textures.

On a few of the pages, I chose to overlay my drawings - the most obvious being the cat studies. I was rapidly trying to draw the shape of my sleeping cat before he switches positions (which was a lot).

The second side of the zine took on a much more authorial tone. I recovered from my illness and then one of my cats got really ill. It is/was a source of huge anxiety for me, and it felt natural to put it onto paper - almost like a diary entry. I was simply airing my frustrations at not being able to do anything about the situation, and sifting through other emotions that came with this.

I don't usually draw or write anything so personal, but it felt quite cathartic to do so. I stopped being so concerned with drawing everything perfectly, and let my feelings take over the process. I think that although the final few pages are scrappy and unrefined, they convey a particular mood quite well. These pages also give the other pages a little context - the feeling of "waiting" or passing time in the various studies.