Finishing Sketchbooks

I rarely end a year with all the sketchbooks I started that year filled. But this year that is my goal. Chances are I won't get them all finished mainly because I have started so many new ones this year. Why? Because I wanted to dedicate a whole sketchbook to one topic (ie. birds, my Nesting book) or a whole book to one media for planning purposes or a book just for one class I took. I probably could not do this if it wasn't for the fact that I make my own books therefore have less money invested in each one. So how many am I working to finish before the end of 2016? Let me list them and the number of empty pages to fill, if for no other reason than I will be able to see the job I have in the next month.

1) Nesting - bird sketches, 8 pages
2) Buildings - started for Liz Steel's class on buildings, 6 pages
3) Polishing - started for my class at Sketchbook Skool, 3 pages
4) Circles - a sketchbook I started a couple of years ago to practice drawing ellipses that I keep near the TV in hopes I will fill it while watching TV, 30 small pages
5) Don't Sweat the small stuff - a recycled library book I rebound with watercolor paper; it is the perfect size to take on my dog walks but it is forgotten more than taken, 18 pages.

Now I also have a sketchbook for planning acrylic paintings, book binding; oriental brush painting note and planning; and a lettering book where I try different fonts out and just play with lettering. These are long on going books meant to last until they are filled with no time attached to their completion.

So at first glance it would appear I have not finished a single sketchbook in 2016. But I have.

1) my little red oriental brush planning book
2) an acrylic planning book started in 2013
3) the Taos trip sketchbook
4) my Shift in Place IFJM 2016 journal
5)The Lady and the Unicorn, one of my recycled, refilled, rebound library book for general sketching

Therefore you can see why I haven't taken the time to post recently and may not post much in the coming days. Well I am off to bake Thanksgiving Days pies and squeeze in some sketching.